Consultant

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As the UK staring down the barrel of a coronavirus epidemic in the beginning of March , the biggest fear was That the hospitals would be swamped and incapacitated by a flood of patients. It happened in Wuhan and in Northern Italy. The NHS is largely pulled through, But there were still times, hospitals have been overwhelmed. One of those was, as a London Hospital was suddenly engulfed with the victims.

On March 19, the night shift Staff at Northwick Park Hospital in north-west London, woke up to discover That her workplace was so overwhelmed with Covid patients, who had been declared a Critical Incident .

"I saw it on The News and thought, "oh my goodness", Said Advisor to Tariq Husain.

"I had to say news of Colleagues during The Day , it was Always very busy, we needed additional help, we have a volume of patients.

"It's the realization That everything was, we feared, be a reality, too.

"It was shocking and almost unbelievable That it had happened. "

Watching and waiting

Six weeks earlier, at The End of January, the British EU exit is the Only story in town. Coronavirus was still a mystery disease silently circulating in China.

Northwick Park , a specialist in tropical diseases, was soon asked to start from Public Health England, screening visitors in the United Kingdom from Wuhan, which showed signs of coronavirus.

The Hospital is, the location makes it easily accessible from Heathrow Airport - similar protocols That were used during the Ebola outbreak five years earlier.

Northwick Park is one of four hospitals conducted by the London-North-West-University Healthcare NHS Trust

until The Middle of February, the extent of the global spread of the coronavirus was impossible to ignore. In Italy, The Number of cases crept up slowly at first And Then accelerating rapidly - a textbook epidemic curve.

Northwick Park employees, The News from abroad were watching closely.

"I love Italy and go to Italy several times a Year - I had actually cancelled a holiday we had booked for The End of March ," Head of the institutions, Yvonne Smith Said .

"So, with a special interest and see the images from the ICU, it was quite sobering, and you knew That you go, prepare yourself for something like this. "

Yvonne Smith Said That some employees struggled with the government to advise how it has changed through the pandemic

Yvonne , from Kent, looks after-clinical roles within The Hospital - safety -, cleaning -, carrier -, patient transportation and Laundry-all workers fall under your area of responsibility.

"It was extremely difficult, because it is so new and you don't know what to expect. It was a challenge, the management of all groups of employees That I look after in terms of you safe at work, But what you feel confident in The Job roles They had. "

Battle plans were. created in the case, Northwick Park experienced a similar rush to The One in Northern Italy

A pod outside of the clinic and all patients symptoms of coronavirus studied to show it had been. A specialist of infectious diseases would not a complete PSA and come to test you.

John Ross was on the shift when The First Covid-19 patient presented at the Northwick Park employees began training in February, weeks before the coronavirus swept over London

Within The Hospital , exercises and preparations rigorous were the same. Had to some day-to-day tasks to be scaled back.

"We mapped out-patients as a live-scenario and how we must adapt," A& E nurse Advisor John Ross Said . "Then we have trained and trained and trained for a good 10 or 12 Days . So all we had to change because of risk to come up with Covid. "

John, from Inverness, Said That The First precautionary measures against The Virus were aimed at the identification of those patients who travelled from China, Iran or Italy.

"it was For us changes every day. What part of The World They were and how much risk you had on. I think it was Italy, as we really had to focus and be even more prepared - we keep a say in our training That it is likely to happen, But let us Be Prepared . "

Northwick Park hospital is situated on The Border of North-west London district of Harrow and Brent,

John knew That , if a Corona-Virus-shaft was determined for the capital, the districts, served by the Northwick Park Harrow , Brent and Ealing - would be likely to hit hard.

"We have seen, what is remembered happened in Italy," John. "We know it's a very dense population Here , we know the demographic development, we know That many of our patients have cardiac and respiratory problems - a lot of diabetes, so it was Always on the back of our mind.

"you hope That it will not happen, But you have to Be Prepared . "

All of your intense training was about are put to The Test .

'It Hit Us like a ton of bricks'

On 3. March , "wash your hands", was the mantra, Said at the Downing Street briefing - although the Prime Minister , Boris Johnson , he had continued to shake people's hands. It was on This Day , the government published a detailed coronavirus action plan.

Ten kilometers from Downing Street, a patient showed up in the Northwick Park , just returned to London from Iran.

"We knew That Covid come," Said Dr. Rachel Tennent, specializing in respiratory medicine. "It was in The News since January and we prepared us in February.

"Then it Hit Us like a ton of bricks. It is the epicenter of the outbreak in the UK Hit Us hard and Fast . "

Dr. Rachel Tennant was part of the team of experts, the shielded of patients returning from China, Italy and Iran

In addition, two patients who tested positive for coronavirus, The Hospital triggered a series of rapid changes.

surgeons were obliged to give up space, so That the patient can be evaluated and sure the A& E Department was divided.

"I remember meeting Here on Sunday, 8. To keep March - how we Staff and patients safe?" Rachel Said . "We have chosen different paths, and the negative to one area of The Department and people with respiratory problems, which may have a positive effect on The Other .

"We have to move had to be made to a lot of municipalities and employees-Around - the things That normally take six months to a Year happened in a week. "

Advisor to Tariq Husain Said , nearly 70 patients were in the ICU, at The Peak of The Crisis

The Number of severely ill patients on admission to Northwick Park was on the increase and, within a few days, Staff found That dealing with a crisis.

"We had Said , an exponential increase," Rachel. "On Monday, May 9. In March , we opened our respiratory system assessment of the area municipalities and within Two Days , the municipalities were full.

"was Then opened on The Third day, in a different municipality, And Then we started cohorting patients with respiratory problems in side rooms. At The End of the second week we were up to a full congregation-And Then a full. "

Medical Staff have been implemented over The Hospital , to help deal with coronavirus

Coronavirus was declared a global epidemic by The World health organization on 11. March .

The Virus has now spread over London, and Public Health were doubled proposed in England modelling the cases in the capital in Five Days .

At Northwick Park , They were to see The Number of cases is doubling every Two Days .

"He rose to a very, very rapid rate," Rachel adds, added That the new Council of China was That early intubation of the patient was The Way in the future.

risks any intubation as the method projects The Virus in the air, further exposing employees.

Tariq Husain has been. with The Task of getting a senior role in the management of The Crisis

this time, 44-Year -old adviser Tariq Hussain had a difficult conversation with His Family , after he was asked to play a leading role in the Northwick Park Critical Care in response to Covid-19

"It was not an easy decision. To sacrifice you at The End of a lot of things," Tariq Said , although he knew That he had to do The Role was The Right thing to do.

the seriousness of The Situation was by this time clear, with confirmed infections in Harrow , Brent and nearby Ealing jump from five to 112 in a week.

"We saw all kinds of patients - patients admitted to ICU were relatively fit and well, with a couple of diabetes, high blood pressure cases, But otherwise quite well," Tariq Said .

"But certainly not Only for older people; we had people in their 20s, 30s and upward from there.

"There are relatively few Caucasians and a high proportion of Asian patients, the group of people Here in the area. were

brent, coronavirus lockdown measures, coronavirus pandemic, long reads, nhs, ealing, harrow

Source of news: bbc.com