Here & Now

UW’s Frontline Braces for the State to Reopen

Frederica Freyberg:

As the debate on reopening Wisconsin takes the spotlight, doctors and nurses are still focused on saving lives. This week Trevor Keller checked in with workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

Trevor Keller:

For healthcare workers in UW Hospital’s COVID-19 unit, the long hours and stressful days add up.

Ann Sheehy:

I think we’re holding up as best we can. But it is more stressful because we don’t know. There’s a lot more unknowns in this disease process than there is in a usual day of work for us.

Trevor Keller:

These doctors and nurses are on the front lines of the pandemic, fighting a virus producing more questions than answers.

Brian Williams:

Why some patients get ill really quickly, whereas some sort of stay stable and recover. Trying to predict that has been really difficult.

Trevor Keller:

Christina Brahos is a first-year nurse. She didn’t expect her career to start like this.

Christina Brahos:

We had healthy young people come in who have never had any type of serious illness before and now they are intubated in the ICU.

Trevor Keller:

With no visitors allowed, the only face-to-face interaction patients have are with health care workers.

Christina Brahos:

One of the hardest things is seeing patients who are understandably very scared.

Trevor Keller:

She says it’s tough to provide support while limiting exposure to the virus.

Christina Brahos:

Yeah, I think on both ends, we’re definitely really struggling emotionally.

Trevor Keller:

They know they aren’t the only ones struggling, especially as the debate on reopening Wisconsin ramps up.

[crowd cheering]

Ann Sheehy:

We know that people in the community have also experienced a lot of loss in their income, their livelihood, their normal routines.

Crowd:

USA, USA, USA!

Trevor Keller:

But here on the front lines of the pandemic, doctors and nurses say social distancing is working and still necessary.

Christina Brahos:

We are in a pandemic and things are not supposed to be fun or normal. The best thing you can do for us right now is just to please stay home and please take this seriously.

Trevor Keller:

Reporting in Madison for “Here & Now,” I’m Trevor Keller.