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Pandemic fatigue: Thanking our health care workers and first responders

Monday, March 15, 2021
By KAREN MARTOGLIO, Mental Heakth Amerrica of Putnam County Executive Director
Staff members from Kirsch Family Dentistry show off the their COVID-19 treat bags, filled with notes of encouragement and advice for maintaining their mental health during the pandemic, compliments of the United Way of Putnam County and Mental Health America of Putnam County. Those receiving the bags include (from left) Carrie Patterson, Samantha Brotherton, Katey Remsburg, Jessica Goodpaster, Lacey Laney and Becky Criss.
Courtesy photo

With more and more vaccinations for COVID-19 coming and infection rates going down, we’re beginning to see the light at the end of a long tunnel. And we still need the vigilance to carry on with wise decisions and remain aware of the pandemic.

With all of that, it’s been taxing, to say the least, on our well-being, and especially mental health. There have been days when the uncertainty and confusion of all of it became paralyzing, asking us to put every day activities on hold, some for the entire past year.

There’s even a name for it: Pandemic fatigue. We’ve all got it.

And for those groups that have been fighting on the front lines for so long and are still not able to rest, we salute you — the health care workers, the first responders, the teachers.

That’s why Mental Health America of Putnam County, a local education and advocacy group, and United Way of Putnam County have teamed up in bringing notes of encouragement, a treat and wise information to these groups on helping us endure these times which continue to challenge and tax us.

One great booklet that is shared with these fine folks is a resource that anyone can access: Our COVID-19 Wellness Pocket Guide is packed with checklists for daily personal and family care, stress, coping and journal ideas. Other materials include our big poster on COVID-19 and your Mental Health. Coupled with sound advice on covid and your mental health, these cornerstone pieces are designed to lessen this burden, identify area in need of attention and recharge to get through this pandemic.

We invite not only these front-line workers, but all of us, to use the resources we’ve curated for our mental health on our website at mhaopc.org/mentalhealthresources.

Join us in thanking these folks who have served so well for so long in this pandemic, keeping us all safe. And may they know how much they’re appreciated and that we really want them to take time and care for themselves.

We couldn’t have gotten through this without you.

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  • I genuinely admire the dedication and sense of duty that all of the health-care related individuals have shown to the community. It is noteworthy. Thank you.

    But, those in the leadership positions should not escape examination for their handling of this health scare. From the governor on down, those that have made the broad decisions here that have cast the far reaching mandates and longer term policies about the public health of literally everyone in our state need to be called to account for their actions.

    My particular concern for many months now has been the misrepresentation of known therapeutics that have been used effectively as treatment for this virus and other health issues in poorer nations across the world. Other states allowed them, even encouraged them, but not here.

    What would cause the leaders in public health and political government positions to threaten health providers with banishment and sanctioning for prescribing and administering long time known and widely used medicines? Seems reasonable in our time of need.

    Many characteristics of this pandemic are becoming clear as we are beginning to achieve herd immunity and can see the real the flattening of the curve. I am thankful for the media sites that don't adhere to the incurious big media that have become promoters instead of informers. As the Amazon-Washington Post ironically states "democracy dies in darkness"

    The facts will come out.

    -- Posted by direstraits on Thu, Mar 18, 2021, at 8:35 AM
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