Not Just Another COVID19 Post
Alright. You caught us. We here at tl;dr have failed you.
You loyal tl;dr-ers have probably noticed that we missed our q2 week post last week. GASP! THE HORROR!!!
Stay mad at Baby Yoda, you cannot.
Well, in case you haven’t heard, there’s been this thing called COVID19 smacking the world upside down.
And being health care workers, we got a bit caught in the vortex.
Fun fact: Brandon works in an oncology clinic, and his schedule has reverted to what he affectionately calls “residency hours” (which may or may not involve 13+ day stretches).
So, yeah, please accept our apologies.
And not to continue the stream of COVID19 news in your inboxes, on your feeds, and basically everywhere you turn, but we do have a COVID19 post for you.
But this IS tl;dr. So this isn’t just another COVID19 post.
So it’s a COVID19 post, but it’s not a typical COVID19 post. Got it? Good.
The world is swimming in fear, panic, and anxiety right now, so we thought we’d take a look at this situation in a different light. A, dare-we-say-it, attempt at a glass half full.
Disclaimer: We want to be clear that we fully understand the gravity of this situation. This post is not making light of the pandemic, and we mean no disrespect to anyone who has been (or will be) affected. COVID19 has impacted people far beyond a 10 day trip to the ICU. Jobs have been lost, retirement savings have been wiped out, vacations have been cancelled, APPEs cancelled, NAPLEX and BPS exams rescheduled, and it’s difficult to even get household staples to keep your family afloat during a quarantine. We too have people we care about who are in hard times or otherwise vulnerable right now.
That being said, humans are funny creatures. Even in the most dire of circumstances, there are positives to be found. There’s good that can come out of just about any situation, if only you look for it.
We’re not claiming that in 5 years you’ll be saying “Boy, I’m REALLY glad that global pandemic happened!” But you just might have professional opportunities that wouldn’t have existed otherwise, or relationships that are a little closer than they would have been.
And there’s definitely some incredible memes that wouldn’t have existed without COVID19, so there’s that too.
With that in mind, here are tl;dr’s Top 5 Silver Linings from life in a COVID19 world (don’t worry, we’re not going to tell you to “be thankful you even have a job!”).
#1: The Mountains are Calling, and I Must Go
Ok, so maybe you don’t have mountains around you. Or even hills. Or the slightest incline at all.
But we’re willing to bet you’ve probably spent a little more time than you used to enjoying the great outdoors.
And if you haven’t, for the love of Pete, turn off Netflix, get off the couch, and go make some vitamin D!
Even if it’s just a walk around the neighborhood to get some fresh air after working in your apartment all day, it feels SO GOOD.
You’ve probably noticed this if you’ve been paying attention. The families taking a walk through the neighborhood during your commute home from work. Where were these people a month ago? You didn’t even realize you had that many neighbors.
For many families, the old normal evening routine consisted of screen time, rushed dinners, packing lunches for the next day, and “unwinding” by staring at screens and not talking to each other. COVID19 has (at least in part) helped shift part of that routine to an early evening walk.
So join them (from an appropriate, socially distanced vantage point, of course). Break out the rusty bike. Grab a sketchpad and find a spot to lay out a blanket. Start outlining that tl;dr pharmacy guest post you’ve been meaning to pitch to us.
Oh. But don’t forget the bug spray. To the misfortune of everyone, COVID19 doesn’t seem to impair the respiratory function of deer ticks. Winter was NOT cold enough for long enough — the bugs are going to be a downright pestilence this year.
You — if you don’t get outside once in a while. (Image)
At a time when gyms are taboo (although really, they were always kinda gross, right?) and spring is in full swing, the outdoors offers a welcome refuge from the four walls of remote work.
It’s a beautiful world.
It may be a crazy world right now, but it’s still a beautiful world.
#2: Reconnecting with Family and Friends
It’s a little ironic. We’re supposed to be “social distancing” and “self-isolating”, but don’t y’all feel like we’ve actually gotten closer with some of our peeps?
From virtual happy hour on Facetime to family dinners sans technology, it seems like there’s actually been a surge in togetherness!
People are reconnecting with friends and family they’ve lost touch with.
They’re getting to know their neighbors a bit better.
Human ingenuity has come up with some impressive ways to still have a happy hour with friends.
If you’re reading this article, you’re likely deemed “essential” personnel and are still going to work.
But even among our ranks, we are seeing an uptick in remote work (Steph, for example, is living that life and working from her Rapunzel tower). And you don’t realize how much you miss daily social interactions until they’re gone. You no longer have the small talk “Hi, how are you” kind of conversations with people. You’ve been isolated at the desk in your home for the last 9 hours verifying orders or navigating prior auths.
It’s natural to crave some genuine social interaction after that. And it’s great that relationships are becoming invigorated and reestablished even when we’re mandated to stay home and not meet up with anyone.
Maybe we’re all just a little (read: more than a little) nervous about what the future holds, and we want to reach out to the ones we care about.
Whatever the reason, take it and run. Enjoy it.
We can get so wrapped up in our professional ambitions that we ignore our family and friends. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind us of what’s really important in life. Take this opportunity to enjoy those around you, even if they’re not physically there.
Besides, who better to understand your cabin fever than LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS CABIN FEVER???
#3: Advancements for the Pharmacy Profession
tl;dr pharmacy couldn’t go an entire post without talking about pharmacy? I’m shocked.
We are a pharmacy website after all. At least one of these had to be work related.
Proverbial show of hands — How many of you ever thought a large proportion of clinical pharmacists would be working and rounding remotely on a regular basis?
Show us the job descriptions for THOSE positions. #amirite?!?
