Ottawa doctors describe stress, exhaustion as COVID-19 cases rise

With COVID-19 numbers on the rise again, the scene inside Ottawa's hospitals is becoming increasingly grim.

As of Wednesday, 33 patients were receiving treatment for COVID-19 in the city's hospitals,nearly half of them inintensive care.

From exhausted staff to frustrations over vaccine distribution, these doctors give us a glimpse behind the curtain.

'It's only a matter of time'

Dr. Bhaskar Gopalan, chief of emergency at the Queensway Carleton Hospital, said the QCH is doing "reasonably better" than other medical centresin COVID-19 hotspots. As of Wednesday, the hospitalhad just three COVID-19 patients.

"It's not a lot," said Gopalan.

It's just an ongoing preparation for what is potentially the biggest surge.- Dr. Bhaskar Gopalan, Queensway Carleton Hospital

But while the hospital is currently in a good place in terms of capacity, he said front-line personnelfrom doctors to cleaning staffare nevertheless struggling with the relentlessness of the pandemic.

"It's taken its toll. A lot of our front-line workers are really definitely feeling some burnout," Gopalan said. "They've been at this game for 10months straight with no relief or breaks."

Watching the daily case numbersriseoverthe past few weeks, Gopalan says he's concerned.

"It's only a matter of time," he said. "We could see another spike again."

The hospital has added capacityand isconvertinga hotel in Kanatainto a 28-bed facilityfor patients waiting for spaces to open up in local nursing homes, Gopalan said. In light ofOntario's latest projections, theQueenswayCarleton is also getting asecondary ICU ready.

"It's just an ongoing preparation for what is potentially the biggest surge," Gopalansaid. "But this one seems a little bit more concerning because of the new [COVID-19 variant]."

Concerning, yes, but Gopalan vowed the hospital will be prepared for what's coming.

"While it's concerning, I want to reassure people that we as a hospital are ready."

All quiet on the ER front

Dr. Lisa Fischer, who works at The Ottawa Hospital's General and Civic campuses in emergency and palliative care, is also concerned, but for a different reason.

"I'm actually worried that it's a little bit quiet in the emergency department," she said, recallinghow people hunkered down during the first wave and put offseeking medical help until later. Sometimes too late.

"If people came earlier we could have offered ... earlier care and maybe prevent some harm."

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Fischer sees COVID-19patients every day, and that's taking atoll on her.

"I'm not gonna lie, it's a bit exhausting," she said. "When I leave work and I can't find my car in the parking lot, that's when I know when my mental capacity has reached its max."

Fischer, who's involved in dealing with patientcomplaints, said while those have decreased recently, complaints from hospital staff are on the rise.

"There's a lot of impatience and sometimes frustration among [workers]," she said. "It's another warning sign for burnout."

But Fischer wants to reassure people that despite exhausted and frustrated staff, her team is ready to help.

"Even if you went on a Caribbean cruise and maybe you regret that ...and [are] feeling sick, please do come in," she said.

The unit that stayed COVID-19-free

Dr. Allen Huang, head of geriatric medicine at the University of Ottawa and the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital, says his 24-bed unit has managed to stay COVID-19-free since the pandemic's start. But that'sno lucky accident.

"We in fact are very, very careful to screen, and we do not have any COVID-positive patients and we never have," said Huang. "We did not want to expose our vulnerable population to anyone who potentially had COVID."

There have been times since the pandemic began when the Civic was well over capacity. When that happens, thestress from the emergency room cantrickledown to the hospital's specialized units, he said.

"[The surges] created a big backlog and stress," he recalled. "What goes on in the rest of the hospital, we feel."

Around Christmas and New Year's, the number of COVID-19 patientsat the Civic dropped, but it's picking up again. Still, as of Monday, Huang said the Civic's COVID-19 unit is neitheroverwhelmed nor overrun by patients needing ventilators.

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Huang, who's been vaccinating people while waiting for his own COVID-19 shot, said he's noticing a sense of uncertainty, anger and urgency among patients, families and even staff these days.

"It's everyone," he said. "Because this hope that the vaccine's out there [they ask], when am I going to get it, and what if I get sick before it? So,fears and anxieties both ways."