Hi! My name is Maria Jose and I’m a med student from Lima – Peru. At the present time, I’m working as part of the frontline team in the fight against coronavirus.
From my experience, there are many things that this disease causes in people, such as a lot of fever and physical pain, but also there is part that cannot easily be treated, the emotional one. It´s really difficult for someone to accept the idea of having to separate yourself from everything and everyone to protect them. Many people start feeling lonely, sad, worried, thinking all day that they are a big problem.
During my work, beyond treating the physical symptoms, I focus on giving support to that emotional part. I feel like it is really important to rescue the person beyond the disease, reminding them that they are important and that there is hope beyond this crisis. Being empathetic, listening and giving a message of encouragement are things that can really make a difference.
I’m a YMCA Change Agent and it’s something that I replicate in my work because I know that every little action adds to the change, and that change is something we all dream of.