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I spoke to doctors and nurses from UMMC this week. What they're going through beggars belief. It is, of course, not just the ICUs which run full and overflow from COVID-19. It's the emergency room, overpacked with the critically ill. It's the med-surg floors, many 100% COVID. https://twitter.com/jallen1985/status/1335051182482612224
I spoke to a UMMC doctor days ago who lamented the ICU numbers being used to "debunk" the new surge. "We're intubating less," he explains: more cautious treatment. But if you choose not to intubate a critically sick COVID patient... you still have a critically sick COVID patient.
Here, the governor does what so many other denialists have done throughout this surge: dissemble. The doctors are screaming for relief. They say they are at capacity and PILING on more. Longer hours. Longer weeks. More patients per caregiver. Full rooms and schedules.
But, no: "UMMC has 10,000 employees." What the hell does that mean? That's the entire campus. Are we tagging in the guy who cleans the research labs at night to the respiratory team? "14 patients with COVID shouldn't have that impact." Well, Tate, that's not the fucking number.
I just don't understand. It honestly breaks my heart. I don't care if the governor gets sharp with me at a press conference. I'm in the press: an adversarial relationship is healthy. But why are you attacking the frontline health care workers? Do you know what they sacrifice?
