The story of a nurse from UCCK about the fear and danger of COVID-19

Fetije Hyseni, a nurse at the Infectious Disease Clinic, was very afraid when she started dealing with people sick with COVID-19.

For 24 years that she has worked in this profession, she had not seen such fear in the medical staff, patients and families.

When all the residents were called to stay at home, she and her colleagues had to fight an invisible enemy.

"Since the coronavirus appeared, we as health staff have received the news with panic. It was an unknown virus and of course we were afraid, although we are health staff and we face various epidemics in the clinic where I work. But, we did not know the consequences and progress of the virus. We were panicking because everyone was staying at home, we were on the front line. We didn't know the patients' symptoms, we didn't know what we would face," Hyseni told Radio Free Europe.

Medical staff in the tent located at QKUK, checking a person suspected of having coronavirus. Photo from the archive.

The day when more than 19 patients tested positive for COVID-70 in Kosovo, was the day that Fetija remembers the fear and anxiety of all the staff at the Infectious Disease Clinic.

"The most stressful day was when over 70 patients tested positive for COVID-19. It's been scary. The Infectious Disease Clinic has 102 beds. We thought if the cases increase, how will we manage them. When work is done under stress, the medical staff is also at risk. As a result, we have also had cases of COVID-19 from the health staff. But, as luck would have it, not everyone had symptoms and we managed them miraculously. But afterwards, the progress of the disease went well, although the fear existed", she said.

She also mentions a difficulty, the special clothing against the coronavirus, which she had to wear throughout the working hours.

"We have dressing protocols based on illness. A colleague of mine and I had a work protocol to take care of each other, so that we don't make any mistakes. This is about the dress, as it is very difficult to stay with them all day and just one small mistake we could get infected. So we took care of each other. This is how the majority practiced it," she adds.

The death of the first person changed everything

She says that all the time they had to talk to the patients because they were afraid for their health.

"We also helped you with words, giving hope, as there was a lot of panic on the part of the patients. I can say that there was psychological damage to the patients. Patients have been communicative, listening, and we as staff have worked hard for them".

"When the first case died, it was painful, scary, and we didn't know the consequences. We wondered if we would have many dead. There was panic among patients, staff and family members,'' said Hyseni.

She says that they had to work hard because there is a lack of staff in the clinic. Only recently, she says, 10 nurses from this clinic have fled the country.

But, she adds that there were also volunteers at the Infectious Disease Clinic who helped you during the pandemic.

"On this occasion, I believe that people have seen how important nurses are for patients, although our work has never been appreciated as much as we deserved."

Nurses in Kosovo are paid for the work they do with about 400 euros per month. During the pandemic, the Government of Kosovo has decided to allocate an amount of 300 euros to all health staff for two months, as a reward for the work they have done.