‘It’s risky, but it’s my profession’ - St Mary nurse remains dedicated to her role in COVID-19 fight

Annotto Bay, St Mary:

Registered nurse Krista Witter-Edwards is not deterred by the presence of the deadly coronavirus in St Mary even after the Government imposed a 14-day quarantine to contain the spread of the virus in three communities.

Witter-Edwards, who works at the Annotto Bay Hospital in the northern parish, remains fearless despite the risk posed to health workers who may come in contact with persons falling victim to the pandemic, which has infected more than 500 people locally while claiming nine lives.

“Yes, it is risky, but this is my profession. This is my job, and this is what I do best,” Witter-Edwards told The Gleaner while decked out in her uniform and personal protective gear, including a face mask.

Up to late yesterday evening, St Mary had recorded 18 cases of the novel coronavirus. The bulk of the cases were recorded between April 29 and May 7 as the number ballooned from three cases to 16, triggering the quarantine in Dover, Epsom, Enfield, and Annotto Bay, where 13 cases were seen.

NOT SO BAD

“So far, it has not been that bad as the [COVID-19] patients are stable, very stable, so we just take the necessary precautions ... in terms of our personal protective equipment and maintaining our hygiene and doing the best that we can to care for the patients,” she said. “It hasn’t been that bad.”

The registered nurse, whose career spans more than 10 years, said that when the first case of the virus was confirmed locally on March 10, she refocused and accepted that it was now time to deal with what could turn out to be a health crisis in the best way possible.

“I realised that all the training and experience which I have gathered during my professional career was needed to save lives. This is a job that someone had to do,” she told The Gleaner. “This was definitely going to be a game-changer for us all, and I just took the necessary precautions, and I went ahead to execute.”

Witter-Edwards is keen on keeping her family safe, taking several precautions to prevent her taking the virus home and reducing their risk of infection.

“I try my best not to, in any form, cause any contamination to my family. Before I leave work, I have a shower and change my clothes. And as I get home, I head straight to the bathroom and keep everything in a confined area in terms of what I use at work. If I wear my uniform home, it goes separately into the bathroom,” she said.

“I take the necessary precaution and ensure that our immune system is strengthened by eating vegetables, fruits, and taking vitamins. On a regular basis, my work schedule is, like, eight hours per day. Occasionally, sometimes as the need arises, you’ll have work 16 hours per day,” she disclosed.

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