My Doctor husband came home crying yesterday

[Anonymous]

I’m a nurse. I don’t pity myself for not being able to stay home. I signed up for this. I like taking care of sick patients. Why am I worried and angry? Because we are not being given the proper equipment. The government did not prepare for this even though they saw it coming. No testing when it would have been helpful. Barely any testing now. Possible exposure? Keep working unless you have symptoms. Have symptoms? We aren’t testing you. I feel you OP. I work for the biggest hospital in NoVa and I think in a couple of weeks, we are going to be screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a nurse. I don’t pity myself for not being able to stay home. I signed up for this. I like taking care of sick patients. Why am I worried and angry? Because we are not being given the proper equipment. The government did not prepare for this even though they saw it coming. No testing when it would have been helpful. Barely any testing now. Possible exposure? Keep working unless you have symptoms. Have symptoms? We aren’t testing you. I feel you OP. I work for the biggest hospital in NoVa and I think in a couple of weeks, we are going to be screwed.

I agree. Most of us thrive on craziness and love being in the ER. However, there is a difference between taking care of patients when you have the proper equipment to protect yourself vs not having basic supplies to keep yourself safe. I’m not a martyr. I have a family and I’m not going to get them sick because my employer and the government are useless and didn’t prepare.

[Anonymous]

Thank your husband for his service. I certainly appreciate him and all the health care personnel putting in long hours trying to save lives and stop this thing from killing us all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been monitoring ER wait times at the inova hospitals in NOVA (https://www.inova.org/emergency-room-wait-times) for the past two weeks and they've remained consistent. My assumption is that the system is still working fine if ERs are moving people in and out. Is that not the case?

I don't know about that one, but there was an ER wait time tracker I was following a few weeks ago, until I realized that the times were identical day after day. Not actually tracking isht.

DP. Confirming: these wait times haven't changed in weeks https://www.hospitalstats.org/ER-Wait-Time/Washington-DC-Metro.htm

Hospital - Total Wait Times
Sibley Memorial Hospital 3h 4m
George Washington Univ Hospital 3h 31m
Georgetown University Hospital 3h 50m
Washington Hospital Center 4h 16m
Howard University Hospital 4h 23m
Providence Hospital 5h 8m
United Medical Center 5h 44m
Children's Hospital Nmc N/A

Wow. Is that average wait time? Over 5 hours?

Thankful for doctors/nurses/techs who are so busy. I was expecting them to have spiked to 10 -12 hours at this point.

that website says clearly at the top:
"Coronavirus Alert: Wait times are statistical averages and may not reflect current wait times during the pandemic."

it also lists providence hospital, which i believe has been closed.

To clarify: That banner at the top was not there five weeks ago, and the numbers were identical to today. I'll so far as to say I don't think that banner was there when I quoted it here this morning. Sunlight as a disinfectant.

[Anonymous]

Some of you should watch this. Continue to stay home.
It's a video from a hospital in Italy
https://news.yahoo.com/harrowing-video-hospital-center-italys-101414280.html

[Anonymous]

OP, I just got a call from a dear friend on the front lines who is also experienced and hardened, and who burst into tears. She can't wear masks into rooms of patients in severe respitory distress because of PPE shortages. She is exhausted and petrified.

You people who are minimizing this, eff you.

[Anonymous]

My partner is a hospice physician in Boston. I am in fear for his life. I also work in health care in Florida. If you are not on or close to the front lines you have no idea the stress and fear some are facing. Count yourself lucky and keep your uninformed opinions to yourself.

[Anonymous]

Here are some resources for health professionals at this stressful time (from the AMA).

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/caring-our-caregivers-during-covid-19

Also some great ideas for volunteers to support them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I just got a call from a dear friend on the front lines who is also experienced and hardened, and who burst into tears. She can't wear masks into rooms of patients in severe respitory distress because of PPE shortages. She is exhausted and petrified.

You people who are minimizing this, eff you.

+1.

[Anonymous]

From Hopkins doctor: https://www.facebook.com/1228350038/posts/10215415475399922/?d=n&substory_index=0

[Anonymous]

If the PPE shortages continue, hospital personnel are going to quit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My partner is a hospice physician in Boston. I am in fear for his life. I also work in health care in Florida. If you are not on or close to the front lines you have no idea the stress and fear some are facing. Count yourself lucky and keep your uninformed opinions to yourself.

Boston is scary now. Hospitals are looking to take over nearby hotels to simply have beds...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here are some resources for health professionals at this stressful time (from the AMA).

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/caring-our-caregivers-during-covid-19

Also some great ideas for volunteers to support them!

Thanks, I just shared this with my workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The fist waves of this virus are already here and our hospitals are....doing fine with it. Look about what is actually happening as opposed to waiting for the worst to happen. The virus is here and it is already happening.

Hospitals are doing fine with it because many patients are temporarily staying away from hospitals. ER visits aren’t down 20% (per my boss). Plus, some of our ER visits are patients coming for bloodwork before an elective surgery (which are now all cancelled). Eventually many people will be sick enough that they can’t avoid the hospitals. If a surge of people flood the ER at once, we won’t be able to handle it.

The hospitals are not doing fine. Already running out of basic medical equipment. https://www.providence.org/lp/100m-masks

[Anonymous]

More importantly, a rapid results test is needed. The amount of PPE supplies staff uses up on a single patient "suspected" of covid-19 patient is astounding. Tons of supplies are being wasting on patients that end up not requiring that level of precautions