DAY.
AS THE PANDEMIC CONTINUES TO PUT
PRESSURE ON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM,
TREVOR KELLER SPOKE WITH
FRONTLINE WORKERS.
>> LAST WEEK A NURSE TALKING
ABOUT HER STRUGGLES WENT VIRAL.
>> AT THE END OF THE DAY I WOULD
GO HOME AND GO STRAIGHT TO THE
SHOWER.
PART WAS TO PROTECT MY FAMILY,
BUT THE OTHER PART WAS SO I
COULD GO CRY IN THE SHOWER.
I'M NOW IN A MORE NUMB STATE,
BUT I WONDER HOW LONG WE CAN
MAINTAIN AT THIS PACE BEFORE WE
CRUMBLE.
AND WHO WILL WANT TO BE IN
HEALTH CARE AFTER THIS IS ALL
DONE?
AND WHAT KIND OF PTSD WILL WE
ALL SUFFER?
I WORRY ABOUT US AS A WHOLE.
>> IT'S A SCENE PLAYING OUT IN
HOSPITALS ACROSS WISCONSIN.
CASE NUMBERS AND
HOSPITALIZATIONS RISING.
HEALTH CARE WORKERS PUSHED TO
THE LIMIT.
I SPOKE WITH THREE DOCTORS FROM
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE
ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE SEEING AND
FEELING NINE MONTHS INTO A
PANDEMIC.
>> WE'RE TIRED AND FRUSTRATED
BECAUSE I PERSONALLY HAVE BEEN
PREACHING FOR NINE MONTHS FOR
PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS.
I GO AROUND AND I SEE PEOPLE NOT
FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES AND
THEN I SEE ON THE NEWS THESE BIG
EVENTS WHERE PEOPLE GET TOGETHER
AND DON'T WEAR A MASK.
WHEN I GO TO WORK, I SEE THE
DIRECT RESULT OF THAT.
>> ALL THREE DOCTORS SAY THAT
MANY DAYS THEIR COVID UNITS ARE
FULL.
AT UW HOSPITAL, THERE'S WORRY
THAT THEY'RE TEETERING TOWARD A
TIPPING POINT.
>> FOR A LONG TIME, THAT FELT
LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS FAR AWAY
AND THAT IT WOULDN'T COME TO
THAT HERE.
BUT IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THAT
ANYMORE.
WE ARE REALLY REACHING OUR
CAPACITY LIMITS SOON.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO CUT
CORNERS OR MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS
ABOUT WHO NEEDS TO BE TREATED OR
NOT.
>> BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT
HOSPITAL BEDS.
>> I THINK WHAT'S REALLY MAKING
IT HARD, THOUGH, IS THE NUMBER
OF STAFF THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE
OUT EITHER ILL OR EXPOSED OR ON
QUARANTINE.
SO ALL OF US ARE NOT ONLY
WORKING HARDER, BUT WE'RE
WORKING MORE, MORE DAYS THAN
WE'RE TYPICALLY USED TO.
SO THAT'S A CHALLENGE.
THAT'S A REAL CHALLENGE.
>> ALL THREE DOCTORS WORRY
HOLIDAY GATHERINGS WILL ONLY
MAKE THINGS WORSE.
>> AND SO IF YOU GET TEN PEOPLE
IN A ROOM, THERE'S A 20% TO 30%
CHANCE SOMEBODY WILL HAVE IT,
CHANCE MITT IT TO OTHERS.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE PLAYING
RUSSIAN ROULETTE.
>> 2020 HAS BEEN A HARD YEAR FOR
HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
>> I THINK THAT EVERYBODY HAS
THOSE MOMENTS WHERE YOU KIND OF
CATCH YOUR BREATH AND JUST KIND
OF FEEL THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF
IT.
>> ON SUNDAY, UW HEALTH TOOK OUT
A TWO-PAGE AD IN THE WISCONSIN
STATE JOURNAL URGING PEOPLE TO
TAKE COVID PRECAUTIONS MORE
SERIOUSLY.
IT'S A MESSAGE FRONTLINE WORKERS
AROUND THE STATE HOPE
WISCONSINITES HERE
WISCONSINITES HEAR AND HEED TO
AVOID A HOLIDAY HOSPITAL VISIT.
>> WEAR MASKS, WASH YOUR HANDS,
STAY AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE.
>> REPORTING FOR "HERE AND