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An intensive care nurse at Cork University Hospital (CUH), who was among the first people in the state to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, is pleading with “lax” members of the public to reduce their face-to-face contacts.
Berni O’Sullivan, a mother of two from Rochestown in Cork City, said she felt like a girl on Christmas Day traveling to work to get vaccinated on Tuesday.
However, the Longford native, who has worked at CUH for 29 years, is very concerned about how casual some people have become about keeping their social circle small to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
“The first confinement, everyone followed the rules. I thought it was so good. I think now people have become very lax about it. You will almost wonder if it is locked.
“Because pubs and gastropubs are closed, is it closed? The roads are full of cars.
“People need to redouble their efforts. We all must obey the rules. Blocking is blocking. People shouldn’t have parties at home.
“I would also be encouraging people to get vaccinated when it is offered to them. That is vital. “
Hard nine months
O’Sullivan, who worked in New York for 10 years before joining CUH, described the past nine months as the toughest of his career.
She has witnessed terrible suffering as family members despaired of losing loved ones to the virus.
“It was very upsetting to see people die. The junior staff was really devastated. It was very difficult for me, but this was something the younger staff never expected. Having to watch people die in a terrible state. It was frightening.
“People dying and everyone in full PPE and unable to hold his hand. It was horrible “.
He paid tribute to co-workers whom he calls his “family” for their solidarity over the past year.
“Thank God, 2021 is going to bring real change. I know it won’t happen overnight. So in the meantime, we must be vigilant. After receiving the vaccine, I will help with other vaccines. “
One of his daughters, Éimear, a nurse in Liverpool, was unable to return home for Christmas and the family is keeping in touch via Facetime.
Meanwhile, more than 500 front-line employees at CUH will receive the vaccine over the next three days, including nurses, doctors, porters, receptionists and catering employees.
Dr. Orla Healy, a public health specialist and acting director of operations for HSE South and South West, said there was a palpable sense of relief in the hospital with the launch of the vaccine.
However, he insisted that there would be no room for complacency. “There is a level of relief, but I wouldn’t mistake it for complacency. They are the first days. “
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