Some hospitals in states where coronavirus cases they are emerging they are running out of beds. Doctors and nurses, who saw COVID-19 hit New York City hard, are concerned about what’s next for their communities.
Five front-line medical workers from Texas, Florida, Alabama, and California spoke to CBS News senior medical correspondent Dr. Tara Narula about their fears and the importance of wearing masks.
This is what they had to say.
Dr. Theresa Tran; Houston Texas
“I remember very clearly when the outbreak occurred in New York City, we were all in our emergency rooms here in Texas,” Tran said. “We started preparing, we started collecting PPE and we were waiting for a front that we thought would come. And then it hit, after Memorial Day.”
“You start to get a little bit more worried and anxious every day. When you have a little … ‘I can’t find a bed for my ICU patient’ or ‘I can’t find a bed for a patient who has admitted'” , said. “That’s when you start to feel a little bit of pressure and anxiety because, oh man, is this the turning point?”
By not wearing masks or taking the virus seriously, Tran said, “People you know think that masks don’t matter and that the coronavirus is not real, or not as big a problem as it is … it’s kind of hurts actually “.
“This is much more like a marathon, and it certainly affects everyone involved,” he said.
Vicki Canellas, nurse administrator of the ICU; Pembroke Pines, Florida
“We are very stressed,” said Canellas. “I’ve never seen waves like this. I’ve never seen so many critics, so many critical patients. I’ve never seen nurses work so much overtime.”
“It is very scary for all of us,” he said. “But we have a passion, nurses have a passion for caring for people, and I think that is accelerating.”
Adam Sahyouni, ICU Nursing Manager; San Antonio, Texas
“We started a few weeks ago with around 130 patients and it has grown to about 370,380 patients in the past two weeks,” Sahyouni said.
However, the hospital was prepared. “We had what I like to call a gift of time,” he said.
Sahyouni said that he wears a mask for 13 or 14 hours a day. “It is not that comfortable,” he said. “It is much better than the alternative.”
Dr. Tasha Feaster; Montgomery, Alabama
“You think maybe, OK, it will start to have a downward trend. But then, you know, you get a new set of numbers the next day, and they are constant or increasing,” Feaster said.
“Normally I would get in the car after the shift, you know, strong radio, I’m happy to be turned off. Today, I walk home many times in silence, just processing the things I’ve seen,” he said. said. “I just pray that I can continue to do what I do and help as many people as possible.”
Dr. Tom Sugarman; Antioch, California
“I think the real fear that people have now is that nobody wants to be in a situation where their resources are overwhelmed and, you know, there are things that they could have done to help people and save their lives or lessen their complications. long-term, “said Sugarman. said.
“We know how to mitigate and lessen damage, and that’s wearing masks,” he said. “It really is like not passing a red light. I mean, we don’t pass a red light, so we don’t have an accident and we don’t create an accident for other people.”
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