Nurse who issued tearful plea to shoppers stockpiling says return to work is like 'alternate universe'
An NHS nurse who issued a tearful plea to people stockpiling during the coronavirus crisis has spoken to ITV News about returning to work after self-isolating with virus symptoms.
Dawn Bilbrough's video went viral after the nurse was left in tears facing empty shelves following a 48-hour-shift.
Since recovering from virus-like symptoms, the critical care nurse from York, has returned to work and told ITV News she feels as if she has "been dropped into an alternate universe".
On working through the coronavirus crisis, Ms Bilbrough said she sometimes feels "totally out of my depth" despite "a lot of experience".
Ms Bilbrough said that working in personal protective equipment (PPE) is "really hard" and added the items "hurt" by the end of a shift on the frontline.
"The PPE, although I'm grateful that I have the PPE, it's incredibly difficult to work in," she said.
"By about six o'clock in the evening you just want to rip it off".
The critical care nurse said on shift she sometimes forgets about the full scale of the crisis, adding: "I feel a little bit removed from it."
She told ITV News seeing carers and key workers makes her realise "how important" their work is.
Ms Bilbrough made headlines in mid-March when she posted a video on her Facebook page pleading with shoppers not to stockpile.
In the original post she tearfully said: "There's no fruit, there's no vegetables.
"I just don't know how I'm supposed to stay healthy."
The critical care nurse issued an emotional plea to shoppers after find shelves bare at her local supermarket:
The video has since caught the attention of the British Film Institute (BFI) National Archive.
The group has launched a campaign asking the public to help document the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In its guidance on example videos, the BFI suggested Ms Bilbrough heartfelt plea to stockpilers.
The Britain On Lockdown project is attempting to gather online videos that best represent how the UK reacted to the outbreak.
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