Yesterday, I wrote about working in a high school. Each morning, when we arrived, we had our temperature taken. My coworker and I walked up to the door, rang the bell, and staff took our temps.
Both of us were over the limit. We stood in the shade in the hot, humid morning and waited a couple minutes. My coworker passed the next attempt; I did not. A few minutes later, I still didn’t pass, but since the temp was going down, it was assumed the heat of the day was causing the high reading.
Perhaps now is a good time to mention I rarely run a high temp. If the thermometer reads over 100 degrees, I probably wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. But I was clocked at 101+. Of course, I knew it was probably from the warm car ride and walking through the sun with a mask on in the heat, but I couldn’t simply explain it away. Staff had a job to do. I needed to work in the system.
The next day, I passed, and my coworker failed a few times.
We still got our work done. So did the school staff.
And that’s how we can get it done through this odd time—together, with patience. Is some of it inconvenient and annoying? Yes. But most the people who are monitoring guidelines aren’t doing so to be difficult. They’re doing so because it’s part of their jobs. They’re doing so to make a living or to protect someone they love. They’re doing so because it’s what this odd season involves.
There’s a time and place to make changes, but it needs to be respectful and appropriate. We can’t change a system by standing and complaining to someone who is simply following the guidelines they’ve been given. We won’t have much of an influence—at least not a positive one—by being consistently negative. or going against the system to take a stand (and taking unnecessary risks that impact others in the process).
We will get through this better together than we will with selfishness.
The very reason I do not like these kinds of thermometers. I think they are highly inaccurate. But better than nothing I suppose.
I just keep scratching my head over all the things that don’t make sense in this. People can be contagious before they are even symptomatic. Not sure temp screening does that much good. It is a quandary for sure. I read and re-read guidelines and then just shake my head again.
Thank you for continuing your work. These are strange times indeed.
Yes, I think in many cases, people, businesses, etc. are doing the best they can to be responsible given the uncertainties and unknown. I applaud their efforts even if it’s found to not be the best approach in hindsight. Because we all know…we won’t be able to truly assess how we’ve done to help/hurt this process until time passes and we can look back.
It has been a highly frustrating process all the way. I won’t go into detail about the confusion we have in placing patients in the hospital and all the times we have shifted gears and rethought processes for testing, who gets tested, who needs a negative pressure room and who can just be in a private room, and what protective gear is needed, etc.
We just keep trying to do the best we can and pray that the decisions made are the right ones.
I am praying for you as you continue to navigate the frustrations as you care for people, including yourself!
I have recently travelled and noticed several things about various attitudes, behaviors, etc., so you will be seeing more posts. 🙂