STONY BROOK, NY — Dr. Tazeen Beg, an anesthesiologist at Stony Brook University, is one of many health care workers who had to adapt to a new brand of work when she became a "front-liner" at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Beg traditionally coordinates anesthesia in a variety of settings, such as endoscopy, electrophysiology and interventional radiology units, where she cares for children and adults.
At the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in late-March, Beg volunteered to work with an airway team responsible for intubating patients critically ill with the coronavirus. Beg said she worked 12-hour shifts seven days in a row. While the daytime airway team was disbanded a couple of weeks ago as new positive coronavirus cases have dwindled across Long Island, Beg says the outbreak was scary.
"It's been very exhausting, both mentally and physically," Beg told Patch. "Sleepless hours at night. There was a fear of the unknown, because there's no standard [coronavirus] treatment yet. There's no vaccine yet."
Hospital staff had been taking care of coronavirus patients through April, Beg said. When it came time to intubate a patient, he or she would be put to sleep and a breathing tube would be inserted. The ventilator would breathe for the patients, and pain medication would be administered so those intubated would remain comfortable while asleep, Beg said.
When taking care of a patient having trouble breathing and experiencing shortness of breath, Beg said the airway team approached the process holistically.
"It was very sad when you would walk into the rooms, because the patients find themselves to be very lonely," Beg said. "There's no family there ... It's a very scary situation. It's also all over the news; people have been hearing of people dying on the ventilators. When they arrive and you tell them, 'You'll be going on the ventilator,' they are, of course, scared. They'll ask me sometimes, 'Will I wake up?' 'Am I going to die?' Things like that. You can see the fear in their eyes."
Once a patient is told they'll be going on a ventilator, they reach out to their loved ones over the phone.
"We let them talk, because we're there to take care of them," Beg said. "To be supportive. Especially if it helps ease their fears. We sometimes hold their hands."
Doctors have their names written on their hoods or other personal protective equipment, Beg said. Health care workers would then talk with patients and hold their hands.
Physicians and anesthesiologists were able to transition to caring for coronavirus patients, as they've prepared for managing disasters, Beg said. Some patients would suddenly collapse and require chest compression, she said. Unlike the controlled environment in which elective operations are done, time is of the essence, Beg said.
"Our management strategies change very quickly either to save a life or help them recover faster," she said. "Quick thinking, quick decision-making and adaptability. These are our fortes."
Conditions have since improved, Beg said. Instead of intubating patients, more are being taken off ventilators and discharged.
"The patients are recovering every day," Beg said. "The skills, dedication and teamwork we had at Stony Brook Medicine is commendable. Everyone worked really hard during those days, and they're still working hard. They're still doing what they do best: keeping our patients safe."
Throughout the pandemic, staff would be deployed to different areas of the hospital. They're now getting back to their familiar areas. While there's a sense of relief, Beg said, health care workers aren't letting their guards down.
"We hope we don't get a second peak or surge. We still have to be cautious about it."
Through caring for coronavirus patients, Beg said she was worried about bringing the infection home to her family. At home, she would self-quarantine.
"You don't know if you'll get an infection today or tomorrow," she said. "Especially, the ease with which this infection can transfer is very dangerous. It's important to protect yourself, your family, your patients and co-workers."
Beg said she hopes the hardships faced during the outbreak will lead to improvements on a global scale. She's glad to be working at an academic center that features many researchers and scholars who are working on projects and studies focusing on the treatment and prevention of infection from the coronavirus, she said. She has faith that better conditions will prevail throughout the world based on the support and kindness she and other medical workers received from nearby communities and their families.
"It's bringing out a lot of good in the people," she said. "Everybody is kind of helping out in whatever little way they can. We are also looking at things that were wrong with the world, and now it's going to get better. Especially the relationships between people. The things that you normally don't think about. I'm definitely hopeful. It's very encouraging. It's definitely a sign it will be a catalyst for a better world. I'm looking forward to a COVID-negative world."
She urged people to remember that the pandemic has brought on unprecedented times that have been challenging and overwhelming.
"We are not invincible. All health care workers, my colleagues. Some of them have given up their lives to this pandemic. Continue to do the right things: stay safe, wash your hands, keep a safe distance, wear a mask. For my colleagues in health care, I'd like to advise them not to forget to take care of themselves, also. And for the community: stay safe, and take care."
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