As the U.S. continues to battle the coronavirus, one nurse’s death is being blamed on a shortage of safety gear. According to fellow workers, team members resorted to wearing trash bags to try to protect themselves from contracting the virus. (1)
Trash Bags As Hospital Gowns
A Facebook post of three Mount Sinai West hospital nurses wearing trash bags shows the desperation of hospital workers trying to stay healthy. Their needs can’t be overlooked as they work face to face with those already affected by the virus. The caption for the post reads: “NO MORE GOWNS IN THE WHOLE HOSPITAL.” (1)
Staff at the hospital believe the shortage of safety gear caused the death of 48-year-old Kious Kelly, Nursing Manager. He tested positive for the virus and then later died at Mount Sinai’s flagship hospital. (1)
“Kious didn’t deserve this,” one nurse says. “The hospital should be held responsible. The hospital killed him.” (1)
Supply Issues For A Year
According to a nurse at the hospital, they’ve had issues with supplies for about a year. “We had to hide our own supplies and go to other units looking for stuff because even the supply room would have nothing most of the time,” she says. “But when we started getting COVID patients, it became critical.” (1)
Nurses at the hospital say they had no choice but to use the same protective safety gear whether they treated patients with or without the virus. Without spare gowns available, they found their only alternative was to wear trash bags in a desperate effort to try to stem the spread of the virus. (1)
“We had to reuse our masks, gowns and the [face] shield,” says one nurse. “We were told, ‘You get one for the entire time until this is over.’” The same nurse explained that other items were “disappearing through the night” including hand sanitizer, masks and wipes. (1)
The hospital spokeswoman, Lucia Lee disagrees with claims the hospital did not provide the basic equipment staff need to protect themselves. “This crisis is straining the resources of all New York area hospitals, and while we do — and have had — enough protective equipment for our staff, we will all need more in the weeks ahead,” says Lee. (2)
Nurse Had Severe Asthma
Meanwhile Kelly’s sister says she “absolutely” believes he caught the virus while working at the hospital. “He told me he had the coronavirus,” says Marya Sherron of Indianapolis. “He was in ICU but he thought he was OK. He didn’t think it was serious as it was.” However, Kelly suffered from what his sister describes as “severe asthma.” (1)
“His death could have been prevented,” Sherron posted on Facebook. “I’m angry. He was healthy.” (2)
Only Able To Text His Sister
She said once he was admitted to hospital he was too ill to communicate with her other than texts. “I tried to get him several times, but I was told by the doctors that he was on a ventilator,” she says. The hospital let her know he might not pull through and the next day he passed away. “We are broken,” she says. (1)
The nature of his death has Kelly’s family wanting to “hold the powers that be accountable.” His sister also stressed, “what an amazing person my brother was.” She wants the city of New York to know this. (1)
Highly Respected Caregiver
In a statement, the hospital said, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of a beloved member of our nursing staff.” Kelly was a highly respected member of the team and was acknowledged by those he cared for at the hospital. (1)
The hospital website recently posted a letter referring to Kelly as an “angel.” The letter was written by the son of a patient treated at the hospital for cancer. “Assistant Nurse Manager Kious Jordan Kelly, RN, showed my mom and us empathy and compassion that helped us get through the weekend and what was to come,” Joseph Fuoco wrote. “He went above and beyond and is an asset to the hospital.” (1)
Nurses American Heroes
“This growing crisis has already devastated hundreds of families and turned our frontline professionals into true American heroes,” the hospital network says. “Today, we lost another hero — a compassionate colleague, friend, and selfless caregiver.” (1)
Our thoughts are with his family and the caregivers who continue to work tirelessly against the virus.
