三月二十日
动笔之前，我做了三分钟深呼吸，反复对自己说：沉着，冷静，只叙述不感慨。
从三月十七日开始，陆续收到7个邮件，说我们有7个护士和社工出现症状自我隔离了。其中六人是一线人员，直接跟病人打交道。隔离的其中之一是个社工（Social Worker），十一日前刚从美国休假回来。三月十一日，我们全单位职工曾在一间大会议室一起度过了一整天，还共进了午餐。那天， 我们叫Staff Retreat。
我认真读了邮件，努力回忆十一号的点点细节。6个人，包括这个社工，坐在同一桌。另外一个是她们的领导，Clinical Director。昨天开始，我的脑袋里不停地跳出一个地名，Portland。我的脑袋里不停地在测量她和我眉飞色舞地讲话时的距离。什么都想不起来，只有一个词—Portland。
今天和ED通电话，他说她们都没有去检测。我说我们要作最坏的打算，要有应对的计划。他说他着手去做，如果需要，会联系我。我不想去猜怎么才是最坏。
十一号那天我没戴口罩，但只少洗了五次手，期间还不停地用桌上的免洗手消毒液擦手擦手机。那天下午两点，WHO宣布全球Pandemic。从十二号起，我开始戴口罩上班。但愿不晚。之前，曾跟Clinical Director为口罩有过争执。顺便提一句，她在当官之前是个注册护士。
贴一段她十七号发给大家的邮件。不翻译，不解释，各人自己消化。但愿7个同事都只是感冒了，过几天就可以来上班。
Just remember that the only way this virus can spread is through droplet contact, it is NOT airborne and has no legs or arms. If it gets into you, it can only do so if someone sneezes or coughs within 1 m of you or if you touch something infected and then touch your face. Therefore our universal precautions of proper handwashing between all patients, before eating and after touching surfaces and not touching your face as well as not letting people sneeze in yours are the most effective ways of avoiding this.
Please DO NOT wear gloves all day. That actually spreads more germs and this virus can’t get into your lungs through your hands.
We need to save as much PPE as we can for those who are really sick and to protect the people who are caring directly for them. The way we see patients right now, we shouldn’t be seeing those with influenza like symptoms. They should be screened at the door. I know some patients are lying, but likely not too many are coughing and sneezing with flu like symptoms to get past the door to see us. Those ones usually want to see the docs. If they were traveling and lied to get past to see us, unless they cough or sneeze in our face, as long as we are following our own universal precautions, we cannot get this.
