Ebola vs COVID19 - What Can We Learn? Karen O'Neill

This week, Advanced Clinical Practitioner and WEM Faculty Member Karen O'Neill joins us to discuss her experience of COVID19. In 2014, Karen worked in Northern Uganda tackling the outbreak of Ebola. Alongside WEM Education Lead Will Duffin, Karen considers the lessons we can learn from this outbreak and crucially, the importance of changing the language of preparation from 'if' to 'when'. Karen discusses the impact Ebola had on the communities she worked within, including the alienation of those living within disease-stricken areas. She also explores some of the cultural nuances that caused friction; from the removal of traditional ceremonies to the establishment of burial teams. Karen also describes her own experience of COVID19, from wearing PPE and the importance of wellbeing to the brilliance of her team and the difficulty of attempting to live separately from her husband under one roof.    N.B - This was recorded a few weeks ago - we are delighted that Karen is back at work and building her running miles on Strava!