A Sarnia nurse who was designated as Charge Nurse when Bluewater Health hurriedly opened its COVID-19 unit remembers being struck by how quickly the coronavirus moved.
Paula Riley told Sue Storr during CHOK's (103.9 FM, 1070 AM) Friday "Behind the Mask" segment that it was alarming how quickly the conditions of patients deteriorated.
"That first day at one o'clock when we opened up we had seven patients right off the bat that were in hospital," said Riley. "By the time I came back Saturday morning, I can't recall how many that we had but it was just, they were constantly coming in. And sick, you would come in at the beginning of your shift and your patient would be stable, not on any oxygen and an hour later you were calling ICU to come and take a look at them."
Riley said in her 33 years in nursing, she's never experienced anything like it, adding COVID and the flu were two totally different things.
"I mean there's lots of viruses and infectious diseases out there, but this one was different because nobody really knew what to expect with it," she said. "In the early days everything was changing, first your symptoms were cough, fever and shortness of breath. Then more symptoms would get added on and then everything was, is it COVID?"
Riley assured doubters that COVID is real and we should get vaccinated.
On a positive note she said everyone at Bluewater Health did an exceptional job handling the pressures and stress of the pandemic.
"I just think that the experience that all of us had at Bluewater Health no matter what unit you worked on, especially during the first wave, did an exceptional job. The COVID unit to me was exceptional and I had a really great experience working on that floor with all of the team I worked with, and I met a lot of great people, patients and their families."
Since the start of the pandemic, Bluewater Health has had a total of 151 COVID-19 patients.
To listen to the full "Behind the Mask" interview click here.
-With files from Sue Storr
