Our last look at Houston's United Memorial Medical Center COVID-19 unit
HOUSTON - At Houston’s United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC), they continue to see more COVID-19 patients.
“Our number of admissions continues to increase every day,” said UMMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon. “Just like other hospitals, there is a wait time. It’s a wait time that may vary between 10-20 minutes and several hours.”
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Dr. Varon estimates UMMC to be about 95 percent full as of Thursday evening.
“This is like playing musical chairs,” said Dr. Varon. “You have to push the people that are less sick to special rooms, the people that are more sick to others rooms. You never know what you’re going to get through the ER.”
Since we recorded our story inside UMMC’s COVID-19 unit last week, many things have since changed. ICU nurse Tannah Ingraham, had been hospitalized at the time with the Coronavirus. However, now she is home and feeling much better.
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“This virus doesn’t care what gender you are,” said Ingraham. “It doesn’t care what color you are. What nationality. It doesn’t matter.”
Ingraham is the only full-time UMMC worker to get sick with COVID-19 so far.
“It was horrible,” said Ingraham. “Even the emotional stress, it was ridiculous.”
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UMMC is becoming nationally known for its success in treating Coronavirus patients. Many recovered patients receive certificates when they leave the hospital. According to Dr. Varon, he estimates roughly 95 percent of their patients recover.
“[We’re all] a team,” said Dr. Varon. “We get them to pull through. That’s the best feeling in the world. That’s the stuff that makes me happy.”