This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/nyregion/coronavirus-orthodox-jewish-nurse.html
The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| How a Nurse Who Gives Last Rites Spends His Sundays | How a Nurse Who Gives Last Rites Spends His Sundays |
| (2 days later) | |
| “No one is meant to see so much death that quickly,” said Yaakov Shereshevsky, an I.C.U. nurse at N.Y.U. Langone Health, where the coronavirus outbreak has taken a heavy toll. For a while, he said, eight floors — 34 beds on each floor — were devoted to Covid-19 patients, and they were at capacity. “At one point, we had 20- and 30-year-olds dying,” he said. “It was a horrible, brutal, helpless feeling. It felt like there was no light. Now it’s getting better.” | “No one is meant to see so much death that quickly,” said Yaakov Shereshevsky, an I.C.U. nurse at N.Y.U. Langone Health, where the coronavirus outbreak has taken a heavy toll. For a while, he said, eight floors — 34 beds on each floor — were devoted to Covid-19 patients, and they were at capacity. “At one point, we had 20- and 30-year-olds dying,” he said. “It was a horrible, brutal, helpless feeling. It felt like there was no light. Now it’s getting better.” |
| Mr. Shereshevsky, 34, who is an Orthodox Jew, has also started to give last rites to Jewish patients, since rabbis are not allowed in hospital rooms. He lives in Georgetown, Brooklyn, with his wife Leah, 33, an occupational therapist, and their four children; Elisheva, 9, Rivka, 7, Esther, 4, and Yitzi, 3. In his spare time he volunteers as an E.M.S. and E.M.T. worker. | Mr. Shereshevsky, 34, who is an Orthodox Jew, has also started to give last rites to Jewish patients, since rabbis are not allowed in hospital rooms. He lives in Georgetown, Brooklyn, with his wife Leah, 33, an occupational therapist, and their four children; Elisheva, 9, Rivka, 7, Esther, 4, and Yitzi, 3. In his spare time he volunteers as an E.M.S. and E.M.T. worker. |
| UP AND OUT My alarm is set for 6 a.m., but I wake up a few moments before, which is great because I don’t wake my wife. I get dressed and go downstairs to pray for 15 minutes. As an Orthodox Jew, I pray three times day. I gather my bag with medical items and laptop, and I’m out the door. | UP AND OUT My alarm is set for 6 a.m., but I wake up a few moments before, which is great because I don’t wake my wife. I get dressed and go downstairs to pray for 15 minutes. As an Orthodox Jew, I pray three times day. I gather my bag with medical items and laptop, and I’m out the door. |
| THE PREP I drive to work. I stop at Bagel Boss, and get an everything bagel with cream cheese or egg and cheese, and a French vanilla coffee. Then I drive to the hospital. Their parking lots have been free to staffers because they want us to be safe and not take public transportation. I’m there an hour early. I sit down in the break room to do some work. I’m studying to be a nurse practitioner. I go to the assignment board. I take my temperature to make sure I don’t have a fever. If you do, you can’t work. For the next 13 hours I will wash my hands and change gloves about 50 to 60 times. | THE PREP I drive to work. I stop at Bagel Boss, and get an everything bagel with cream cheese or egg and cheese, and a French vanilla coffee. Then I drive to the hospital. Their parking lots have been free to staffers because they want us to be safe and not take public transportation. I’m there an hour early. I sit down in the break room to do some work. I’m studying to be a nurse practitioner. I go to the assignment board. I take my temperature to make sure I don’t have a fever. If you do, you can’t work. For the next 13 hours I will wash my hands and change gloves about 50 to 60 times. |
| THE PATIENTS I get reports on how my patients are doing. These days I have three; normal is one or two. I assess each patient — check their many tubes and IV and ventilator, take their pulse, check their breathing. I talk to them to let them know what I’m doing whether they’re conscious or not. Most are sedated. | THE PATIENTS I get reports on how my patients are doing. These days I have three; normal is one or two. I assess each patient — check their many tubes and IV and ventilator, take their pulse, check their breathing. I talk to them to let them know what I’m doing whether they’re conscious or not. Most are sedated. |
