Watch: Inside the COVID-19 ICU of a UAE hospital

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Dubai: Nowadays, people may generally think patients who end up in a hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) are on the brink of death because of coronavirus (COVID-19).

But it was not the case when the Gulf News team went inside the ICU of Al Zahra Hospital (AZH) in Sharjah on Wednesday. We were greeted by a smiling patient who was previously sedated and intubated for 20 days, and a courageous and energetic doctor who meticulously explained how patients have recovered and are recovering from the dreaded disease.

We were also welcomed by a team of specially trained healthcare professionals, who did not only rely on their sophisticated monitoring equipment, but also drew strength from each other and their intrinsic values for patient care.

There were eight patients in the ICU, mostly male of different age groups, all intubated with ventilator in their throats to help air move in and out of their lungs, except for Wilfredo, 46, whose tube was removed a couple of days ago.

Sharing his personal experience, Wilfredo, a Filipino expat, said being on a ventilator was not like what he read or heard it was.

“I thought I was on ventilator for only one day,” he said. “After I opened my eyes, my doctor asked me how I was and to my surprise I learnt I was asleep for 20 days,” he said with glee.

Wilfredo first exhibited symptoms on March 27 and after two days he was admitted to the hospital. His fever was high and his coughing got severe. He even struggled taking a few steps going to the bathroom because of lack of oxygen and difficulty in breathing.

He was admitted to the ICU, sedated and intubated to reduce stress and oxygen consumption as well as improve his breathing with mechanical ventilation. Wilfredo was aware he was fighting for his life, but he said he was also confident he would win the fight.

“I prayed hard to God and placed my trust in the medical team. Now, I’m getting better everyday and could only remember those weeks on ventilator like it was yesterday,” he added.

Wilfredo will soon be placed in a step-down unit or a regular ward where he will still be closely monitored and tested if already negative for coronavirus before being discharged and sent home.

It was his immune system and the collective effort of medical frontliners that made him win the battle, he added.

Hardworking and courageous force

In the combat against COVID-19, the main protagonists would be the medical frontliners who take the virus by the horns day in and day out.

But the general mood in the ICU was not of chaos and fear. Two staff, dressed in PPE (personal protective equipment) were stationed at the reception while nurses in full PPE were doing the rounds and checking medical charts.

Dr Hazem Daaji, consultant anaesthesiologist and chief medical officer, was also present to check on the patients.

“The medical staff at AZH, like all medical workers in the world, are hailed as heroes but they are also humans – they also live in fear,” Dr Daaji said.

“When we had our first COVID patient back in end-February, we also panicked. Theoretically, we were prepared – we got proper advice from the health authorities –but after Patient 1 arrived, we also panicked. We did not have prior experience to treat a COVID patient,” Dr Daaji said.

“Then more patients arrived. They have been tested positive showing different kinds of symptoms from zero to critical,” he said, adding that tThe medical staff worked longer hours.

At the onset of the pandemic, Dr Daaji said he saw nurses crying at the end of their work shift. “They were afraid they would bring the virus back home. Some doctors even chose to stay at home,” he said.

“As a team leader, I had to keep our morale high. I came to work every day and showed our staff we had to take care of all patients. Theere was no other way – we are medical staff who went to school to help people and now we are putting ourselves at risk but we have a duty,” he added.

Dr Daaji said, at the moment, they have 80 patients, including eight in the ICU. But many have already recovered, including Patient 1, who initially became critical and was placed in the ICU. The patient recovered after two weeks and is now back with his family.

“COVID is a flu virus and not a death sentence. More people die everyday because of other health issues. The only problem with coronavirus is that within a short period of time, a lot of peole have been infected and hospitals are overloaded,” Dr Daaji said.

“In my opinion, in two or three months we will survive this pandemic and we will go on with our lives. Once this is over, I will throw a big party for all the staff to appreciate their patience and hard work,” he concluded.

How nursing staff handle patients

Shazia Amin, chief nursing officer and her team of nurses at the hospital feel they are not just tending to COVID-19 patients, providing the best medical care – they are serving the community at large.

“We feel honoured being of service to the community in this exceptionally difficult time,” she said

“It is a challenging time for health care professionals as we have no time to think about ourselves. Safety is our goal and we are leaving no stone unturned.”

Amin said she and her team are well-acquainted with disaster and emergency management.

She said her team’s expertise includes disaster preparedness and response, resiliency after a disaster, disaster epidemiology and other areas.

“Nurses play a very important role. We are not there just to treat them – but also talk to them and comfort them about the situation. As nurses, we are able to see what is working, as well as things that can be done differently to provide more effective and efficient care, and offer suggestions for improvement.”

Ask sister Bharati Venkat and sister Lincy Sebastian how they are coping with such a crisis in hand – they are as nonchalant about it as it can get.

“It was hard initially coping with the situation. There were so many questions unanswered. But the awareness about the virus is higher and it helps us deal with the situation far better. Thanks to the efforts of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), we are combating COVID-19 in a big way.”

Take caution, avoid risk

COVID-19 is not a death sentence as Father Styphen Lewis in the isolation ward said. But don’t ignore symptoms and don’t ignore personal care to avoid risk of contracting the infection.

Fr. Lewis, 46, assistant parish priest at St. Michael’s Church Sharjah, who tested positive for COVID-19 on April 20, cautioned people to take the virus seriously and do everything they can to follow safe practices in order to avoid contracting the infection. “It is not a virus to be fooled around with,” he said.

“There is no sure treatment and all medication is given based on the symptoms. There is also the risk of contracting the virus once again even after you come out of it. So build a good immunity and be responsible in taking care of yourself.”

Lewis had been suffering from fever, cough and diarrhea, five days prior to being admitted in the hospital. “I now feel okay except for some weakness. But hopefully I will go home soon.”

Lewis has previously dealt with malaria whilst he was staying in Africa. “If I had to compare the two – I would say there is so much fear attached with COVID-19. It is not an easy infection to deal with.”

Why journalists went inside a COVID ICU?

Yes, we are just doing our job. But beyond the numbers and statistics, we also had to report on how frontliners risk their lives to save others. We had to meet them in person and see how they go about doing their duties first-hand. We also had to listen and share the stories of hope and recovery of the patients.

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