Thread by @vivchook

Just had a lovely long chat with my bestie in California. She works ICU in Central CA, & I thought I'd share her most recent war stories in a Thread: #COVID19Aus #COVID19Vic #Covid19NSW
1: She works in a 22 bed ICU - but that has been expanded to cope with more COVID patients /2

2: Last year, most of their COVID patients were migrant workers, most with significant co-morbidities. But this year, it's across the population demographics, & co-morbidities aren't as big a factor;
3: Patients are only admitted to ICU for ventilation; #Covid19AU #COVID19Vic /3

They have a 40 bed HDU for people who aren't intubated, but need other intensive forms of respiratory support.
4: Most of the ICU patients spend 6-8 weeks ventilated via tracheostomy;
5: And then they DIE. Yes, they die: Since March 2020, this ICU .. #COVID19Aus #Covid19NSW

has only had TWO patients survive #COVID19 to actual Hospital Discharge. Every other patient has died either in ICU, or in the wards of the hospital.
6: This year, all the ICU patients have been unvaccinated, & over 90% of them have begged.. #COVID19Aus #COVID19Vic #Covid19NSW

to be vaxxed just as they're being tubed for ventilation. Which of course, is at least a month too late.
7: Most of these people aren't lifelong Anti-Vaxxers, tho many Are MAGAs (it's a GOP Congressional District), so they've been vax-skeptics. #COVID19Vic #COVID19Aus

But my BFF says it's been the absolute Worst experience for her, & her ICU colleagues, to see this epiphany virtually every day in people who essentially were vulnerable to the political messaging. She's been working ICU for 30 years, & has never seen anything like it #COVID19Vic

8: But back to those awful numbers: one in four people have had COVID in her county. They're having between 6 & 12 deaths every day in their ICU. And as soon as the room is disinfected & set up, the bed is occupied by another person who will be intubated #Covid19Aus #COVID19Vic

merely for the purposes of prolonging their deaths - but allowing the family to come to terms with their impending loss. They've never had to Triage ICU beds (deny likely perishers a bed), which other places in USA have had to, but their reality is still.. #COVID19Aus #Covid19NSW

awful. They have had over 400 people go through their ICU - & just two survived to discharge from hospital.
9: She's been paying attention to what's happening here in #Covid19Aus, & knows it's got really bad. But when I told her our numbers, she's stunned #COVID19Vic #COVID19nsw

that our situation has made the news in USA - what we are going through is minuscule compared to their experience.
10: This one is for Nurses: lots of permanent RNs have left their jobs, to work Agency, in ICUs around California. Yes, they lose benefits,#COVID19nsw #Covid19Aus

BUT they're getting $14,000 a week to work as Agency RNs in Covid ICUs. Staff RNs are getting ~$55/hr, Agency RNs are getting $280/hr. Wonderful for them, but terrible for the hospitals, & patients. Burnout in Staff RNs is very high, due to the #COVID19nsw #COVID19Vic #Covid19Aus

uncertainty of day to day staffing levels in the ICU, & subsequent increased patient load. Most days, the RN:Patient ratio is 1:3. These are Ventilated, Inotrope-supported, patients, many on ECMO, too. In #Covid19Aus, it's still 1:1, with float support. #COVID19Vic #COVID19nsw

We are ALL very lucky here in #Covid19Aus. Our staffing ratios are Gold Standard, our Medical/Nursing/Ancilliary care is Gold Standard, & our vaccination rates are climbing. And, unlike in USA, the best drugs in the world are given to us for FREE. #COVID19nsw #COVID19Vic ../end