Chicago nurses share their stories caring for COVID-19 patients
Health care workers reflect on the pandemic during Nurses Week.
Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
While Chris Swiesz previously only trekked into New York City for baseball games or Broadway shows, he now joins Manhattan’s nurses combating the novel coronavirus on the front lines.
Swiesz, 45, is an Adirondack resident and nurse from the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh near the Canadian border. Since mid-April, he has been working in the emergency room at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Inwood, Manhattan.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
Upstate New York nurse, Chris Swiesz, has joined the frontlines at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Manhattan fighting against coronavirus. (Courtesy Chris Swiesz, Facebook)
“I asked my bosses at Chaplain if I can come down to the city to help out. I’m glad to be here,” Swiescz told The New York Post. “The city was a huge hotspot.”
Swiesz said the Manhattan hospital’s staff became depleted as nurses fell ill and took 14-day quarantines.
Swiesz began at Chaplain in 2001, with 18 years of experience now as an ER nurse. By joining Presbyterian, Swiesz said he is stepping out of his comfort zone, referencing the infamous saying, “If you make it here, you can make it anywhere.”
CALIFORNIA NURSE TREATING 'CODE BLUE' CORONAVIRUS PATIENT DIES AFTER LACK OF PROPER PPE: REPORT
Swiesz said the coronavirus is still in the community, with patients admitted with breathing issues and low oxygen levels. While Swiesz continues to fight the virus alongside health care workers in Manhattan, he told The Post the Presbyterian community has embraced him with open arms.
Stay up-to-date on the biggest health and wellness news with our weekly recap.