Short Wave - Nebraska Doctor: 'Don't Call Us Heroes.' Dig Deep And Do Your Part

Episode Date: December 3, 2020

Like many states in the Midwest, Nebraska was somewhat spared during the early days of the pandemic. But now, the state has more cases per capita than any other in the country. We talk with two Omaha doctors who say this latest surge is exhausting health care workers, and one explains why she's tired of people calling health care workers heroes. Are you a health care worker who would like to share your experience with the Short Wave team? Email us at [e-mail] pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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npr.org slash short. You can help us keep those closet lights on. You're listening to Shortwave from NPR. States all across the country are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases. For doctors working in community clinics like Alberto Marcellin in Omaha, Nebraska, that's no surprise. There was a time where we weren't getting any positive cases. We would run 10, 15, 20 tests per day, zero positive. And then suddenly we're getting nearly 40 to 50% positive cases.

So we know something was on the rise. So we're not surprised when it come on the news that more and more people are being diagnosed. The doubling time for COVID-19 hospitalizations in Omaha. Every family in Nebraska will be affected either by a death or serious illness. That's the message. Like many states in the Midwest, Nebraska was somewhat spared during the early days. of the pandemic. But now, Nebraska has the most cases per capita of any state in the U.S.

I had a telehealth, and I was talking to them on the phone. They were doing okay. And then the next day, they just went from doing fine to absolutely you have to go in a hospital. Just by looking at him, I could tell he wasn't doing well. So I asked him to go to the ER immediately. and he was admitted, he had to be intubated, so he had it really bad. I just wish that we could all take this seriously. People are really dying, losing their lives, losing their loved one.

Alberto's partner, Jasmine, is a doctor, too. She specializes in infectious disease, which means family dinner conversations right now can be pretty intense. It's always about what should we do next, how do we protect our family. patients who are not doing really well, what we could have done better, or what do we do to prevent that from happening. So I joke a lot with her saying, my job is to make sure none of my patients ever have to see you. Because by the time they have to see you, I mean, they're really bad.

It's really trying to figure out how to catch it early so that they don't get so sick where they have to be intubated or go in hospital and she has to take care of them. So coming up next, we'll talk with Dr. Jasmine Marcellan about her experience treating COVID patients in Nebraska. She says this surge in the pandemic is exhausting health care workers, and she's tired of people calling them heroes. I'm Maddie Safaya, and you're listening to Shortwave from NPR. As of yesterday, Nebraska is considered one of the highest risk states in the country,

and some of Alberto's patients have ended up in the hospital at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where his partner, Dr. Jasmine Marcellan, is a infectious disease specialist. This particular hospital is known as one of the most pandemic-ready hospitals in the entire country. Back in 2014, the hospital had one of only a handful of biocontainment units that were prepared to take in Ebola patients. And now it's taking in hundreds of COVID patients. Dr. Marcelin, how are things looking right now at the hospital at this point in time? Well, we have been going through a pattern of a surge over the last several weeks, and we were noticing that we were seeing more and more patients that are coming through all of that

leading up to the hospital becoming more and more full, and that was something that we were seeing across Nebraska. And, you know, my understanding is that you started with two COVID units last spring. But you have a lot more now. Yeah. So our hospital is, we still have a little bit of room, not much room left. How it has progressed over the last several months has made it so that we, by early last week, we had been up to 10 COVID units that we had stood up in the hospital. And so several floors of one tower we had to jump to another tower to create more COVID units. And we seem to have just a need for more and more units being opened. Yeah. So I know that, you know, even though that Nebraska has a tremendous amount of cases per capita, you know, one of the highest in the country right now, it does not have a mask mandate in place.

Many schools remain in person, you know, restaurants and bars are open for indoor dining. And I think, you know, it's safe to assume many people gathered in groups over the Thanksgiving holiday. What are you anticipating for the trajectory of cases in the region and capacity at the hospital? So usually we would expect to see that, you know, when you see numbers doubling maybe every 14 to 21 days, we can expect to see that after, you know, major events or large gatherings would be anticipating surges. And so as a whole, as healthcare professionals in Nebraska, we have all been pretty anxious about the holiday season, knowing that it's really such an integral part of us as society to gather together. but what we're concerned about is what the impact of people continuing to gather indoors is going to have. And I'm just sad for what we could have prevented with more definitive actions.

