Opinion: Beware the ‘last mile, first smile’ syndrome when we near the end of the Covid-19 pandemic
Fatigue, distracted attention, and the sense that a crisis will soon be over contribute to bad judgment, last-minute accidents, and preventable deaths. This “last mile, first smile” phenomenon happens in the military, in law enforcement, and in the final stages of disasters and crisis situations. It can happen to anyone while driving the last mile home.
Medical teams aren’t exempt from it. The end-of-crisis phase is all but “class dismissed” and going back to normal life.
