‘We are not at maximum yet’: Doctor warns of pandemic burnout as second wave rises

Bakshi helped set up the hospital’s COVID unit in the spring. Now, she and other medical staff working in nine to 10-hour shifts are seeing sick patients more sick than in the spring, their health deteriorating more rapidly and they need more serious intervention.

Kovid said she was overweight on hospital staff, which was sometimes the first – the final line between fatigue, recovery and death.

‘The consequences of mistakes … are terrible’

“You know, we weren’t as fresh as we were back in March,” she said. “For the past two weeks, at least in Edmonton, I think it’s okay, you know, we’ll have to check on each other – the doctors, the nurses, the respiratory therapists, all the health care workers – because when you’re tired, we know mistakes can happen. So we certainly do not want that to happen.

“The consequences of mistakes are so terrible that we certainly do not want them to spread. We do not want people and health care workers to expose themselves to COVID.”

COVID-19 caseloads are on the rise across the country, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holding his first press conference outside Ride Cottage on Friday since the first wave of the virus occurred in the summer.

Watch: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the rise of the COVID caseload

“Every new case of COVID-19 goes with more cases each extra week, which puts extra stress on our frontline workers and our health care system workers,” the prime minister said.

“Our doctors, nurses, personal support workers, orderlys, hospital staff, they’re been in the front line for almost 10 months now, they put in so many hours … they were heroes, they were going beyond anything and beyond. We thought they were signing up. We need to help them , We need to give them a break and stop this spike in cases. “

Alberta is facing the worst effects in Canada’s second wave.

The province recorded the highest number of 1,105 new cases in a single day on Thursday. Nearly half of the province’s active cases are in the Edmonton area.

Premier Jason Kenny last week ordered new restrictions to be enforced until next weekend – suspending indoor group fitness programs and team sports and reducing the number of hours bars and restaurants may be open.

He warned that further measures could be taken since then, but opposed a call by a team of 70 doctors to impose a lockdown across the province to prevent overcrowding of intensive care systems.

Unsustainable trend

Dr Bakshi said the number of cases, and the number of people to be admitted to hospital at Royal Alexandra, could not be maintained. She is worried that the intensive care unit at her hospital will sink and that more medical staff will be infected.

“We haven’t reached the summit yet,” she said. “How are the next few months going to be? Collectively, we ‘ve got the best people on the job and got the best people on fire.”

Alberta hospitals alone are not the hardest to deal with COVID-19 cases. There are also long-term care centers.

More than 30 residents have died at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Center and at least 60 staff are currently infected.

Said Terry Truchan of Grande Prairie House This has had an impact on the level of care his 82-year-old mother receives. He wants to act in the premiere.

“I have a message to exit Delhi-Dolling around Premier Kenny,” he said. “Let’s do a hard lockdown for two or three weeks, make sure the curve flattens, and then slowly start reopening. Don’t open the flood gates like he did in the summer.”

Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said on Friday that long-term care centers were still among the worst sources of infection.

The Liberals promised in their September Throne speech that they would work with provinces and territories to establish national standards for long-term care.

“I put the blame clearly on governments, especially the liberal government. Prime Minister Trudeau knows this is a problem and has not taken action to protect our seniors. People living in long-term care homes need immediate help,” Singh said.

Sources told CBC News that the financial upgrade in December is expected to include money to improve infection control in long-term care homes. This is a cool facility for family members who are already in care.

Nicole Mary’s father is at the South Terrace Continuing Care Center in Edmonton, where almost all residents – at least 85 out of 90 – have tested positive for COVID – 19. It is also now closed – meaning she and her mother cannot visit or comfort her father, who has so far shown no symptoms despite being tested positive.

“Our mom and I, you know, we can’t bring our dad home. If we could bring dad home, we could have brought him home a long time ago.”

Now, like most other Canadians, Mary hopes to do the best she can.