'It's Terrifying': ER Nurse From Frederick With Underlying Health Condition Worries About Contracting COVID-19
FREDERICK, Md. (WJZ) -- Life in the age of the coronavirus is creating a new normal for everyone, and it's no different for those who work on the front lines.
It's a heartbreaking reality health care workers face every day.
"It's terrifying, you try to put a poker face on so you're not upsetting or making your patient feel like your scared," Linda Chaffman, an ER Nurse at Frederick Health Hospital, said.
Chaffman said as a nurse in the emergency room, the stress is high.
"You're constantly thinking did you, are you, covered completely? Did you put all your materials on right? Is there anything that you possibly did wrong that could've... you're potentially bringing out of the room to another patient," she said.
She and her coworkers are dressed head to toe in full protective gear, steps that are necessary to fend off a virus proven to be deadly.
But supplies are tight, masks are often reused, and there's a nationwide shortage of ventilators.
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"It gives me anxiety because what if we run out and we have an influx of patients like New York or even Italy, and we don't have anything," Chaffman said.
Chaffman said as someone with an underlying health condition, her job can go from stressful to dangerous.
"It terrifies me when I go to work every day. I'm afraid I'm going to get it and I'm going to be one of those patients on a vent," she said.
Although the pressure is high, Chaffman said she finds comfort in her coworkers, knowing together, they will get through this.
"We are there for each other to talk to, to kind of calm ourselves and reassure that we're here for another and we're going to work and make it through," Chaffman said.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
