COVID-ROOMMATE

Our COVID patients are roomed with other positive COVID patients these days. We initially used private rooms or made a double room a blocked single, but we quickly ran out of space. COVID positive patients have been cohorted since the Summer of 2020 at my hospital. 

I guess with the different strains and not knowing "where" the person is in treatment-I always think of the possibility of things worsening.  Thank you.

4 hours ago, SonjaRRN said:

I guess with the different strains and not knowing "where" the person is in treatment-I always think of the possibility of things worsening.  Thank you.

Its a legit concern.

But, the only thing is, there is no other way to handle it.  As is, patients are getting sub optimal treatment as they languish in ERs.

I work in a 60 bed observation unit so most rooms are double beds. Some patients leave AMA if they have to share with anyone. But when the hospital is full, we are always the only unit with beds and nurses. We even get direct patients from small hospitals. So yes even covid patients get roommates. If they don't want to share then they leave AMA. Someone else more sick is waiting for a bed 

On 1/23/2022 at 5:27 AM, SonjaRRN said:

Are COVID patients roomed privately? How do you feel about COVID patients sharing a hospital room? Thank you.

When I worked in pediatric critical care, decades ago, patients who were ill with the same virus were all housed in the same rooms or wings of the hospital during seasonal outbreaks of HIB. The non infectious ICU patients were kept distant from the isolation patients and did not share direct bedside staff.  We often took control of the adjacent hallway from the next door trauma care unit in which to house our overflow patients.