We felt well enough to go to our box class last night. Neither of us are feeling any vaccine reactions at this stage although we fully understand to be mindful of the symptoms of the very rare condition called thrombosis (6 out of one million) as we move into the post vaccine stage and await our second jab in August.
It is another reminder to be thankful to those who make science their work – where or where would we all be without our clever scientists? Our son is a medical scientist covering two Melbourne hospitals. They are beyond stretched with COVID-19 and the usual hematology, immunology, microbiology and cytology work does not ease back due to the existence of a pandemic. These labs run 24/7 and are staffed by those who make all manner of lifestyle adjustments to do their work. Their families also take on the burden of rosters that do not have the luxury of accommodating without compromise, the ebb and flow of everyday events which make up a life.
Blue scrubs, white coats and swipe lanyards that enable the sailing through security and emergence into unknown rooms may look ultra glamorous on television shows but the known reality is vastly different. The shifts are long and the pace is fast. Absences must be covered. Accuracy is essential. Machines break and IT fails. Our scientists are highly qualified, most with post-graduate specialities in subject matter that many of us have trouble pronouncing! They are not particularly well paid especially with the move towards private contractors with share holders to feed.
It is only on shows such as The Bold and The Beautiful that a handsome young doctor knocks on the lab door, enters with a brilliant smile to ask sweetly if the results for patient x are ready – oh no, that is not how it happens!
At the moment of vaccine, I paused to thank the female doctor for the work that she was doing and added that I was sure that she would much prefer to be with her own family late on a Saturday afternoon. Sadly, it was evident that this acknowledgment was unexpected but warmly welcomed.
My family and I know that we are so deeply blessed to be Australian.
We are thankful to be living through the pandemic in this country.
It feels impossible to express enough gratitude to the medical staff, scientists, aid workers and all those working globally to help us all through these days.
Our thoughts do – and in our family we do actually stop and remember that this pandemic has taken so many around the world, our prayers are always with those who have lost loved ones, those who are sick and those who will not be so fortunate to escape the impact of COVID19.
C Writes 