三月二十日
動筆之前，我做了三分鐘深呼吸，反覆對自己說：沉著，冷靜，只敘述不感慨。
從三月十七日開始，陸續收到7個郵件，說我們有7個護士和社工出現症狀自我隔離了。其中六人是一線人員，直接跟病人打交道。隔離的其中之一是個社工（Social Worker），十一日前剛從美國休假回來。三月十一日，我們全單位職工曾在一間大會議室一起度過了一整天，還共進了午餐。那天， 我們叫Staff Retreat。
我認真讀了郵件，努力回憶十一號的點點細節。6個人，包括這個社工，坐在同一桌。另外一個是她們的領導，Clinical Director。昨天開始，我的腦袋裡不停地跳出一個地名，Portland。我的腦袋裡不停地在測量她和我眉飛色舞地講話時的距離。什麼都想不起來，只有一個詞—Portland。
今天和ED通電話，他說她們都沒有去檢測。我說我們要作最壞的打算，要有應對的計劃。他說他著手去做，如果需要，會聯繫我。我不想去猜怎麼才是最壞。
十一號那天我沒戴口罩，但至少洗了五次手，期間還不停地用桌上的免洗手消毒液擦手擦手機。那天下午兩點，WHO宣佈全球Pandemic。從十二號起，我開始戴口罩上班。但願不晚。之前，曾跟Clinical Director為口罩有過爭執。順便提一句，她在當官之前是個註冊護士。
貼一段她十七號發給大家的郵件。不翻譯，不解釋，各人自己消化。但願7個同事都只是感冒了，過幾天就可以來上班。
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.
