SEATTLE — During a Washington State Department of Health news briefing on Wednesday afternoon, health officials warned hospitalizations are increasing across the state.
As the pandemic pushes past eight months, it has taken a mental and physical toll on doctors, nurses and other medical workers.
As of Wednesday, University of Washington Medicine hospitals had a total of 102 COVID-19 patients across four hospitals. The peak number for the hospitals is 125.
Dr. Adeyinka Adedipe, an associate professor at University of Washington and an attending physician at Harborview Medical Center and UW Medical Center, said they are dealing with more COVID cases than they did in the spring.
"What I am noticing is before Thanksgiving, we were admitting patients every day to the intensive care unit for COVID symptoms, and they were quite sick. And that was not the case in the summer," Adedipe said.
The work has been difficult and daunting in Harborview's emergency department as the number of coronavirus cases continue to climb.
Just last week, Adedipe lost a patient.
"Unfortunately, I had to tell the family that given the current circumstances they were not allowed into the room, that myself, my trainees, my colleagues, that we had a moment of silence for their loved one on their behalf. And the family cried. It was really, really hard," Adedipe said.
After an emotional battle against the virus, doctors and nurses are now dealing with another surge of patients and feeling the impact of frontline fatigue.
Statewide coronavirus data shows nearly 11,000 hospitalizations. King County is among the five counties where hospitalization numbers have been the highest.
"Several of my colleagues have been exposed, several hospital employees have been exposed, and they are out. We do need to figure out how to staff the hospital appropriately when people are sick or have to quarantine," he said.
A spokesperson for Overlake Medical Center said staffing is an issue at that hospital too, as more staff are exposed to the virus and need to quarantine.
The stress is a national issue. A poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians and Morning Consult, released in late October, found 87% of emergency physicians reported feeling more stress since the start of the pandemic.
"I take care of patients everyday who are sick and that are going into the ICU and are dying. Wear your mask for yourself, for me, for communities, for your loved ones," Adedipe said.
That's his request as hospitals brace for what's coming next.