By Kate Harrold
NURSE with over TWO-MILLION LIKES on TIKTOK posts dance videos to educate young people on CORONAVIRUS.
Nurse, Miki Rai (23) from San Francisco, California, USA, is currently serving on the front-line in the war against COVID-19 ā more commonly referred to as ‘novel coronavirus’. The paediatric intensive care unit (NICU) nurse graduated from nursing school just two years ago ā yet she is already experiencing a high increase in her working hours due to the current pandemic.
Miki has been warned about the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) yet like so many other healthcare workers, she is turning up to work regardless. Some of Mikiās colleagues have been asked to re-use their masks for a weeksā worth of shifts which contradicts standard hygiene practices. Miki is also finding that supermarket shelves are empty when she visits at the end of a long day.
Despite Mikiās incredible efforts at work, sheās also educating people on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus in her free time. Miki decided to create short videos on the popular video app, TikTok, using viral dance trends to get her message across. In her 15-second videos, Miki has educated viewers on how to wash their hands thoroughly and how to practise effective social distancing.
The tactic seems to be working as Mikiās videos have collectively received an impressive 2,000,000 likes. She hopes to continue battling the spread of misinformation in addition to raising awareness on how we can all help ease the strain on healthcare services.
āIām a trained paediatric intensive care unit nurse. I received my nursing degree from the UCLA School of Nursing in 2018,ā Miki said.
āThe healthcare profession has been absolutely swamped with an increase in the volume of patients. Routine check-ups and non-emergent procedures are all being re-scheduled during this time to prevent any unnecessary contact.
āItās incredibly humbling to be part of a profession where we can be on the front-line, supporting patients and families through an incredibly difficult time.
āAlthough there is a lot of uncertainty, there is also a lot of hope as we see more research and data being shared throughout the world. Scientists are hard at work trying to develop a vaccine.ā
Miki has, understandably, noticed a difference in her working life.
āIāve personally added on extra shifts, as have many of my colleagues,ā Miki said.
āCurrently there is a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). In particular, masks are on very low supply.
āI have colleagues who are being asked to re-use the same mask for a week at a time ā thatās three, twelve-hour shifts. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention have even issued a statement saying that when masks run out, we can use āhomemade masks,ā including scarves and bandanas which is absolutely ridiculous.
āIt is incredibly scary knowing our healthcare professionals may not be protected from coronavirus. We want to make sure that we can keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.
āHospitals across the nation are setting up donation sites for medical supplies.
āSadly, Iāve also experienced empty grocery store shelves. In the United States, we are incredibly lucky that our countryās infrastructure is still intact. Sewers are still working. The water still works. Itās great to have a two-week emergency supply on hand but beyond that, there is no need to hoard supplies.
āWeāre all in this together, and right now, more than ever, itās important to be kind to one another.ā
Miki decided to increase her efforts by educating those online about what they could do to help.
āIn current times, weāre lucky to have unlimited digital access which makes information highly accessible to us,ā Miki said.
āSometimes, this can be harmful with all of the misinformation about coronavirus out there. People who claim to be experts are causing unnecessary fear and anxiety amongst people.
āI believe in the same way that healthcare professionals educate patients at the bedside, we have the same social responsibility to educate the public.
āSocial media is a powerful tool because in just a few clicks, you can reach people who might otherwise never be able to hear your message.
āI saw that many young people were still choosing to go out to bars, clubs, book cheap travel, or have āquarantine parties.ā This is incredibly dangerous because not practising social distancing not only puts yourself at risk, but puts all of your loved ones you see and interact with at risk too.
āI wanted to put that message across on a platform audiences are receptive to.
āTikTok is a platform with a young audience base. I started learning trending dance moves and paired it with educational content about coronavirus. For example, I have a video on a proper hand-washing technique.
āThe response has been overwhelmingly positive. The hand-washing video was shared all over Facebook and Instagram and it made me so happy to see other young people spreading the word.
āIf we all do our part in social distancing, we can minimise and delay the spread of the virus.ā
For more, please visit MikiāsĀ InstagramĀ andĀ TikTokĀ page.