Working on the Front Line of a Pandemic
In this week’s issue, read about local healthcare workers on the front line.
Jerri Ray became a respiratory therapist with the intention of helping people with asthma, COPD, pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses.
Jeri Ray in her PPE
Never could she have imagined treating COVID-19 patients as the pandemic sweeps the country. The virus, for which there is no vaccine, is highly contagious and deadly in a small percentage of victims.
And hear directly from cardiac nurse Jodi Kuhn. “Fortunately, I have not had to work with any COVID-19 patients. My cardiac rehab department at Barnes-Jewish Hospital has two floors. We closed one floor to become a COVID floor.
Although our staff did staff the COVID floor, I was not assigned to that floor.
We treat everyone coming to our surgical floor from and outside hospital or from home as if they have it. We wear the proper PPE until they are tested negative. Our tests generally take 4-12 hours to run for the results.”
Jodi Kuhn and her full body PPE.
Full stories in this week’s issue.
Editors note: The Okawville Times is asking health care workers to share their experiences. Email press1@okawvilletimes.com
