Local healthcare staff feeling the impact of COVID-burnout combined with online negativity

COVID fatigue and online negativity Frustration mounts for health care workers as online negativity cast doubt on their work. CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell with details.

Windsor, Ont. — Frontline healthcare workers in Windsor-Essex are being encouraged not to engage with negative online commenters as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in the region.

Hospital staff say their personal vehicles have been targeted with flyers denying the legitimacy of the pandemic and novel coronavirus.

“We’re not deceived,” said Windsor Regional Hospital intensive unit nurse Colleen Bourner. "We know what we’re dealing with and we’re handling it really well. As well as we can.”

Bourner tells CTV News she believes the second wave is worse than the first.

“This is beyond what we are used to dealing with,” she said.

Bourner says COVID-19 naysayers and negative social media comments take a toll on all healthcare workers.

“What you read and what you hear is not always fact but I can tell you that in there, people are dying,” she said.

Hospital officials issued a memo to staff Wednesday acknowledging the anxiety and stress that’s to be anticipated with increasing positive cases.

Spokesperson Steve Erwin says the entire healthcare team is encouraged to resist replying to negative comments, as tempting as it may be.

“If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that time is precious,” he said. “Time with family, time with colleagues, all that time is precious. Don’t waste it with negativity online.”

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare president and CEO Janice Kaffer admits it’s been difficult to avoid engaging with online negativity.

“I can’t imagine that it’s easy for anyone to read that about their work and not feel as though they want to get up and defend it,” she said.

Since an outbreak was declared at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare on Nov. 29, Kaffer says staff have felt frustrated, demoralized and hurt in online comment sections.

“There is no debating the science,” Kaffer said. “The science is the science. COVID is what it is and the fact that there is the opportunity for arm chair critics and individuals who have a degree in google science to be able to dispute the science and spread fear and misinformation is irresponsible.”

Erie Shores HealthCare staff have also expressed concern about recent verbal and online abuse. A stark contrast to how community engagement was at the pandemic onset.

“The community was a lot more encouraging for our frontline staff. We were kind of like the superheroes,” said patient advocate Lena West. “People would drop off food, write big words of encouragement on our sidewalks, we had parades of cars driving around.”

West says resources are being offered to medical staff to avoid burnout. At the same time, patients are being offered FaceTime visits with family, while visitor restrictions remain.

“We’ve learned a great deal about this virus and we’ve made strides in treating patients,” she said. “The vaccine is on its way but we still need to get through the second wave and we need everyone to work together and work with kindness and empathy."