Queens hospital is ground zero for nation’s coronavirus crisis
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Patients wear personal protective equipment while maintaining social distancing as they wait in line for a COVID-19 test at Elmhurst Hospital Center. AP Photo/John Minchillo
By David Brand
Thirteen people died at Elmhurst Hospital during a 24-hour period Tuesday and Wednesday, as the medical center — a safety net for many low-income Queens residents without health insurance — has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States.
City officials announced the death toll Wednesday, a day after Queens Patch first reported on the overwhelming surge of patients in desperate need of treatment for COVID-19 symptoms at the city hospital. The hospital was at 125 percent capacity Tuesday, and the city has directed dozens of healthcare workers and new ventilators to Elmhurst.
Dr. Mitchell Katz, head of the Health and Hospitals Corporation, which operates Elmhurst Hospital, said Wednesday that 28 patients were being transferred from Elmhurst to Coney Island Hospital, which has had fewer cases of COVID-19.
“This is a very difficult disease despite providing the very best of care, those people who are elderly and to have comorbid conditions especially are very much hurt by this illness,” Katz said at a press briefing Wednesday.
The outbreak has exploded in Queens over the past week, with the borough accounting for more cases than anywhere else in New York City, or the country.
“You would see if you walked into Elmhurst, you would see a lot of heroic doctors and nurses who were working very long hours under challenging conditions,” Katz said. “They are unfortunately seeing some of their patients die, which is always extremely difficult for doctors and nurses.”
The city opened a testing tent outside the hospital on March 19, the Eagle reported. At the time, there were fewer than 1,000 cases in the borough. As of 6 p.m on March 25, there were 6,420 confirmed Queens cases.
“I don’t have enough words to express what I am feeling or what I’m going through. But this isn't about me,” said one emergency room nurse on Facebook Wednesday. “Elmhurst is the epicenter of COVID-19 not only in New York but in America.”
“We are struggling, we are so limited with supplies. Sweating, not eating for hours, running for oxygen and running to start CPR at any given moment,” she added “The system is failing us. We need you to step up and do your part.”
Hundreds of people have lined up outside the hospital each day this week to undergo testing for the illness.
“If we’re going to curb this epidemic, we need fast and expansive testing for those most at risk for serious illness,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement. “Now we can get more New Yorkers the care they need at the right time—helping save lives, one test at a time.”
Additional reporting by Rachel Vick.
