Frustration and Agitation

"I think it's the ultimate selfishness that individuals choose not to vaccinate themselves. And I think they don't realize they are too arrogant to understand that we live in a society where we all have to make sacrifices."

"For the [hospital] staff, it's exhausting. It's challenging when you have somebody come in who is there when there was a simple route to preventing what they came in with-- a COVID infection."

"Our job is to be professional, but it's very trying for nurses and doctors and all the other health-care professionals to look at somebody who made a conscious decision not to get vaccinated."

Dr.Steven Fedder, emergency MD, Richmond, British Columbia

"It's really hard to grasp why any group of people would be protesting outside of hospitals, where we have vulnerable people coming in to seek medical care."

"I think people are getting really aggressive about the vaccine issue and I'm scared. I'm scared for my family,"

"I have little children as well and I know many other colleagues in the same sort of boat as me have faced a lot of pushback."

Dr.Amit Arya, palliative care physician, Kensington Health, Toronto

Thousands of demonstrators attended an anti-vaccine passport protest in Montreal on Aug. 28. CTV

 

As the global experience with the pandemic wears on with one wave after another and governments enact restrictions in response when all else seems to fail, including restrictions, many in the general public have taken to loudly expressing their counter-opinions of everything wrong with the decisions made by health authorities advising government action. In Canada, since some provinces brought forward plans to require vaccination 'passports' to access restaurants, movie theatres and gyms, anti-vaxxers have increased their incensed protests of impediments to their human rights.

Protesters grouping and shouting vociferously outside the University Health Network particularly incensed palliative care physician Dr. Amit Arya for disrupting patients and staff to the extent where both were unable to enter the hospital. Both patients seeking urgent medical assistance at one of the gravest periods in their lives and staff under pressure to provide emotional and professional assistance to these vulnerable people, are in no condition to be confronted by irate people furious over the self-protective steps the novel coronavirus' unstoppable surges require.

The large and unruly groups of anti-vaccination protesters that assemble outside hospitals across the country reflect similar occurrences elsewhere in the world as people ventilate their frustration and grievances against both medical advisers and government agencies all of whom are consumed by the need to enact responsible response mechanisms in an effort to reduce virus infections among the population at large.That the most vulnerable in any population are those represented in worst-case-infection scenarios and are further impacted by those who are least likely to face serious consequences only adds to the frustration of medical staff.

Invariably, many of those leading or taking part in the protests, denouncing vaccines, refusing to follow distancing and mask-wearing regulations eventually contract COVID. When they appear for treatment consequently, it can be difficult for medical staff to muster sympathy as they work to restore these people to health. According to Dr.Fedder, it is past time that employers -- private and public -- mandate vaccines. In so doing, messaging people who prefer to ignore the science upholding vaccinations. Fear of unemployment, he feels, could act as a spur to convince the unconvinced.

While case numbers remain troublesome and begin to accelerate in size and hospitals scramble to service the needs of all who are hospitalized, people with other serious illnesses defer decision-making to expose themselves to the potential of contracting the virus. Hospitals and medical workers are distracted by COVID numbers requiring treatment and are unable to respond to those requiring medical care for other, serious illnesses, and needed surgeries are placed on hold.

 

Thousands of people unhappy over the B.C. vaccine pass and other COVID-19 restrictions protested outside Vancouver General Hospital and Vancouver city hall. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

With COVID sufferers occupying all available beds, there is no room to accommodate the needs of those suffering ill health aside from the coronavirus complications. People suffering from the effects of chronic impaired health conditions will often avoid appearing at hospital emergency facilities when COVID cases are spiking, and in the process their health conditions spiral out of control. 

Meanwhile, many of those same protesters who claim that government and big Pharma have concocted the SARS-CoV-2 virus threat for the purpose of control on the part of government, and for fattening the bottom line in the instance of the pharmaceutical industry, while denying the efficacy of vaccines and claiming that inoculation brings on COVID and worse, barely hesitate before clasping the pseudo-science of unproven drugs as COVID 'cures'.

"Ivermectin advocates pool effects from observational studies that are very questionable, and from randomized controlled trials that may or may not be randomized and, in general, are poorly conducted and, in some cases fraudulent."

"Ivermectin overdoses can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hallucinations, blurred vision,  tremors, abnormally rapid breathing, seizures, coma and death."

"Ivermectin advocates claim governments, politicians, 'Big pharma' and mainstream media are suppressing evidence that the drug is effective. Ivermectin is a favourite of anti-vaccine, conspiracy theorists who claim COVID could easily be controlled with cheap, off-patent drugs like ivermectin."

Dr.Donald Vinh, infectious diseases specialist, Montreal

Protesters listen to a speaker as they gather outside Toronto Police Headquarters to voice opposition to COVID-19 vaccines and other COVID-19 related restrictions on Thursday September 2, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young.