You know, quite frankly, sometimes it's devastating. Seeing the extent of the damage that this, does to individuals and the death that it can cause, all of that is just, it's preventable, you know, and I think that is the biggest tragedy for me is it didn't have to be this way. Yeah. You know, Dr. Mercell, I hear a lot of people talk about health care workers as heroes, right? especially during the beginning of the pandemic. How does it make you feel when you hear that,

when you hear health care workers framed that way as heroes? Yeah, we're not heroes. And for me personally, I cringe when I hear people refer to health care workers as heroes. Because at the end of the day, what we really need is for everyone to sort of dig deep and take a look at the, way that they could personally contribute to making the world a better place. And right now in this moment, what it requires is, on one hand, some personal responsibility for each other by wearing the mask and avoiding large gatherings. But on the other hand, it also requires courage and

political will on the part of our leaders to be able to do the right thing with the power that they have, you know, access to. And so to call us heroes and, you know, give people discounts or light building specific colors and then turn around and not do the things that are going to keep us all safe is a little bit maddening. Yeah. To say the least. Yeah.

I mean, there's an element of, you know, calling somebody a hero that I think, allows you to think of that person as bulletproof in a way or as as superhuman, which is, you know, really not quite right, right? Yes. And if the health care workers are heroes, then when they don't have enough personal protective equipment, they'll still get it done anyways because they're heroes. If they have not had a vacation in X number of months, they'll still get it done anyways because they're hero. And it really absolves the non-hero individuals from recognizing what their role might be. And at the, I mean, at the end of the day, the healthcare workers would much rather have people do the things that need to be done so that we can get through this pandemic. and having our leaders and our lawmakers help the public by putting forth stronger restrictions and then financial support to the small businesses that will be impacted by these restrictions.

Yeah. You know, before we go, I think it's really important for people to kind of understand what health care workers are thinking. and what they're going through and what we're asking of them. You know, you're under immense stress. Like, how are you doing? I am exhausted and I know that I am still, even as exhausted as I am, I'm probably not even half as exhausted as some of my colleagues

who are working in the ICU. And I am haunted by the memory, of one in, you know, almost 900 black Americans who have died as a result of COVID-19. And, you know, the one in, I think it's 925 Native Americans who have died from COVID-19. Their memories haunt me. At times, I'm overwhelmed with just the sadness. of being in the midst of a time like this, because I see healthcare workers on one hand being lauded as heroes

and on the other hand being accused of making stuff up, of being too alarmist, of just ridiculous things. that is just so sad because we are trying to do our jobs. And it is just, I think, exhausting is the word. And it, to me, has transcended just a mere word to a way of life, a feeling it's an exhausting, it's an exhausting life. And I used to tell people that I was fine. when people would ask me how I'm doing and I don't anymore.

Particularly, you know, for me as a black woman physician, during this time, it is compounded by a feeling of inadequacy of being able to protect my community and also compounded by countless reminders of the violent oppression that black people have to encounter on a daily basis and the numbers of people that are being shot and killed on top of being at risk for worse outcomes from COVID-19. This is not okay.

I think many health care workers are not okay. Wow. I mean... I'm sorry. I had to, like, I'm like... Do not apologize. Willing myself to not cry right now. Well, I'm glad you're not crying because I'm crying. Yeah, so I'm glad. No, I just thank you for that.

I mean, that is... It's just, it's really important to hear. It's really heartbreaking. And I'm just so blown away and very thankful that you shared that with us. Because I think people need to hear what we're asking of them. And that was really, thank you. It's I guess all I have to say. Thank you for receiving it.

Of course. If you're a health care worker or you know one who would be willing to share their experience with the shortwave team, email us at shortwave at npr.org. This episode was produced and reported by Brett Hansen, fact-checked by Ariel Zabidi and edited by Giselle Grayson. I'm Maddie Safaya. Thanks for listening to Shortwave. from NPR. Women have been written off in rap

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