ILLINOIS, ALMOST 1,000 PEOPLE
HAVE DIED FROM COVID-19 IN THE
LAST WEEK ALONE.
JOINING ME NOW IS THE PULMONARY
AND CRITICAL CARE SPECIALIST AT
NORTHWESTERN MOILK HOSPITAL IN
CHICAGO, DR. MICHELLE PRECK PICK
WORKING THE ICU IN CHICAGO AND
KNOWN FOR BRINGING AN AURA OF
CALM TO THOSE THERE, AND DUE
HEAR CRITICAL CARE NURSES AND
DOCTORS AND CRITICAL CARE PEOPLE
BEING OVERWHELMED AND YOU SIGNED
UP FOR THAT THE DAY YOU SIGNED
UP TO BECOME A DOCTOR AND MOW WE
ARE HEARING ON A DAILY BASIS,
PEOPLE ARE SAYING THEIR OWN
CARE, THE CARE OF THEIR FAMILY,
THE EMOTIONAL STRESS THAT
THEY’RE GOING THROUGH IS
SOMETHING THEY HAVE NEVER
EXPERIENCED IN THEIR CAREERS
BEFORE.
>> THANK YOU, ALI, I THINK
THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE ARE BUILT FOR THIS.
WE STRIVE, THRIVE IN SITUATIONS
WHERE THERE’S MASS CHAOS.
WE LIKE TO BRING CALM AND TRY TO
CONTROL THE SITUATION.
AND WE DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF IT,
THE ISSUE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS
JUST VOLUME.
PATIENTS HAVE BEEN COMING AT
VERY HIGH RATES, OUR NUMBERS
FROM OCTOBER, TO THE END OF
OCTOBER TO THE END OF NOVEMBER,
HAVE ESSENTIALLY QUADRUPLED, SO
THE PATIENTS THAT ARE COMING IN,
WE KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF
THEM, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF
VOLUME.
>> THE FIRST COVID PATIENTS THAT
CAME IN TO NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL
HOSPITAL’S INTENSIVE CARE WITH
COVID WERE IN FACT YOUR
PATIENTS.
OFTEN IT WILL BE A PULMONOLOGIST
WHO WORKS IN EMERGENCY OR
CRITICAL CARE WHO SEES THESE
PATIENTS BUT BEFORE COVID, YOUR
RULE, YOUR PERSONAL MANTRA THAT
YOU FOLLOWED THAT NOBODY DIES
ALONE.
THAT WAS SORT OF A GOOD FEELING
FOR YOU, AND SOMETHING THAT WAS
ENTIRELY MANAGEABLE BEFORE
COVID.
THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM NOW.
WHERE PEOPLE DON’T HAVE THEIR
FAMILIES AROUND THEM, AND THEY
KNOW THEY’RE DYING, AND THEIR
FAMILIES KNOW THEY’RE DYING.
>> I MEAN I THINK WE’RE ALL
HUMAN, SO WE’RE DOCTORS, WE’RE
NURSES, WE’RE RESPIRATORY
THERAPISTS, WE’RE HEALTHCARE
WORKERS, WE’RE ALL HUMAN, AND WE
KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE ALONE,
AND WE KNOW HOW SCARY THIS
DISEASE IS, AND WE ALSO KNOW THE
LOOK IN PEOPLE’S EYES WHEN THEY
CAN’T BREATHE, SO AS A PULMONARY
DOCTOR, THAT IS A LOOK THAT I
HAVE SEEN WAY TOO MANY TIMES IN
MY CAREER, AND I WISH I NEVER
WERE TO SEE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY,
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE SEEING AND SO
YOU SEE THAT FEAR, YOU SEE THE
CONCERN, AND YOU’RE HUMAN, AND
SO WE’RE TRYING TO PROVIDE THAT
EMPATHY, AND YOU KNOW, EVEN
THOUGH WE’RE PROFESSIONALS,
WE’RE STILL HUMAN AND IT IS
EMOTIONALLY DRAINING, AND WE
STILL NEED TO COME HOME AND BE
WITH OUR FAMILIES AS WELL AND
SUPPORT THEIR NEEDS EMOTIONALLY
AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY SO IT’S
JUST BEEN A LOSS.
>> WHAT HAPPENS IN HOSPITAL
SETTINGS, THERE ARE A LOT OF US
WHO DEEPLY APPRECIATE WHAT
DOCTORS AND NURSES DO BUT WE GET
THE SENSE YOU ARE BUILT TO BE A
LITTLE BIT DETACHED FROM IT
BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT WOULD BREAK
YOU TO DEAL WITH ALL OF PEOPLE
YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND NOW
PEOPLE COME INTO THE HOSPITALS
AND YOU ARE REPLACING THEIR
FAMILIES.
>> IT’S TRUE, THE COVID I SEE IS
ONE OF THE QUIETEST ICU, BECAUSE
ALL OF THE DOORS ARE CLOSED, NO
FAM I, NO CONVERSATIONS, THE
VAST MAJORITY OF OUR PATIENTS
ARE VENTILATED, NOT SPEAKING
WITH US, SO IT IS A VERY QUIET
TIME.
EXCEPT WHEN THERE’S EMERGENCIES.
SO THERE’S A LOT OF TIME TO
REFLECT AND UNDERSTAND HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO
PROVIDE THAT EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
TO OUR PATIENTS, BECAUSE IT’S
VERY OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS NO
FAMILIES THERE.
WE THRIVE ON BEING ABLE TO
COMMUNICATE WITH OUR FAMILIES
AND LET THEM KNOW WE’RE DOING IT
NOW BY TELEPHONE AND ZOOM AND
OTHER METHODS BUT IT’S
RELATIVELY FOREIGN TO US, AND
HISTORICALLY, UNFORTUNATELY, IT
IS VERY COMMON TO US NOW, WITHIN THE LAST NINE MONTHS.
THE LAST NINE MONTHS.
>> WHAT A TIME, DR. PICKET,
PLEASE SEND OUR THOUGHTS FOR ALL