They're pulling double shifts, staying away from their families and doing everything they can to keep Covid-19 patients alive while trying to keep themselves and loved ones safe.
Dr. Diana Fite is the president of the Texas Medical Association, but she's also a Houston Emergency Room physician. She says what people don't understand is how much goes into Personal protective equipment.
You may wear a surgical mask if you leave your home, but doctors and nurses start with an uncomfortably tight N-95 mask "then goggles and sometimes a face shield over that. We put this gown on and it fastens over the hands and we put gloves over that. We put booties on. We usually put a bonnet on."
Some doctors bring their own equipment that has a hose that goes from the of their mask and goes out behind them.
"Those almost look like space suits that you see. We put all that on just to go see patients. It's hot. It's uncomfortable. It's hard to work in those things."
She says some patients can't stop coughing. They can't breathe. "We are also seeing patients that are there for a heart attack or a stroke. It can get very, very hectic and very tiring."
If there was no pandemic, staffers could simply leave and call it a day, but the virus is everywhere. She says many shower at work before they leave and change into different clothes, they go home, go into the garage and take off their clothes again.
"Shower again, put on more clothes and bag up everything they have and quickly put the clothes in the washing machine. They'll go through all that to see their family."
Fite says some hotel chains have donated rooms for healthcare workers who don't want to go home. The goal for now is to not overwhelm the healthcare system. Beds are filling up and hospitals have set up tents outside,
She says given all this, one thing healthcare workers do not want to see are groups of people gather without masks "No social distancing, anything at all disrespects what healthcare workers are going through. A lot of people just don't realize it."
