DETROIT – Frontline nurses are the tip of the spear in the fight against COVID-19 and they are exhausted.
Nurses time and time again are putting their own lives on the line to treat COVID patients.
On Monday, the nation’s largest nurses union came out with a list of demands as they battle this second wave of the coronavirus.
National Nurses United is sharing frontline horror stories from across the country.
“Unfortunately our government and healthcare employers have not implemented what is needed since the pandemic started and the Trump administration has explicitly stated it is not even trying to contain the virus,” said one member of the group.
They say a general consensus of nurses are suffering through staffing shortages, and their own fears of catching the virus.
“Last week, I reached a point where I was numb. I didn’t feel tired. I didn’t feel happy. I didn’t feel angry. I didn’t feel frustrated. And I didn’t feel sad. I literally felt nothing. And that is a scary place for nurses to be. And I see that in my co-workers faces. They’re so tired of fighting,” said another member of the group while crying.
They also say their patience has run out for those who believe COVID isn’t real.
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 314,216 as of Monday, including 8,543 deaths, state officials report.
Monday’s update represents 11,511 new cases and 65 additional deaths over the last two days -- an average of 5,755.5 cases and 32.5 deaths per day. On Saturday, the state reported 302,705 total cases and 8,478 deaths.
New COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Michigan. Testing has increased in recent weeks, with more than 45,000 diagnostic tests reported per day, but the positive rate has increased to above 13% over the last week. Hospitalizations have increased steadily for the last five weeks, including upticks in critical care and ventilator use.