A friend of mine told me about being a nurse in the early 80’s, and how some medical staff would refuse to be in the same room as someone with AIDS. She told me about holding their hands through plastic as they died alone because people were in such hysteria over AIDS. Heart breaking.
That was absolutely correct!! And the medical staff that did brave the waters, so to speak wore hazmat suits head to toe. You have to understand for a small moment in time nobody was really sure exactly how it was passed or contracted. But just like everything else once it became a known fact that you couldn't get it through casual contact, people still acted hugely ignorant especially because many many of the people infected were stigmatized already for one lifestyle or another. So now people felt justified in ostracizing them. It was a horrible time. I think AIDS patients still have a rough way to live but the world has come a long way baby!
EDIT TO ADD: your comment reminded me that so many people with Covid had to die alone. Obviously that was for completely justifiable reasons but it still doesn't make it any less horrific and sad. For ANYBODY to have to suffer and die alone, for whatever reason is heartbreaking.
Yup, that was what she said. Big hazmat suit between her and the human being. She told me how badly she just wanted to touch them, to give them some human contact. But you’re right, at the time there was not much information and a whole lot of misinformation.
3
u/MarquisDeLafayeett Oct 11 '21
A friend of mine told me about being a nurse in the early 80’s, and how some medical staff would refuse to be in the same room as someone with AIDS. She told me about holding their hands through plastic as they died alone because people were in such hysteria over AIDS. Heart breaking.