Worked in a COVID ICU yesterday. All I can say is damn... (1/ )

I've been away from the bedside for about 2 years (a little less) and I was insulated (like many other American's) from what COVID actually looks like. (2/ )

I'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' 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'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'm not going to shame anyone for choosing to be exposed to this virus because I'm a firm believer of freedom, however, with freedom, we bear personal responsibility. So, I guess I'd caution you that this disease doesn'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's haunting. They look NOTHING like themselves. All joy erased, the sparkle in their eyes is completely gone.

I'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'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's not serious enough to kill.