Stepping Off the Sidelines

As we all sit at home becoming well acquainted with our webcams and walls, it can be difficult to accept our new lives. As persons invested in the healthcare system, albeit at an early stage, we might feel that internal pull towards clinical help. I know that the thought has crossed my mind to call physicians and inquire about a way to assist in person. But knowing my limited training, and risk of infecting my live-in grandparent, I have come to the conclusion that we have to allow more fully trained healthcare workers to directly encounter the disease. However, there are those that do not receive healthcare through the usual channels, that used to rely on healthcare students and volunteers for support. What of them?

The approximately 550,000 homeless persons in the United States are a particularly vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic. With their needs often being met en masse, maintaining social distancing is nearly impossible, and shelters simply cannot provide the CDC-recommended 110 square feet of living space per person. In addition, this population suffers from disproportionately high rates of lung disease, heart disease, hypertension, and cancer—all comorbidities which greatly increase mortality from COVID.[i] Food bank and financial donations are decreasing, and are expected to continue to decline as government restrictions intensify.[ii] All this considered, the question remains—what can we do to help?

The American Medical Association offers a few options for medical professionals in training, including coordinated phone triage services. By engaging with potential patients before admission, volunteers can help to determine if persons should seek testing for COVID-19, an emergency that needs medical attention, or a combination of the two. Phone triaging reduces the burden on the already strained medical system, as well as, the number of unnecessary visits. Additionally, this virtual triage can detect possible cases and inform people where to find resources. While not yet popular in Florida, your reach is not limited by state—telemedical triage is open to volunteers from across the nation. For those of us who are not as advanced in our education, donating to telemedicine initiatives, like that for Volunteers in Medicine America, can still help connect patients with online care.

We can also help counter the incredible shortages food banks are encountering. Close to home, Feeding Tampa Bay’s Emergency Response Volunteer Team is accepting applications, where you can help sort food for shipment from their warehouse and in certain delivery services. Feeding Tampa Bay is also taking donations. However, rather than asking for people to travel and purchase extra groceries, they are simply asking for online monetary gifts. Even a one-time donation can greatly reduce the burden of food insecurity for a Tampa family.

With most volunteer clinics closing down or running at minimal capacity with licensed providers, many students are looking for a way to return to in-person volunteering. Shelters still require volunteers to maintain daily services, including keeping living and service areas clean. For now, Metropolitan Ministries Coronavirus Response Initiative is accepting volunteers at their Tampa campus with added precautions. Many opportunities include maintaining the shelter’s grounds and facilities, as well as food and essential goods distribution. With the drastic increase in unsheltered persons seeking admission, volunteering with them helps our most vulnerable citizens retain access to the essentials of life.

These unprecedented times have left many of us feeling powerless in the face of the virus. Taking the time to remember all the ways we can assist others can restore our sense of control and inspire hope. More importantly, the actions we take to volunteer and social distance keep our most at-risk persons alive. When this pandemic passes, I know that we will re-enter the world with a vigor to serve that has never before been seen. Until that day, we have more opportunities than we think to alleviate the suffering.

Robert Monsour is a first year medical student at USF Morsani College of Medicine and the Social Media Coordinator for TBSM.

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[i] CDC.gov. “Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness.”

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/unsheltered-homelessness.html

[ii] Reiley, Laura. Washington Post. “Food banks are seeing volunteers disappear and supplies evaporate as coronavirus fears mount.” 16 March 2020.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/16/food-banks-are-seeing-volunteers-disappear-food-supply-evaporate-coronavirus-fears-mount/