Juju, some nurses in the out patient areas have been laid off. However, they have all had the opportunity for redeployment . Our maternity nurses are now med -surg nurses, our PACU nurses are now Non COVID ICU nurses. The money that there is to be made in our area now is insane. Very risky, but wow, I could be in a NYC field hospital right now for $100/hr. The nursing homes that knocked out half of their staff due to patients are hiring in the spot.
This is not a flu. And the fact it is not a flu has implications on the healthcare system that goes down the line that could be crippling and even more deadly if it is not controlled. There is nothing comparable between flu and COVID. It is truly wiping people out and the nature of the illness is affecting the healthcare system and its resources like I’ve never seen . And if we just let everyone go about there business in this past month, that number would surpass any flu deaths like you haven’t seen.
