SEATTLE — Harborview Medical Center revamped two intensive care units to care for COVID-19 patients and now, we get to see the doctors and nurses in action.
“What they do every day is heroic. Going and taking care of patients without protection is not acceptable,” said Dr. John Lynch, an infections disease control director.
The first thing doctors and nurses have to do is suit up. Hoods, tubes, masks and gowns must be worn before entering a patient’s room.
Contamination risk is so high that doctors and nurses have a checklist and a spotter helping with every step.
When it comes to critical supplies, there are shortages.
“They do get cleaned inside and out. So they can be reused. The way they were built was for one-time use, but that is not the way. If we did that, we would already be out of them,” Lynch said.
The University of Washington, which operates Harborview, said at least 100 coronavirus patients are inside their four hospitals this week.
"So, for the ICU patients, they tend to stay, they get very sick and they stay sick very long; so, needing to require the ventilator for weeks at a time -- and that's really the big issue," said Lynch.
KIRO 7’s Jessica Oh shows you inside the hospital in the video above.
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