Thinking Is Clouded By Fear, But Friendship May Clear It.

A physician is seen outside at Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York City. Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images

Healthcare workers in the U.S. are trained to practice great medicine, and to do it with the best equipment. They are also trained never to put themselves at risk. Never.

But during COVID-19, they are facing something new. The critical shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is forcing doctors and nurses to face personal life threat. And that fear has a uniquely negative impact on the brain.

ER doctors are trained to face the overwhelming.

Dr. Nicole Battaglioli sounds like a battle commander when she calmly discusses how she typically assesses crises. For instance, when facing mass casualties, she helps her team function by prepping them for worst case scenarios. An ER attending at Grady Hospital in downtown Atlanta which sees 100,000 patients a year, Dr. Battaglioli is no stranger to chaos.

When considering the overwhelming, Dr. Battaglioli says, “Those are the situations where we feel sort of a call to action. That’s where we can really help.” But COVID-19 is different, even for her. “It’s hard to balance that sense of duty with just how afraid we are and how underprepared we feel. This is why we went into medicine, to help people. But it’s hard to help people when you’re afraid of what you’re going to experience.”