A doctor treating COVID-19 patients says the stream of admissions is “relentless” and those affected are younger than last year.
David Parrott is just 19 years old and he sits in isolation wearing an oxygen mask that help his COVID-ravaged lungs to breathe.
“I’m only 19 – it shows you that anyone can get it. You can see by the seriousness I’m having to be on oxygen,” the drama student says.
“I’ve been on oxygen since the time I’ve been here. I haven’t had any medical conditions really and all of sudden I can be like this in a bed, in hospital stricken down, not being able to do anything because of this virus. It’s terrible.”
“It’s relentless, the admissions come fast,” says Dr John de Vos, a former cancer doctor who is now the hospital’s leading COVID-19 consultant.
He says he is treating an increasing number of patients like David.
“They are sicker now, sicker than the first wave. Sicker and younger. And when you are sicker you are going to be in hospital for a longer period of time and then you can’t really always predict what way things will go. We are seeing some tragic situations.”
The hospital is seeing a relentless rise in admissions, including people who were infected over Christmas. Dr de Vos says some of these patients are sick with the virus and sick with guilt.
“Since we’ve opened we are very busy,” she said. “One patient out and one patient in again. It’s in and out constantly.
“For us we are viewing it almost like we are in a tunnel. We know there is a light there but we just can’t quite see it yet.”
