NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Yale New Haven hospital recently released its 1500th Covid patient last month.
As we continue to recognize our local heroes this nurses’ week Fox 61’s Aisha Mbowe spoke with nurses in the unit where Yale New Haven health’s discharged the from and many others were treated and released from.
The 95 infectious disease unit at Yale New Haven not only released the 1500th patient but were also the first Covid unit for Yale New Haven that received the first Covid patient.
“We are a medicine level floor with 29 beds,” Patient Service manager Erin Wilson said.
While Coronavirus is new, the unit no stranger to infectious diseases.
“From Tuberculosis to endocarditis, pneumonia, cellulitis its really anything on the infectious disease spectrum.” Wilson said.
Yale New Haven hospital's East pavilion 95 infectious disease unit became the first unit converted to a Covid 19 unit when the pandemic hit. Patients were moved to other areas as the unit prepared to received Covid patients.
“I walked in and we were completely empty the entire unit I mean it never happens,” Registered Nurse Morganne Brady said.
“I remember we got our first positive result on March 13th it was a Friday,” Wilson said.
Once the fist patients started trickling in the nurses said it didn’t take long for whole unit to begin filling up. While the work itself was familiar, the work flow for treating Covid patients can be very different.
“It weird to say that its become the new norm for us we are so used to infectious disease process we’ve been wearing some gear before and the gowns and everything,” Brady said.
“When you go into to a room with a Covid patient, you want to at least accomplish at least five to seven nursing task,” Wilson said.
But moments of watching a patient who has gone through treatment and able to come out on the outside and be able to get discharged has made the challenges worthwhile for nurses like Wilson and Brady. .
In late April, Charles Moore became the 1500th Covid patient discharged form Yale New haven health’s system after being treated in the 95 infectious disease unit.
“You know everyone that gets this diagnosis is terrified, you know not only are they terrified but now they can’t have any visitors and so when we are able to discharge someone its just this wave of emotions,” Wilson said.
The unit has discharged more than 75 patients so far and with each recovery made, the nurses are reminded of the great work they are doing each and every day.