Lifestyle H E A L T H
What Can I Say to Convince You? D R . M U Z O O R A : T H E T O L L O F I S O L AT I O N A N D T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F VA C C I N AT I O N Written by S T E V E N W I L S O N
A
s a pulmonologist working in the COVID-19 Critical Care Unit since the beginning of
the pandemic at Owensboro Health Regional
Hospital,
Dr.
Michael
Muzoora
has
watched
patients
struggle physically and emotionally while in isolation in the hospital. Dr. Muzoora has cared for patients for weeks, trying everything there is to try, only to watch them lose the fight. Read his words on the toll this takes not only on patients, but
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Owensboro Living N O V E M B E R / / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1
isolated. So the idea of being in a
also on healthcare workers.
The Mental and Emotional Toll
“Being
in
the
hospital
with
COVID, being in the ICU it takes a
room for your safety and for others’ safety by yourself, that definitely takes a toll on a patient.
The Physical Struggle
toll on you, as a patient, it takes a
But
toll on the family. Most all of our
but dealing with the physical and
patients will have to be in a form
difficult part of the ailment—having
of isolation. And human beings,
to go through the disease process.
as social beings, don’t like to be
So it’s certainly something that
it’s
also,
not
mentally,