With the number of cases and death toll on the rise due to the most recent Coronavirus outbreak in the United States, many are seeking medical treatment to become more than just a number. But who we may find most heroic in times like these includes those working on the front lines as doctors, nurses, first responders, etc. Many are not only working to save the abundance of people coming into local hospitals and medical facilities, but they are also risking their own lives trying to care for others. In the U.S., there are over 7 million people who work in hospitals. And many, although working to keep their patients alive, feel that they may continue to spread the virus as they visit and take care of patients.
Locally, the number of cases of Coronavirus has taken a steep incline with Bucks County having over 124 new positive cases as of March 27th. Similarly, neighboring counties Montgomery and Philadelphia have over 900 new positive cases combined, leaving many officials scrambling for answers on where people can be treated. Most recently, the City of Philadelphia was able to make a deal with Temple University for hospital space as two more deaths were reported in the city on March 27th.
Lisa Kriney is a nurse practitioner at Doylestown Hospital with over 20 years of experience and claims that she has never in her lifetime seen anything like this. “It scares me to know that any patient coming in could have this virus but we know we have to keep doing our best to take care of them… We have to prepare for the worst and I still think that is yet to come.”
Doylestown Hospital, like many others around the area, have begun creating systems to prepare for amounts of people coming in with the virus specifically. “Last week they began to close down certain areas of the hospital that are only going to be used for Coronavirus patients. This allows the other patients to not have as great of a risk of exposure and employees to not move back and forth between patients which would increase the risk.” says Kriney. The hospital has also set up temporary testing sites outside of the building and drive through testing services to patients who need and are able to be tested. They have also created a strict visitor policy to once again decrease the risk of transmission of the virus in and out of the hospital. Only certain areas of the hospital will allow for visitors and those are limited to one or two people.
As the virus threat continues to climb across the entire country, many healthcare systems are also looking for and in need of supplies to treat these patients and keep the healthcare workers safe. Kriney described how difficult it was to find protective equipment over the past week. “I have not heard much about when or if we are getting any supplies in soon such as n-95 repspirator masks which are essential to keeping us protected as much as possible.” When asked about how her daily personal protection practice has changed, she stated “It is much more complicated than ever before, but we are all just trying to do what we can to stay healthy and safe from this outbreak.”
With the number of cases and death toll on the rise due to the most recent Coronavirus outbreak in the United States, many are seeking medical treatment to become more than just a number. But who we may find most heroic in times like these includes those working on the front lines as doctors, nurses, first responders, etc. Many are not only working to save the abundance of people coming into local hospitals and medical facilities, but they are also risking their own lives trying to care for others. In the U.S., there are over 7 million people who work in hospitals. And many, although working to keep their patients alive, feel that they may continue to spread the virus as they visit and take care of patients.
Locally, the number of cases of Coronavirus has taken a steep incline with Bucks County having over 124 new positive cases as of March 27th. Similarly, neighboring counties Montgomery and Philadelphia have over 900 new positive cases combined, leaving many officials scrambling for answers on where people can be treated. Most recently, the City of Philadelphia was able to make a deal with Temple University for hospital space as two more deaths were reported in the city on March 27th.
Lisa Kriney is a nurse practitioner at Doylestown Hospital with over 20 years of experience and claims that she has never in her lifetime seen anything like this. “It scares me to know that any patient coming in could have this virus but we know we have to keep doing our best to take care of them… We have to prepare for the worst and I still think that is yet to come.”
Doylestown Hospital, like many others around the area, have begun creating systems to prepare for amounts of people coming in with the virus specifically. “Last week they began to close down certain areas of the hospital that are only going to be used for Coronavirus patients. This allows the other patients to not have as great of a risk of exposure and employees to not move back and forth between patients which would increase the risk.” says Kriney. The hospital has also set up temporary testing sites outside of the building and drive through testing services to patients who need and are able to be tested. They have also created a strict visitor policy to once again decrease the risk of transmission of the virus in and out of the hospital. Only certain areas of the hospital will allow for visitors and those are limited to one or two people.
As the virus threat continues to climb across the entire country, many healthcare systems are also looking for and in need of supplies to treat these patients and keep the healthcare workers safe. Kriney described how difficult it was to find protective equipment over the past week. “I have not heard much about when or if we are getting any supplies in soon such as n-95 repspirator masks which are essential to keeping us protected as much as possible.” When asked about how her daily personal protection practice has changed, she stated “It is much more complicated than ever before, but we are all just trying to do what we can to stay healthy and safe from this outbreak.”