Nurse Keisha Prevatt-Gomez, the first recipient of the COVID-19 vaccine in this country, says the virus has taken away the human touch in nursing.
While saying she was honoured to be the first person to receive the vaccine locally, Prevatt-Gomez said this aspect of the virus’ impact has been troubling her and was one of the main reasons said decided to get vaccinated.
“I have seen so many people suffer and I personally would not want that on myself, my co-worker, or anybody out there,” she expressed.
The nurse said since the first case of COVID-19 almost a year ago, healthcare workers had witnessed the demise of some of their elderly and more vulnerable staff and couldn’t even comfort the family members or hold them as they usually do.
“That human touch and that has been replaced by PPEs, face masks, face shields,” she said.
Prevatt-Gomez said right now she just wants the pandemic to be over and believes vaccination is the best bet. She said the process was so far was smooth and the side effects were manageable.
“There was slight tenderness of the arm at the vaccine site … I had a headache within 24-hours of receiving the vaccine but that went away, slight fever and slight body pains but nothing that stopped me from doing my regular duties,” she said.
She encouraged her colleagues and citizens to seek information on the vaccine from creditable sources just like she did.
“I did my research,” she said.
Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said 1,113 health care workers had been vaccinated thus far. (CL)
