Battle against COVID-19 rages on in Delaware, with health care workers on forefront

DELAWARE – The fight against COVID-19 is continuing to rage on in Delaware’s hospitals. But, hospital personnel say it’s not just COVID-19 they’re battling.

Pandemic Fatigue Fuels Hospital Strain

Asst. Medical Director of Bayhealth Kent General Emergency Department Dr. Ellie Salinski says they’re also battling the strain that’s coming with increasing case numbers, working with limited resources and staff, and pandemic fatigue. “It’s not that we want to alarm the community, but if we don’t all band together and perform these interventions such as mask wearing and hand sanitization and social distancing, we are just not going to be able to overcome it,” she said.

Dr. Salinski says as we enter another year of the COVID-19 pandemic, now is not the time to let your guard down. “We have to be flexible and innovative and band together as a team as much as we can with limited resources every day. It’s not even a day at a time. It’s an hour at a time. It’s a minute at a time,” she said. “Every day brings new challenges. This last Monday, after the holiday, we set a new record for the number of patients in the emergency department at any given time.”

A surge in cases and strain on hospital staff is making an already uphill battle even more difficult. “As far as team members and staffing, those numbers are different than what they were a year ago. It’s straining the entire system throughout the state of Delaware and nationwide,” said Vice President and Chief Population Health Office at Beebe Healthcare Dr. Bill Chasanov.

Docs Urge Precautions

Across Delaware, 73% of cases, 78% of hospitalizations and 74% of deaths were among unvaccinated individuals in just the last week, according to local hospital officials. Dr. Chasanov says while COVID-19 vaccines may lost effectiveness with each new variant, they’re still one of the most important tools we have against the virus. “Even though they become less effective, they are not ineffective. They are still keeping people from being hospitalized. They are still keeping people out of the ICU,” he said.

Health care officials say continuing to mask up, social distance, wash your hands, and getting vaccinated could help ease the stress on hospitals. “They need to be wearing masks, and they are not. I was at the grocery store today and half the people weren’t wearing masks. I don’t think people understand that vaccination is not 100%,” said Dr. Salinski.

Plus, hospital personnel recommend that you save emergency room visits for serious injuries or illnesses. “If you’re just for testing, for example, and you’re not positive, you’re potentially going to be exposed and overloading our health care system,” said Dr. Salinski.

Dr. Chasanov adds that potential exposure could be a huge risk for those using emergency departments for COVID-19 testing, or who are mildly symptomatic. “It’s a virus that’s killing people. It’s making people extremely ill. I know that might be difficult for those who don’t work in the hospital to see that. But, it’s real.”

On The Front Lines

Beyond that, Dr. Salinski says health care workers simply need continued patience and understanding from the community. “We are seeing increased workplace violence in the emergency department, and it’s escalating pretty substantially. That’s what I would ask: please, just try to be patient and be kind,” she said. “When you’re in the emergency department or you’re in the hospital, try to understand that every one is working at their limit.”

Dr. Chasanov says sometimes a simple “thank you” can go a long way. “It’s been a weird dynamic. When the pandemic first started, health care workers were heroes. There were signs on the front yard, and people thanking us. That was absolutely amazing. That went away with time,” he said. “Between the four walls of this hospital, or whatever that hospital’s called, we’re still in here fighting. We’re fighting for people’s lives. We’re fighting this battle.”