First day in ETU

February 7, 2015 – It is 100 degrees today. We made one pass through the ETU in full PPE; it was bearable, although, in fact, we didn’t do any treatment of patients. We saw them, though. I am very, very concerned about turning individuals, whom I know nothing of, into emblems or symbols. But - a listless child pulling a grubby pink blanket around him, despite the morning heat, is a very sad sight.

There was also a guy, perhaps 18 or 20, well dressed, bathed, and apparently comfortable and full of energy, who asked one of us to speak with his father. I’m guessing he is about to be released (I know there was one patient today who had recovered). So there is that, too.

The unit makes use of the concrete-block buildings of an old technical school. At least half of the surface area, however, consists of enclosures of one kind or another surrounding the buildings, made of wire fencing and blue tarpaulins. The fences delineate a variety of specifically defined areas – triage; the lab area; the “red” zone; the mortuary – through which patients may pass during their time at the facility, always moving from less-infectious to more infectious zones. Until, with luck, they take their “happy shower” (pre-discharge bath to clean any remaining virus off the surface of their skin) and come back out into the world.

I believe that there were four people to be discharged today (three who turned out not to have the virus and one who recovered); there was also one who died last night. As we were leaving, two ambulances had pulled up – unfortunately at the same time, so one patient had to wait in the baking, non-air-conditioned box while the other was seen. If that represents the total “outs” and “ins” for today (it might not), it means the patient census fell a little. Perhaps you have to be here to realize how fervently I hope that to be true.