key: cord-0051490-95c7qsk1
authors: Rieck, Kevin L.
title: Inevitable change: the “new normal”
date: 2020-10-10
journal: Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol
DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2020.10.003
sha: 5657e96faa422ee7dbc673767ca66209472d0940
doc_id: 51490
cord_uid: 95c7qsk1

nan

<AT>Inevitable change: the "new normal"

A year ago I wrote an editorial about personal wellness in the setting of caring for patients.

Shortly after that publication, the world changed considerably due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. As I write this, there are over 30 million reported cases, and we are approaching nearly one million deaths worldwide. This has affected all of us in multiple ways and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. We are social beings, and the impact of quarantine has been extremely difficult. Climate change, economic stressors, travel restrictions, decreased social interaction, social unrest, and more all add to the fear of the unknown and escalate our anxiety about the new normal. Compounding this is the known fact that the new normal is continually in flux as we learn more about COVID-19 and how to manage it.

Many of us health care providers are at the front line in treating patients during this pandemic.

Those of us who care for patients' oral cavity needs have added risks due to proximity of interaction, physical contact with secretions, and aerosolization issues with procedures resulting in potential spread of the virus. We are caring for patients under the added stress of not knowing for sure if they are infected or not. Universal precautions are always employed, but additional extensive personal protective device measures must be implemented as well. Ubiquitous use of these devices (surgical masks, respirators, face shields, gowns) has created limited supply, and many of us are forced to reuse some or all of these protective measures. Some of us are still treating patients without the requisite personal protective devices necessary to care for them and to protect ourselves. The long hours and additive stressors of caring for patients at this time has certainly taken its toll on health care providers. We are not able to or we simply do not take the time to properly care for ourselves, as I have previously discussed. We must find time to exercise, eat well, rest, and care for our minds and bodies in order to avoid burnout. 1 The forced shutdown quarantine period of this pandemic caused significant disruption to surgical practice. Ironically, it also allowed time for reflection. There was not really free time but 

The needs of the patient come first-but at what cost? Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol