A Front Line Social Worker‘s Perspective on COVID-19

by Cassidy Shemelia, MSW, LSW

     When COVID-19 started making the news, it seemed very distant to me. Media portrayed this virus to be primarily affecting older adults and those with other co-morbidities. As cases developed in the U.S., it started becoming clear that was not the case. Then two patients in their mid-20s, my age demographic, were admitted to my hospital with COVID-19 with poor prognoses. That’s when it really settled in that the effects of this pandemic would be much broader than I had originally imagined.  

     Social workers have been providing care and services to vulnerable populations with limited resources and tools for decades. Navigating difficult situations is nothing new to us; however, this pandemic has presented itself with new challenges. When COVID-19 started to spread to West Philly, I knew that my social work cohort at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and I would be ready to face the approaching disarray, but it would not be easy. Taking the already vulnerable populations and adding a severe, contagious respiratory illness is daunting. Resources remain limited, as the needs only grow. 

     Working on an interdisciplinary team with doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists, our roles are very clear. My focus is on supporting patients holistically. In addition to their new diagnosis, these patients are often homeless, addicted, out of work, and are forced to isolate themselves from their children and families, among other dire circumstances. This is where I have felt the pressure of COVID-19 the most. When I am unable to update my medical team with a plan for these patients, it is overwhelming. It is like I am navigating a new city, but it’s still Philadelphia.

     My role as a social worker was already challenging, but the difficulty has reached new heights with COVID-19. The limited resources that once were available are even more scarce. Rehabs are closed for admission, shelters and inpatient psychiatric units cannot take COVID-19 positive patients, and supporting agencies and nonprofits have limited hours. Of course, the situation is much worse for severely ill COVID-19 patients, and my support looks different. I found myself googling “cheap funeral homes” the other day at the request of a patient’s family.

     Comforting families is not the same, either. I have been facilitating calls via telephone, because families cannot come to see their critically ill loved ones. One of the two young patients that I mentioned earlier passed alone, without a loved one bedside, and that broke my heart. I went home and cried. The other has survived and has been sharing his story of what it was like to have his life dependent on a ventilator.

     Working through the pandemic daily has forced me to make adjustments in my personal life to protect the ones I love. I haven’t seen my parents in more than a month. It gives me peace of mind to know that even if I happen to be exposed, I would not be transmitting it to them. This also brings sorrow. We never had an Easter like this one, apart. This is quite a time of uncertainty that will have a lasting impact on us all. 

     As I leave the hospital, a sigh of relief and fear overcomes me. Relief is from knowing the day is over, but fear is for what tomorrow will bring. This time has been exhausting, but I have been encouraged by the generosity and helpful hand of many local agencies and businesses supporting front line workers. It’s heartwarming. Walking home and seeing the rainbow balloons, and decorated signs made by children who happen to be out of school, is an uplifting reminder. This storm will pass and there will be a rainbow at the end.

     Social workers of Penn and Philadelphia have been working tirelessly to care for our patients.  If we continue to work together, we will fight this pandemic well. 

Cassidy Shemelia, MSW, LSW, is employed as a medical social worker at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in West Philadelphia. Cassidy holds a master’s degree in social work and social research from Bryn Mawr College and is an alumna of Cairn University, where she earned her BSW.