KEY POINTS

  • A hospital in New York has workers donning trash bags as makeshift protective gear
  • It has been a familiar scene as the state tries to fight back the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Patients also face a shortage in hospital space, with some dying as they wait to be treated

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, spreads like wildfire in the U.S. Hospitals are facing a sudden shortage of protective gear for the frontliners. Some, such as the health workers of Mount Sinai West, New York City, have become creative and used trash bags for protection. Sadly, it isn’t as effective, as workers are faced with the usual risks arising from this pandemic.

According to Fox News, the scene has been tweeted and it showed two medical professionals wearing makeshift hospital gowns out of trash bags. They wore plastic screens as masks, along with the usual surgical mask. One of them was wearing an empty box where the trash bags came from, and the caption “NO MORE GOWS IN THE WHOLE HOSPITAL” accompanied it.

One of the hospital’s assistant nursing managers, 48-year-old Kious Kelly, unfortunately, died ‘in the line of duty’. The nursing manager tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago and he thought it was still manageable. It appeared that his condition worsened, according to his sister, Marya Sherron.

A statement released by the hospital confirmed the news about the death of Kelly. They also took the time to dispel any growing rumors that proper protective equipment was short. They reiterated that every precaution was being taken to protect the hospital workers as they treat a growing number of patients.

The situation in New York is not good at all, Independent UK reported. Thirteen patients have died in a day as hospital beds are in shortage too. Some patients have reportedly died while waiting for a hospital bed. The situation has been described as “apocalyptic” and so severe that a cold storage truck is on standby, ready to receive the bodies of those who died.

While the situation remained bleak, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that shipments of supplies have already been forwarded to the hospitals that need them. He added that the focus was to keep the supplies adequate and avoid putting more health workers in harm’s way.

Workers build a makeshift morgue outside of Bellevue Hospital to handle an expected surge in coronavirus victims in New York, the current epicenter of the outbreak in the US
Workers build a makeshift morgue outside of Bellevue Hospital to handle an expected surge in coronavirus victims in New York, the current epicenter of the outbreak in the US AFP / Bryan R. Smith
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