P.E.I. doctor battling pandemic's 3rd wave in Halifax
‘I would feel worse not being involved,’ says Dr. Emily MacAdam, originally from Morell
It's scary, it's difficult, and there is nothing else Dr. Emily MacAdam of Morell, P.E.I., would rather be doing right now.
The third-year internal medicine resident at Dalhousie University is part of a COVID-19 infectious disease team in Halifax.
MacAdam was part of a research project on COVID last spring, looking into the effectiveness of treatment for the disease. With the third wave, she is a little closer to the frontline.
"We see all admitted patients to the hospital with COVID, so we perform an initial assessment on the patients," she told CBC's Island Morning on Friday.
That has been running at four to eight patients a day. Combine that with consulting with doctors caring for the more than 60 patients already admitted.
"It's definitely a lot of work, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I think that I would feel worse not being involved," she said.
"Seeing people who are, you know, young, otherwise healthy … it's scary."
'I learned what we're capable of'
While it has been difficult, MacAdam said it has also been an amazing learning experience.
"I learned what we're capable of in times of crises and also the teamwork that's involved for… optimizing patient care. Another thing that I've learned is the importance of infection prevention and control. It's something that, as a resident, this COVID pandemic certainly brought to the forefront," she said.
"There will undoubtedly be more infectious diseases outbreaks, and I think that the skills I've learned with this pandemic will serve me well. So I could always see myself stepping up for whatever happens in the future."
MacAdam is keeping in regular contact with family members in her home province, and reflects on how fortunate Islanders have been with their pandemic experience.
While she knows it's not anything Islanders haven't heard regularly over the last few weeks, given her experience in Halifax, she still feels the need to give Islanders this one piece of advice.
"Don't let your guard down."
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With files from Island Morning