ASB employees would like to see higher vaccination rates:
Affected people talk about their disease and their experiences
(Mannheim, 05.05.2021) "Please get vaccinated!" says Esra Bayrak, addressing the public. The 32-year-old fell ill with Covid-19 in mid-November 2020. "The worst part was the shortness of breath," she reports. The fear of suffocation. In addition, there was nausea, constant coughing and loss of sense of taste and smell. Even today, she suffers from the consequences of the disease. She feels listless and tired, and her airways have shortened. "I have to use an asthma spray every day to relieve the pressure on my lungs," she says.
No further cases in the senior care facility "In Wieblingen alt werden"
Esra Bayrak has been working for 10 years in the full inpatient senior care facility "In Wieblingen alt werden" of ASB Mannheim/Rhine-Neckar Region, She became infected through a private contact, she had no previous illnesses. "Fortunately, it remained an isolated case," says director Arifah Genthner. "We reacted very quickly at the time," she reports. Mandatory masks since March 2020, daily rapid tests and a strict hygiene concept prevented further infections. In the meantime, 96 percent of the residents have been vaccinated, as have 90 percent of the staff. Nevertheless, Arifah Genthner remains cautious about making any changes.
ASB emergency doctor became infected while on duty - several weeks in intensive care
Back in March 2020, emergency physician Christian Blesch became infected. The 41-year-old contracted the infection from a patient during work - despite all precautions. "In the first few days, the swabs were even negative," he recalls, "but then came the fever." A short time later, he was already in the intensive care unit at the Mannheim hospital and was artificially ventilated for 12 days. He was sedated, but it was still a terrible time for him. "I had terrible nightmares," he says today. In the months that followed, he felt "extremely weak," could hardly stand up and lost 17 kilos. Christian Blesch also had no previous illnesses. He has been back on the job since September. The anesthesiologist works at the University Hospital in Mannheim, and is on rescue duty about three times a month. In the meantime, he has also been vaccinated twice. A great relief for him.
Making vaccinations possible for employees
Employees in rescue services, ambulance services and care facilities were and are particularly at risk of contracting Covid-19. "It was very important to us to have our employees vaccinated as quickly as possible," says Joachim Schmid, Managing Director of ASB Mannheim/Rhein-Neckar. In the meantime, a large part of the workforce has been thoroughly vaccinated. "Nevertheless, we continue to attach very great importance to compliance with hygiene regulations," Schmid emphasizes. For example, after an ambulance transport with a Covid-19 patient, the vehicle must be thoroughly disinfected, and stressful situations for employees include wearing special protective suits.
In the official prioritization, volunteers from aid organizations will now also be able to be vaccinated in the coming weeks. "We will do everything we can to support our volunteers in this," says Joachim Schmid. Because ultimately, only comprehensive vaccination protection will help contain the global pandemic. fek