Registered emergency room nurse Cindy Lefton has a request for everyone: 鈥淧lease take [the coronavirus] seriously. Please be safe, because this is real.鈥�
鈥淲e want you to be healthy. We don鈥檛 want you to be laying in an emergency department somewhere, looking at us as you鈥檙e being told that we鈥檙e going to have to put a breathing tube down your throat, and we don鈥檛 know if you鈥檒l ever see your family again,鈥� she said on Monday. 鈥淭ake care of yourself, and understand that we鈥檙e trying to take care of you and also trying to take care of ourselves.鈥�
Lefton鈥檚 words are increasingly important as the number of coronavirus cases in the St. Louis region surges. Over the past week, the metro area has seen about 1,500 new cases per day. That's up 54% over last week, according to .
鈥淸The numbers] are as bad as they have ever been,鈥� said Dr. Alex Garza, commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force and chief community health officer for SSM Health. 鈥淲e have hit all-time records in terms of hospital admissions and cases. 鈥� We hit a new record in hospital census for the pandemic as well.鈥�
Reaching a new record in hospital census means that hospitals are filling beds with COVID-19 patients, essentially decreasing capacity for patients with other health care needs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 putting a tremendous strain on our workforce,鈥� Garza said. 鈥淧eople are getting tired, and they鈥檙e getting worn out.鈥�
With hospital staff taking on an increasing load of patients, Lefton hopes all patients and family members remember to thank health care workers along the way.
鈥淲e appreciate knowing that we鈥檙e making a difference in your lives,鈥� she said.
In addition to working in an emergency room, Lefton is an organizational psychologist at Psychological Associates and the pro bono director of patient experience for the DAISY Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for and honors nurses. Alongside Dr. Jessica Nelson, an emergency room physician and intensivist, Lefton joined St. Louis on the Air to discuss how health care workers are handling another onslaught of COVID-19 cases.
鈥�鈥� brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by and produced by , , and . The audio engineer is .