Ok, so this isn’t exactly a brandy dandy new idea. There have always been remote pharmacist jobs, but historically, these were not of the day-shift, rounding variety. Rather, they were more of the order verification support overnight variety.
Remote jobs and telepharmacy were usually for rural or underserved areas that were not able to recruit and maintain their own pharmacy staff.
But we’re in unprecedented times right now. Employers have a lot to figure out. There are state-issued mandates to quarantine. Many public and private schools have closed, introducing childcare issues for many members of the workforce.
There’s also a very real risk that an employee unintentionally goes all “Typhoid Mary” on the pharmacy and takes out half of the staff. There’s not only a financial incentive to rethink our traditional models of workflow. It’s a downright requirement to keep the wheels turning.
And so we’re seeing a (very rapid) shift to telepharmacy. It’s remarkable how quickly this is shifting, but it’s also super cool. Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention.
Pharmacists now can round with medical teams via Webex. We can Facetime with patients. We can remotely verify orders, get on a conference call to discuss a project with the nursing manager, and field questions from the medical resident. All from our own home.
We are literally, at this very second, redefining our niche in care. There are kinks to be worked out, to be sure. It’s also likely that when we’re out of crisis mode, the majority of us will be back to our normal lives in the hospital or clinic. But some of these changes will still be here after the COVID19 dust settles.
Remote pharmacy work has also forced a much-needed update to laws, policies, and technology across the board. We’re finally getting up to 2020 standards.
You say you’ve never used a VPN before? That laptop hasn’t had the right program installed to do a conference call? That medication form requires a pen and paper signature from a patient? And fax, what is THAT?!?
Guess what. We can accomplish these things in new, more efficient ways, and we’re building new methods!
It’s very likely that doors will open to us in the aftermath of COVID19 that we haven’t even considered yet. And it’s exciting to think about.
#4: Consideration of the Greater Good/Selflessness
Is it just us, or are you noticing that many people have become “nicer” in the past few weeks?
Suddenly, your neighbors are posting that they have some extra flour, sugar, and the ever-essential toilet paper at their house if someone needs any. They’ll send out a text saying they are going to the grocery store, asking if they can pick you up anything while they’re there.
Yes, there are selfish hoarders too. And they always get outsized attention from the media and internet, so it makes it seem like there are more of them than there actually are.
For the first time in recorded history, people are actually thanking grocery store clerks and gas station attendants for coming to work. People are legitimately appreciative of the understated role that these individuals play in keeping all of our day-to-day lives running smoothly.
There’s also the consideration of, well maybe I’m not in the reportedly highest risk bracket of people for becoming symptomatic, but somebody else around me might be. So I should follow the rules for their sakes.
Maybe it’s the immunosuppressed chemotherapy patient at the pharmacy counter. Maybe it’s the elderly neighbor you see at the grocery store. Or the coworker with a young baby at home.
Sure, it may cramp our style to have to follow extra rules about sanitizing surfaces or limiting people in a common space. But in addition to helping protect ourselves, we’re also helping protect the herd. It’s like we’re remembering what it’s like to put others first for the greater good.
Doesn’t that feel warm and fuzzy? There’s a real sense of community that’s becoming established. People are checking in on the elderly. We’re all starting to care a little bit more about each other.
#5: The Memes
We’ll say this about the internet. No matter what happens in the world, whether it be triumph or tragedy, the internet will respond with some fantastic memes. Even though we’re dealing with some difficult times right now, we simply HAVE to keep our sense of humor. It helps us maintain our sanity.
We recently reached out to our email list to get a collection of the best COVID19 memes out there. Here are some of our favorites.
We are at an important crossroads in history. This is likely the BEST time to use this meme that any of us will encounter in our lives. If you’re a fan of the movie “Home Alone” (and you should be), don’t waste the opportunity you’ve been given. (Image)
“Life imitates art far more than art imitates life” - Oscar Wilde (Image)
That hydroxychloroquine is so hot right now!
It’s a scientific fact that Employee Jeans Day fixes everything
This is only funny if you ignore the fact that it’s an all too real possibility
Accurate depiction of Brandon at work this week
…and then they got postponed.
We could obviously do this all day. There is some gold out there (and thanks to our readers for helping us find it!).
But the point is, the ability to smile during even dark and depressive times goes a really long way. However you do it, make sure you’re getting a chuckle every now and then. At the bare minimum, it will help keep you clear headed — in a state where you can separate reality from hype.
And THAT will help you take advantage of all of the professional opportunities that may be on the pharmacy horizon.
Conclusion
Try to keep these 5 Silver Linings from COVID19 in mind as you go through the weeks ahead. It’s often during the most difficult struggles in our lives that we are rewarded with the biggest opportunities for growth. Even the bad experiences in your life are fuel for the fire that drives and motivates you.
People seem to inherently “know” this fact, but we need to remind ourselves of it constantly. We’ve been talking about it for basically all of human history, in fact.
General George S. Patton told us, “Pressure Makes Diamonds.”
A few hundred years before him, Shakespeare told us, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
And a solid 1000+ years before him, Epictetus told us, “It’s not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters.” It also appears that Shakespeare read Epictetus, as Epictetus also said, “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.”
There are many things happening in the world right now. Many of which can be considered unlucky, unfortunate, or just plain horrible. But you get to choose how you respond to these trying times.
Will you bury your head in the sand and share yet another seething exponential curve trying to educate the masses on how we’re all doomed? Or will you stand up and lead? Will you seize the opportunity that lies in front of you?
Try to focus on the positives that may come out of COVID19. And remember to laugh. We’ve got work to do.