'Fear of COVID-19 hits hard for this nurse and horse rider as they share their daily struggles and battles on the pandemic frontlines'
Angie McDaniel, an acute care recovery room RN in a level 1 trauma center in Greenville, South Carolina, is working tirelessly on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges she faces, she finds solace on her horse farm in Landrum, where she competes in combined driving events with her pony, Squirrel.
In a separate article, McDaniel advises being kind to barn owners during these trying times. Growing up in South Africa, she followed her parents to the Carolinas a couple of decades ago and has a deep love for horses. She advises equestrians to avoid adding unnecessary risk to their horse activities. Hacking and flat schooling instead of working over fences, leaving unbacked youngsters for a few more weeks or months before trying to back them, and not shipping unless absolutely necessary are all measures McDaniel suggests to ensure safety for both horse and rider.
Working the night shift, McDaniel frequently comes into direct contact with COVID-19 patients. Greenville, South Carolina, where she works, has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infection in the state. To protect herself, McDaniel takes extra precautions, including wearing a surgical mask, changing clothes and shoes at the hospital, and sanitizing her skin.
COVID-19 patients tend to cough more than normal and are often too sedated to cover their mouths, increasing McDaniel's risk of exposure. The emotional toll of watching COVID-19 patients decline in health without their families at their sides is a significant stressor for health care workers. Unfortunately, hospitals are not allowing visitors, causing distress for elderly patients, trauma patients, women who have lost a pregnancy, and others.
As many states begin to open for activity again, McDaniel hopes that equestrians will take extra precautions to prevent injury, since hospitals in many regions are already overtaxed. She encourages equestrians to spend quiet, quality time with their horses during this time, finding a sense of normalcy and relaxation on their farms, especially in the routine of taking care of their ponies.
Despite the hardships she faces, McDaniel finds respite from her stressful job on her horse farm. Her father was a small animal veterinarian, instilling in her a deep love for animals from a young age. She is grateful for the peace and tranquility her horses bring to her life, even as she continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic on the frontlines.
