Dayton ICU Nurse: “COVID Is No Joke”

Jasmine Shavers talked calmly Tuesday about the urgent need for people to take the coronavirus seriously. She appeared on Gov. Mike DeWine’s briefing, which is broadcast statewide. Speaking from her work area at Miami Valley Hospital, she told the story of a patient who said they initially did not believe the virus was real. Within hours, despite the best efforts to help that patient beat the virus, they passed away. “This third wave is way more intense than it was in March and this summer. We’ve had patients in a twelve hour shift and six of them need to be on a vent. It’s been very bad,” Shavers said.

Shavers joined other health professionals who echoed the repeated warnings from DeWine to think small about Thanksgiving and not to attend large gatherings, even if it is with your own extended family.   DeWine said more spread of the virus over Thanksgiving would likely mean more cases by Christmas. “We are already at a very high level. We are already seeing our hospitals filling up. Today and that…pushing that even further with even more contact…it’s going to be a disaster,” DeWIne said.

The number of new cases reported was at 8,604 in the last 24 hours, high by anyone’s standard, but still far below the nearly 12,000 reported Monday.  DeWine had cautioned that Monday’s number was “unrealistically high” because a backlog of reported cases was being cleared out. He cautioned that Tuesday’s number may also contain some of the backlog cases so it may not be a true depiction of what is happening statewide.

As of Tuesday there are 4,449 people in hospitals around the state with COVID. Shavers said medical professionals are trying to hold up under the strain as best they can. “We’re overworked, exhausted, tired. We’re trying our best. COVID is no joke. When I see people in the community without wearing a mask I say I’ll see them in the hospital and that’s where I don’t want to see them,” Shavers said.

At his briefing DeWine did not issue any new restrictions, but instead announced one new advisory. He wants school districts to stop allowing fans in the stands at sporting events. This would impact basketball and all other sports for months to come. It is an advisory, not a mandate, and school districts will make the final decision on what they will permit at upcoming games.

Cox Media Group