CONQUERING COVID: Inside the emergency room

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - As we get closer to the two-year mark of the pandemic, doctors say things are not changing much in Tucson emergency rooms and ICUs.

“We are not getting the reprieve we were hoping we would get,” said Dr. Christian Bime, Director of Banner Heath ICU.

The COVID-19 delta variant is responsible for vast majority of new cases, and many of the new cases are among the unvaccinated. Dr. Bime says judging a patient for not getting the vaccine doesn’t play at all into treatment.

“I’d be lying to you if I say there isn’t a level of frustration,” he added.

As the number of people in the emergency room and ICU stays high, Dr. Bime says it’s impacting cases across the board.

“People are still getting strokes, people are still getting heart attacks,” he says.

When it comes to keeping his staff going, Dr. Bime says being there for each other is crucial.

“We need off each other, we support each other.”

You can hear more from Dr. Bime in Episode 3 of the KOLD News 13 Original Podcast “Conquering COVID.”

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