London Covid: ‘It’s not so silent’ – Croydon ICU nurse says fewer patients are now being kept asleep

As coronavirus cases continue to decline in Croydon, the intensive care unit at the hospital is still busy looking after patients with the virus.

There are currently 103 coronavirus patients at Croydon University Hospital, with 15 being treated in intensive care.

Cassandra George has been a nurse at the London Road hospital for five years and has worked in intensive care for the past three.

Although she is used to the high pressure of working in the unit, the past year has been like nothing she’s ever experienced.

“It has been quite different, patients have been very sick, they are sick in a different way, they can deteriorate very quickly,” she said.

The full PPE worn when working in intensive care can get pretty hot

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“It is not the same pace as usual, you need to be quicker on your feet and manage your time better. The patients are more complex.”

The 27-year-old said that during this second wave of the pandemic she has seen sicker and younger patients being admitted to intensive care.

“It was scary when we got our first patients in March, but now it is becoming a normal way of life, we have these very, very sick patients,” she said.

“Covid has been devastating in intensive care. As a team we try and keep each other up, make jokes when you can. You have to make your colleagues laugh when you can.

“It feels like this wave is worse, we are seeing sicker patients and younger patients who are getting just as sick.”

To deal with an influx of the very ill, the hospital doubled its intensive care capacity and has still not been able to close these extra beds.

Cassandra said the situation is slowly improving, with more patients awake on the ward.

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A pharmacy technician takes delivery at Croydon University Hospital of the first batch of Covid-19 vaccinations to be delivered to the area

“It is still as busy but we are weaning some patients off oxygen and are able to wake them up which is nice,” said the nurse.

“The ward was initially very quiet, a lot of our patients were asleep.

“Now patients are awake, there is the sound of some listening to the radio or on the phone. It is positive, it’s not so silent in the unit. Even hearing people say ‘can I have some water’, or walking past and saying ‘good morning’ is nice.”

Cassandra said one of the hardest aspects of the pandemic has been relatives not being able to visit the wards.

She said: “We are not able to do what we used to for our patients, that is quite challenging, not having families visit is really difficult.

“We stand in but we are not a substitute for your mum or relative. It is a privilege for us to be there and hold their hand and help them call their families.

“It is difficult, you hear the strain when you hear mum over FaceTime and all they want to be able to do is stand there where you’re standing. But this is what we have to do to keep everyone safe.”

Cassandra lives in Streatham with her mum and two of her three sisters.

She said at times she has worried about bringing the virus home to them but living with her family has helped her switch off from the stresses of the job.

“They are quite funny as it is, I couldn’t come home with a frown on my face, they can spot quickly if there’s a lowering in mood and they’re people to uplift you,” said the 27-year-old.

“I’ve learnt that life is short, do things you enjoy like listening to Glee in the car.

“It can be emotionally taxing but we are set up for it in intensive care. It is not all doom and gloom, some days we get to send people home and families are reunited in front of your eyes.”

The coronavirus case rates in the borough were 144 per 100,000 for the seven days up to February 10 compared to a peak of 1,142 per 100,000 in January.