A nurse working with coronavirus patients has slammed 'selfish' people who get angry when they don't meet the criteria to be tested for the disease.
Ashley Barton, whose Facebook profile says she works at the Southlake Regional Health Centre in Canada, is on the frontline of Covid-19, screening every person who walks in.
She says everyone is asked the same series of questions, with those who fail the screening asked to leave - but Ashley says she's been yelled at on multiple occasions by people who become unhappy by these decisions.
Ashley said while she understands people's frustrations, this is a "matter of life and death" and people need to stop being 'selfish' and think about others who are fighting for their lives in hospital.
She listed a mother undergoing chemotherapy, a baby in intensive care, a dad who has just had open heart surgery as people who would need to be protected.
"It’s about the mother of 3 undergoing chemotherapy on the Cancer Ward that has zero immune system," Ashley wrote in a powerful Facebook post that has been shared nearly 8,000 times.
"It’s about the 30 week old NICU baby that has already had to fight every single day of its life to stay alive.
"It’s about the favourite uncle that just had a massive stroke and is just barely out of the woods.
"It’s about the father of 2 who just had open heart surgery and has a long road of healing ahead.
"It’s about the grandmother who had broken her hip last week and is just beginning to mobilize again.
"It’s about protecting them. Not about punishing you."
She quoted someone who'd shouted at her telling her they have travelled recently but don't have symptoms.
Ashley said she herself has a 13-month-old son, she has elderly grandparents, family members who are susceptible to getting ill.
She said she can take people yelling at her but the hospital policies they enforce are not designed to be punishments.
Ashley finished her rant with "Maybe try to see things from our perspective before totally losing self control- we honestly are just looking out for those who really need it right now."
