Interview: Texas Hospital Worker Aaron Diaz Talks About His Experience with COVID-19
Posted on October 07 2020
Where do you work and what is your position?
I work for Memorial Hermann Emergency Center and I am a Patient Access Representative.
How has your job role changed during the pandemic?
I started to help family members of patients by guiding them to be calm during times they couldn’t be with their loved ones.
How is your workplace preventing the spread of coronavirus?
Working in a hospital we are surrounded by COVID every day. We wear face masks, gloves and face shields. But even doing all of that I was one of the few of my coworkers that still got COVID.
What personal precautions are you taking?
Personal precautions that I am taking include ordering more online and doing the bulk of my grocery shopping whenever stores are very slow. I'm trying my best to not leave my apartment unless it is for work or an emergency.
How have your thoughts regarding Covid-19 changed during the pandemic?
My thoughts about COVID-19 have not really changed. I’ve always had a pretty strong stance on how serious the virus was and is. If anything my stance became stronger after I contracted it through my place of employment.
What have been your go to activities to stay busy?
I have actually picked up a few different hobbies since the pandemic started. I started running around the neighborhood, biking, and invested in workout equipment for my home so I no longer have to go to a gym. Of course binge watching Netflix shows as well.
Have you made any other changes to stay healthy?
I started to eat more fruits and vegetables and have also cut back on red meat and pork.
How has this impacted you emotionally?
COVID-19 has impacted me on the emotional side because I’ve seen many families and coworkers lose loved ones. It's really scary because my younger siblings had COVID-19 and now I am battling the virus. You don’t realize how badly you need human touch and connection until you literally cannot have that with your family.
What do you find keeps you motivated during these uncertain times?
What keeps me motivated is my family. My mom also works in healthcare and provides insight on how to deal with the emotional part of my job. So having her definitely helps me stay motivated and positive.
Aaron, we want to thank you for everything that you do. Do you have any advice for those working in healthcare or those battling the disease?
My only advice would be for those working in healthcare to take extra care of themselves since they have to take care of others.
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