‘It’s been kind of rough’: At the epicenter of the pandemic, a Seattle ICU nurse treats two patients at a time
Stephanie Bandyk is on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic: A registered nurse who works in the intensive care unit of Seattle’s Swedish Hospital, she has helped treat some of the earliest patients infected with the novel coronavirus in the U.S. She has been working overnight shifts, from 7 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. in the state hardest hit by the new disease. There have been more than 1,000 cases of Covid-19 reported in Washington state, and at least 52 deaths.
In the most serious cases, the virulent pathogen has triggered severe pneumonia, and even multiple organ shutdown and death. Others in the Seattle area, as Bandyk points out, have had mild symptoms and have been able to self-treat at home.
STAT chatted with Bandyk about her experience in a Seattle ICU, as the coronavirus case count there steadily rises.
“The number of patients is just going to increase from here,” Bandyk said. “That’s just kind of how it is.”
The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
In recent days, the country and states have taken
