'Stay home, please': COVID-19 ICU nurse nervous about hospitalization surge in Oregon - KGW.com

PORTLAND, Oregon — The number of people in Oregon hospitals with the coronavirus is going up. Oregon Health Authority (OHA) data shows a sharp rise in hospitalizations since the end of October and more patients winding up in the ICU.

KGW spoke with a nurse at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital (OHSU) who's caring for the sickest COVID-19 patients.

“The sheer volume of cases we're seeing is something that we're all getting nervous about,” said COVID-19 ICU nurse Erin Boni.

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"I’s really hard," Boni said.

Boni worries that if Oregon continues on the same troubling trend with our surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, it could affect the entire health care system.

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“I know it's hard, we're all so tired," Boni said

Boni shared worries health care workers have about getting sick, explaining how at times they get so tired after long shifts or so busy with emergency patients they slip up when taking their personal protective equipment off.