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Worked in a COVID ICU yesterday. All I can say is damn... (1/ )
I& #39;ve been away from the bedside for about 2 years (a little less) and I was insulated (like many other American& #39;s) from what COVID actually looks like. (2/ )
I& #39;ve cared for people on ECMO (a machine that works to oxygenate blood by bypassing the heart and lungs to give them a rest so they can heal), CVVH/CRRT (continuous dialysis) and a bevy of other machines that help sustain life in the hopes that the patients& #39; body can heal (3/ )
What struck me with this unit is that there were about 5-6 patients on these machines. That is FAR from normal. It& #39;s a heavy unit when there are 1-2 people on such machines.
The sad thing is that this was just 12 beds out of the hospital that I work at. This was a glimpse into about 1/3 of the ICU patients at our hospital who have COVID.
I& #39;m not going to shame anyone for choosing to be exposed to this virus because I& #39;m a firm believer of freedom, however, with freedom, we bear personal responsibility. So, I guess I& #39;d caution you that this disease doesn& #39;t care who you are, it can absolutely ruin your life.
After seeing pictures of the patients pre-COVID on the doors of their ICU beds, and then looking at those same people lying motionless in the beds on ventilators, it& #39;s haunting. They look NOTHING like themselves. All joy erased, the sparkle in their eyes is completely gone.
I& #39;m thankful that I still feel competent to care for these patients because there were countless nurses that I worked alongside yesterday that have put in 70+ hours in the last week. They can use your support. They probably won& #39;t talk much about it, but be there for them.
The main ways to support the healthcare workers that you know are clear and simple: wear your mask, limit your exposure to other people, and stop treating this virus like it& #39;s not serious enough to kill.
