PORTLAND, OR – It goes without saying that every act of bravery in a time of crisis should be recognized. Today Gomerblog wants to salute one such hero: emergency room physician, Dr. Trisha Daneeka, has summoned the strength & courage to clean out her work email inbox of the 100,000 or so COVID-19 emails in it.
“This feels worse than going into a symptomatic patient’s room without personal protective equipment,” explained Daneeka, as she memorizes the policies of one email only to find it is outdated 7 emails later. Just when she thinks one email contains bad news, the next email is that much worse. “I feel like I’m getting pummeled left and right with COVID emails.”
Daneeka told Gomerblog that she has been constantly talking with colleagues, family, and friends due to the anxiety related to checking her work email. She admits she hadn’t checked her email for 3 whole days. “I knew it would just be full of COVID. I was scared. I needed help, counseling to mentally ready myself for what I would throw myself into. It’s like heading into the abyss.”
She just tried to make light of the emails, playing a game called “Find the Non-COVID-19 Email.” After trudging through 3,000 emails, she realized that such a game cannot be won. She estimates she needs one Xanax per 100 work-related coronavirus emails.
“Nothing can ever prepare you for a situation like this, it’s so overwhelming,” as she saves a critically-important email on COVID-19’s ICD-10 code.
