Are Big City Hospitals Really Getting Hit With COVID-19 Pts?

Nurses COVID

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I'm almost embarrassed to post this... I am an ED nurse at a 450-bed hospital in the midwest. We have not been taxed by COVID patients yet. My wife has become somewhat of a conspiracy theorist and is questioning everything. She found a thread somewhere that convinced her that what we are seeing on TV is not really happening. We have had some serious arguments about this stuff, but she won't stop. She said that lots of nurses were reporting that nothing was happening at their hospitals.

I would like to see if any of the nurses from the hospitals that are being seriously affected are on this forum and can comment. I realize that most of you are probably too exhausted to even get on a forum.

Thank you!

Specializes in Med/Surg, Women's Health, LTC.
On 4/14/2020 at 3:41 PM, EPS said:

I'm almost embarrassed to post this... I am an ED nurse at a 450-bed hospital in the midwest. We have not been taxed by COVID patients yet. My wife has become somewhat of a conspiracy theorist and is questioning everything. She found a thread somewhere that convinced her that what we are seeing on TV is not really happening. We have had some serious arguments about this stuff, but she won't stop. She said that lots of nurses were reporting that nothing was happening at their hospitals.

I would like to see if any of the nurses from the hospitals that are being seriously affected are on this forum and can comment. I realize that most of you are probably too exhausted to even get on a forum.

Thank you!

I have MANY friends and even some family who believe this is all a "hoax/scam" or whatever they choose to call it. My question to those people is always the same: Do you HONESTLY believe that ANY government could get that many people to lie and play along with this WORLDWIDE? Not just in the US, but everywhere.

Some places are harder hit than others. Maybe they (less hit) do not see a large number of traveling folks in and out of their county/town. Maybe the social distancing has worked, maybe they have just been lucky. Whatever the reason, I am not willing to risk it.

You will probably never change her mind, no matter what evidence/anecdotes you show her.

Good luck!

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1 hour ago, subee said:

THIS! If you work in an ER of a 450 bed hospital (even in the Midwest:) you have to be computer literate and know how to search for information. This is not a nurse.

I would bet there are a number of users at this site who give themselves accolades they haven't earned to make a bigger impact.

I would catch people who told me they were veterans and yet they didn't know basic military terms like DD214 or ETS which every veteran knows.

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I work in a level 1 trauma center in East Texas, and yes we are getting hit. I am actually working the IMC COVID unit. My hospital has transitioned the entire 4th floor into a "COVID Unit". Granted we are not seeing a huge surge of patients like Dallas or other urban areas, but we are seeing patients with COVID. It is happening.

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Covid-19 is nothing like the flu. I am living it right now. Each day I wake up alive I am surprised. It's the most painful, awful thing I have ever experienced. Last night I couldn't stop coughing. I was throwing up phlegm. I am still running a fever. I'm now on day 5/6 depending on how I start counting symptoms.

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22 minutes ago, CraggyPhenominalSoup said:

Covid-19 is nothing like the flu. I am living it right now. Each day I wake up alive I am surprised. It's the most painful, awful thing I have ever experienced. Last night I couldn't stop coughing. I was throwing up phlegm. I am still running a fever. I'm now on day 5/6 depending on how I start counting symptoms.

I have been sick like that before and I thought I was going to die! Even my vision was getting dim. If I were you I would get some rest and not be posting on a forum. That can wait.

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7 hours ago, juniper222 said:

The ONLY thing I compared was the total deaths in order to calculate what this will end like. You apparently inferred that I am just saying this is just like the flu and then attacked that idea. This is what is known as a straw man fallacy. There are obvious differences here as anyone can see. The perspective I present is based on the 2017 flu season which was quite bad. You should read and comprehend what has been said before you criticize.

" If you take the numbers of flu deaths and divide by 3 you get 20,000. Add 20,000 to the current CV deaths you get around the same number as flu deaths. "

My bad. Somehow this appeared to compare the two. I will read more carefully next time.

