Fazilah, a nurse in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a central London hospital, told CNN that during the first wave of the pandemic she was plagued by a wave of depression for months, but that she was too busy saving the other people’s lives to be able to identify or process it. Now another nightmare is working.
ICU nurses working in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) are suffering the weight of this increase. Some ICU workers, CNN, spoke to say they have been pushed to “dilute” the level of care due to rising incomes and in some cases say they are treating up to eight patients at a time, well above NHS “safe” recommended the nurse / patient ICU ratio of 1: 1 to 1: 2.
Although the NHS has not responded to CNN’s request for comment, NHS chief executive Simon Stevens told the BBC on Sunday that the nurse-patient ratio varied between hospitals from 1: 1 up to 1: 2 and 1: 3, and that staff are making “real-time dynamic adjustments.”
This is a situation that not only runs the risk of compromising the level of care for patients, but also adds to the stress and well-being of health care workers who offer it, said Ameera Sheikh, a nurse at the ICU and Union union representative at a London hospital. CNN. Even on rest days, it is almost impossible to turn it off. “Guilt suddenly rushes in because you’re not helping at work,” he said.
And when one patient dies, there is often little time to mourn before the next patient arrives. “It’s like you’re on a constant carousel and you can’t get down,” Fazilah said.
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED
P: How do I find out if my age group meets the requirements for a Covid-19 vaccine in the US?
A: First, start by calling your primary care physician. They can confirm what stage you should be in (definitions may change from state to state) and give you an idea of when vaccinations are expected to begin in the hospital and health systems of your local community.
Then check out the Covid-19 vaccination page on your state health department website. Most have links to county-level dating sites where you can sign up and emails to address questions.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
China responds to criticism of its vaccines with a dangerous disinformation campaign
For example, the state tabloid Global Times has led the defense of vaccines produced in China, not establishing their effectiveness, but trying to overthrow the reputation of other candidates, especially those produced by the American company Pfizer.
Trump removes some U.S. travel restrictions on Covid-19 even though Biden is against the order
The Biden administration has pledged to block the passage, out of concerns about “the most contagious variants appearing around the world,” Biden press secretary Jen Psaki said on Twitter.
While new cases in the United States have been on the decline since they peaked last week, experts urge Americans not to drop their guard.
The turmoil at the Australian Open raises questions for the Tokyo Olympics
ON OUR RADAR
- Biden and his administration promise to ensure that black and brown people have equal access to the Covid-19 vaccine through mobile clinics, vaccination centers and collaborations with local communities.
- China and the World Health Organization could have acted faster and harder to contain the start of the coronavirus outbreak, an independent review group said Monday.
- Singapore Airlines hopes to become the first airline in the world to vaccinate all its crew.
- If Kim Jong Un destroyed North Korea’s economy to keep Covid-19 out, will sanctions be enough to prevent it from pursuing nuclear weapons?
SUPERIOR COUNCIL
TODAY’S PODCAST
“For the vast majority of Americans, the test program being sold … is simply a public health illusion.” – Dr. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health.