2020 . IT'S THAT LIFE IS TESTING
US./
TESTING ALL OF US . TO SEE IF WE
CAN FIGHT THROUGH THE
DISASTERS THAT KEEP DESCENDING
FROM THE HEAVENS OR FROM
WHEREVER./
MAYBE IT HELPS TO HAVE BEEN
THROUGH TOUGH THINGS BEFORE,
AND AS A VETERAN OF NEARLY A
QUARTER CENTURY AT CONE HEALTH .
WAQIAH ELLIS WAS ABOUT AS
PREPARED AS ANYONE COULD BE./
BOB, 11:24:40
'YOU'VE SEEN A LOT THOUGH IN 24
YEARS.' WAQIAH ELLIS, NURSE
MANAGER
"I HAVE, I HAVE." /
'ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS?'
"NOTHING QUITE LIKE THIS. WE
WERE VERY PREPARED FOR EBOLA. WE
WERE VERY PREPARED FOR EVERY
OTHER ILLNESS THAT WE
THOUGHT WAS GOING TO COME OUR
WAY, BUT NOTHING THAT I
CAN REMEMBER HAS HIT US QUITE
LIKE COVID."/
THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF QUICK
CRITICISM FOR HOW THE
PANDEMIC WAS HANDLED, FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE TO CONGRESS .
TO EVERYONE'S LOCAL HOSPITAL./
ME & KELLY DUFFY, 12:16:59
'BUT NO ONE KNEW WHAT TO DO, AT
THE BEGINNING CUT TO LATER,
SAME QUESTION NO ONE KNEW.'/
KELLY
"OH, IT WAS, IT WAS CHANGING
EVERY DAY A FEW TIMES A DAY,
IT WOULD EVEN CHANGE."/
<BOB
SO, EVEN THOSE WITH THE BEST
AND LATEST TRAINING WERE
HAVING TO FIND NEW WAYS TO DEAL
WITH SOMETHING THAT
OFTEN DIDN'T ALLOW THEM TO BE
WRONG WITHOUT THEIR PATIENTS
PAYING THE ULTIMATE PRICE./
/
/
"I THINK THE THING THAT'S SO
MIND- BAFFLING IS HOW
INDISCRIMINATE IT IS."/
"FROM MY EXPERIENCE, I BELIEVE
THAT THE PRE-PREEXISTING
CONDITIONS HAVE SO MUCH TO DO
WITH HOW THE VIRUS IMPACTS
PEOPLE .
. IT HAS NOT BEEN UNCOMMON, HAVE
A HUSBAND HERE ONE WEEK
AND THE WIFE HERE THE NEXT
WEEK."/
"WE CAN TRY THE BEST WE
POSSIBLY/CAN/BUT YOU HAVE TO
KEEP A REALISTIC PERSPECTIVE."/
/ BOB
BRENT MCQUAID IS THE MEDICAL
DIRECTOR AT CONE . AND HE SAYS
COVID-19 ACTS LIKE A VIRAL BULLY
. PREYING ON THE WEAK./
//
"I PRIMARILY WORK IN THE
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT HERE, CARING
FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE CRITICALLY ILL./
AND, INVARIABLY,/THE
VAST MAJORITY OF/PATIENTS I'M
CARING FOR ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO
WERE VULNERABLE./ SO, THEY HAD A
LOT OF CHRONIC
ILLNESSES."/
BOB
BUT IT SOMETIMES ATTACKS PEOPLE
WHO APPEAR TO BE HEALTHY WHEN
THEY CONTRACT IT . A CURIOUS
DISEASE FOR WHICH, SO FAR,
THERE ARE NO SOLID ANSWERS./
/
"NO. AND MY MOTHER IN LAW HAS
ACTUALLY BEEN A NURSE FOR
ABOUT 44 YEARS AND SHE EVEN SAID
SHE'S NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE THIS."/
BOB
BUT THE MEDICAL TEAM AT CONE HAS
TO LIVE AMONG IT . EVERY DAY./
IT'S THEIR PLEDGED DUTY./
/
"I THINK AT FIRST,
WHENEVER WE WERE SEEING ALL
THOSE IMAGES COME OUT OF NEW
YORK AND ITALY AND CHINA
I HAD A LOT MORE ANXIETY ABOUT,
ABOUT CONTRACTING IT
AND NOT KNOWING AND COMING HOME
WITH IT. I FEEL A LOT MORE
COMFORTABLE NOW WITH ALL THE
PRECAUTIONS THAT WE TAKE."/
BOB
BUT EVEN WITH EVERY PRECAUTION,
LIFE IN A PANDEMIC
DOESN'T COME WITH A GUARANTEE./
WHICH IS WHY, WHEN CONE OPENED
THIS DEDICATED COVID HOSPITAL:/
"IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO OPT
OUT. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY
TO SAY, 'YOU KNOW WHAT? I'LL LET
SOMEBODY ELSE DO IT.'"/
/ BOB YET, HERE . IT SEEMED LIKE
MORE STAFF THAN THEY COULD EVEN
UTILIZE WANTED TO BE IN THE
THICK OF IT . THAT STORY, IN OUR
NEXT EPISODE./
KATIE
TOMORROW NIGHT, WE'LL SEE THE
GREAT STROKE OF LUCK CONE
HEALTH HAD THAT HELPED THE TEAM
CREATE ONE OF THE BEST COVID
HOSPITALS IN THE STATE.