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Though I should not engage in this insanity as well, I have to ask

WHY IS ALLNURSES FEATURING THIS ON ITS HOMEPAGE?

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, OR, Med-Surg.

Hello,

I am a CRNA in New York City and yes, the COVID pandemic is real here. I work in a 525 bed level 1 trauma facility and we are seeing high volumes of patients. We have ICUs on 5 different floors with all patients on vents. Everyday, there are RRTs called on the med-surg floors where we must intubate patients and place them on vents.

Its sad when family members are not present when these pts go on vents because they know there is a high probability they will not come off. The rates of multisystem organ failure is sad to see. As a result of the hypoxemia, these pts end up on CVVH with the kidneys showing the first signs of failure. The hypercoagulable state of these pts also cause lots of CVA and MIs because of the rapid forming clots. IVs would stop flowing because of the rapid clot formation with the need for most of the pts to be placed on Heparin drips.

I have seen so many pts go into shock and then we call their family for video face time so they can see their loved ones while we get consent for DNR orders. As a CRNA, some days I am assigned to the ICU where I practice my ICU and anesthesia skills. Some days I assigned to the airway where I go throughout the hospital intubating patients. Other days, I am assigned to the OR where I wait for an urgent or emergent case that requires surgery.

If your wife believes this is a conspiracy theory, she should come to any hospital in NYC and see the patients here. We have even converted some of our ORs to negative pressures room with 3 ICU beds in each room so we can take care of COVID pts. Our cafeteria dining area has been converted to a COVID unit with a wall that was constructed and is now a 20 bed unit. This virus is no joke.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Please believe we are getting hit BAD. I work at one of the hot spot hospitals in NY & we've been a COVID unit (regularly med surg) for a little over a month now. Admissions are finally starting to slowly decrease but the number of RRTs, codes, intubations, & deaths are still rising. As I was about to give report to leave this morning I called an RRT on one of my patients & that was the 6th one going on at the same exact time. Yesterday there were 2 RRTs on my unit at the same time with one of them getting intubated while there were others also going on in the hospital.

Ambulatory units, multiple units in our peds hospital, & even a unit at a rehab next door have been used for adult med surg patients to make space for these COVID patients even though we are a large hospital. We've even closed off a large section of our lobby to turn into a makeshift unit.

To this day I still can't believe how truly sick these patients get from this virus. Like the above poster said, to anyone who believes these conspiracy theories, taking a look at these units & patients should change their minds.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Yes, we are.

We had a 50 bed dedicated unit, which is now a 100 bed dedicated unit and are opening another 100 beds this week. We also have an off site center prepared to accept patients on standby.

It baffles me how anyone can think this is a hoax.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I work at a rural hospital here in South Georgia. We're very close to Albany(one of the worst hit areas in the whole country, accounting for population), and our hospital isn't completely swamped with covid patients yet - however, it WAS necessary for the entire Peds floor to be repurposed for covid patients. It's currently near capacity with plans to utilize other floors as overflow as necessary.

Just because it's not bad in certain areas doesn't mean that 1) It won't get bad and 2) it's not really that bad anywhere else.

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Specializes in OR.
On 4/15/2020 at 7:20 AM, hherrn said:

The question of what is happening in my hospital is irrelevant to whether or not there is a global pandemic wreaking havoc. But, I will offer a trade:

I will give a sincere, non-judgmental answer. In return, I would like to understand the thought process of how this could not be real.

My hospital is seeing a slow steady influx of covid. Some intubations, some deaths. A bunch of more moderate cases. My state has an excellent CDC with a well spoken, knowledgeable leader. Our state EMS has just ramped up to phase two protocols, which allow them to leave likely Covid PTs at home in anticipation of this following the same trajectory it has in similar regions.

You have called your wife a conspiracy theorist. But, when you asked the question here the implication is that you are not 100% sure this is 100% real.

Sounds like OP is “asking for a friend”.

??‍♂️??‍♂️??‍♂️

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