With the current pandemic COVID-19, junior Alex Macauley’s father has had to put in overtime hours. Macauley’s father works at RMH hospital assisting patients with psychiatric concerns. 

“I’m not sure what the official term for his job is, but he’s a psychiatric consultant who helps people who come into the hospital seeking mental help or anything psychiatric related. After he assesses the situation he’ll talk one on one with the patient to see what’s going on with the source of the mental problems and if someone is feeling suicidal or homicidal then he sort of questions them to figure out why it’s happening. It differs heavily from patient to patient but that’s the jist of his job,” Macauley said.

The Coronavirus has required essential hospital workers to work extremely late and long hours, and Macauley’s father is one of these essential workers. 

“[My dad] usually takes the night shifts anywhere from 4 p.m. to up to 8 a.m.,” Macauley said. “He takes any shift he can get, but those hours are usually the ones he’s assigned. The late hours make him have a really crazy sleep schedule and he will sleep during the day and then work at night but come home early in the morning.”

Since working at RMH has caused Macauley’s father to work late hours, sleep schedules do not line up across the Macauley household.

“His sleep and work schedule has drifted apart from my mom and I both have so I haven’t really seen him very much around the house recently,” Macauley said. “We love to see and talk to him but I understand that he has to do this and I’m fine with it but he’s usually sleeping whenever I’m awake and my mom’s completely opposite sleep schedule has led to less family time.”

COVID-19 has infected nearly two million people in the United States. Macauley finds this especially concerning since COVID-19 has a significantly higher death rate with older victims. 

“There is always fear of getting the [coronavirus] especially because he works in close proximity with COVID-19 patients and nurses and people who deal with the virus at the hospital,” Macauley said. “I’m particularly worried about both my parents since COVID-19 has a trend of affecting more elderly people more severely. My parents are around the age range where it can be severe so I’m worried about both of them, but my dad assures me that he keeps everything sanitized and is distancing himself.”

Since the Coronavirus has required his father to work later and longer hours, Macauley has not been able to see his father as much. 

“The virus has made it so we have seen less of him around the house but I don’t think it’s affecting our relationship. He’s always tired from working so whenever we do see him it’s in small time intervals so he’s heading to sleep whenever he gets home. I haven’t been interacting with him as much but we still talk since we’re still a family,” Macauley said.