My story today is a snapshot of the grief and pain unfolding in Ontario emergency rooms during this pandemic. Dr. Justine Amaro is with the Ottawa Hospital. An ER doc since 2004, Amaro says she's seeing a "different type of suffering" she hasn't encountered before COVID-19.

Dr. Amaro says she noticed a shift in Ottawa about two weeks ago. Suddenly there was an influx of patients in their 20s, 30s & 40s into the ER in "respiratory distress" as sick as the elderly in the 1st wave. The suffering she has recently seen impacts entire families

Dr. Amaro says there was a mom and dad hospitalized who had to leave their children at home without support. She saw one parent refuse to be admitted because they had no childcare. Others had to rely on grandparents- putting them at higher risk. Some turned to neighbours.

Dr. Amaro has also seen a huge increase in people coming to the ER with deteriorating mental health across all ages. This example hurts. As she held the hand of an elderly patient, he asked her for a medically assisted death after getting COVID because he feared being alone.

"It breaks my heart to watch people literally feeling they would rather end their life than continue to live on in a way where they are alone." Amaro says we need to pay closer attention to COVID's impact on mental health now and in the long term.

Ottawa's hospitals are currently receiving critically ill patients from other regions usually by ORNGE airlift. These cascading transfers are due to hospitals being overwhelmed in the GTA. Doctors fear there will soon be more patients than available ICU beds and staff.

Critical care ER doctors like Dr. Amaro will be among those making decisions about who gets life-saving care. A provincial triage protocol is in place, but Dr. Amaro says she's emotionally unprepared to make such a grim decision should resources run out. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid-ontario-icu-triage-1.5992188

For now Ottawa's hospitals still have capacity, but Dr. Amaro says there's a sense of foreboding.
"We're ready on paper and on a practical level..but none of us thought we would have to make those decisions when we entered medicine....and I’m not at peace with that."

Dr. Amaro says she has to focus on being in the moment with her patients. Showing humanity and compassion through her mask, gloves and gown - providing comfort while dreading the moment when there won't be enough time to do so.
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