| THE MEDS At 8:30 reports are given. I spend the next hour getting everyone’s medication together. Usually the patient’s doors are open, but because of the virus they’ve remained closed. That’s been eerie. We don’t hear them talking to us, there’s no family because they’re not allowed to be here. At 9:30 doctors check-in. They stop at each room and the team talks about the patient’s plan for the day. | THE MEDS At 8:30 reports are given. I spend the next hour getting everyone’s medication together. Usually the patient’s doors are open, but because of the virus they’ve remained closed. That’s been eerie. We don’t hear them talking to us, there’s no family because they’re not allowed to be here. At 9:30 doctors check-in. They stop at each room and the team talks about the patient’s plan for the day. |
| AWKWARD ALIENS At 10 I administer the first round of meds. The constant changing of the PPE outfit is exhausting. It’s hot and sweaty. The gown is plastic so the body can’t breathe. The mask and face shield prevent air from going anywhere. I started wearing lenses because my glasses fogged up so quickly. The mask really hurts because it has to be tight and the lines don’t disappear from your face until four or five hours later. I feel bad for the patients because we must look like aliens. | AWKWARD ALIENS At 10 I administer the first round of meds. The constant changing of the PPE outfit is exhausting. It’s hot and sweaty. The gown is plastic so the body can’t breathe. The mask and face shield prevent air from going anywhere. I started wearing lenses because my glasses fogged up so quickly. The mask really hurts because it has to be tight and the lines don’t disappear from your face until four or five hours later. I feel bad for the patients because we must look like aliens. |
| TEAMWORK AND TEETH From 12:30 to 2 the proning teams come to flip patients from being on their backs to their stomachs so they can breathe better and avoid skin deterioration. This takes 30 minutes per patient. Part of the team involved is an anesthesiologist and respiratory therapist. We also brush their teeth routinely to remove bacteria. | TEAMWORK AND TEETH From 12:30 to 2 the proning teams come to flip patients from being on their backs to their stomachs so they can breathe better and avoid skin deterioration. This takes 30 minutes per patient. Part of the team involved is an anesthesiologist and respiratory therapist. We also brush their teeth routinely to remove bacteria. |
| ‘THIS IS CRAZY’ A second assessment happens before lunch, which I take from 3:30 to 4:30. My wife packs me a salad and yogurt, or a peanut-butter sandwich. Every day she writes me a note, “I love you, be safe.” That gives me a moment to smile. My body is starving for air. If the weather is nice, I’ll eat in N.Y.U.’s outdoor court. If not, I’ll go to the break room, get a second cup of coffee, eat my lunch, and talk to other nurses. We all say, “This is crazy” for 30 minutes. | ‘THIS IS CRAZY’ A second assessment happens before lunch, which I take from 3:30 to 4:30. My wife packs me a salad and yogurt, or a peanut-butter sandwich. Every day she writes me a note, “I love you, be safe.” That gives me a moment to smile. My body is starving for air. If the weather is nice, I’ll eat in N.Y.U.’s outdoor court. If not, I’ll go to the break room, get a second cup of coffee, eat my lunch, and talk to other nurses. We all say, “This is crazy” for 30 minutes. |
| PRAYERS Because rabbis can’t go into the patients’ rooms, the only people able to give last rites is us. I’m not trained to do this for the Jewish community, but for the past five or six weeks, I’ve been saying the Viduy in Hebrew, then in English. It’s the realization and acceptance that the end is here; it is time to say goodbye and ask forgiveness from our creator. They have family who need to know this is done, and the patients can’t say it for themselves. I’m not an emotional person, but it’s a rough thing to get through. It hurts. If their death is imminent, I wait with them. Then I pull it together in the elevator and return to my patients. | PRAYERS Because rabbis can’t go into the patients’ rooms, the only people able to give last rites is us. I’m not trained to do this for the Jewish community, but for the past five or six weeks, I’ve been saying the Viduy in Hebrew, then in English. It’s the realization and acceptance that the end is here; it is time to say goodbye and ask forgiveness from our creator. They have family who need to know this is done, and the patients can’t say it for themselves. I’m not an emotional person, but it’s a rough thing to get through. It hurts. If their death is imminent, I wait with them. Then I pull it together in the elevator and return to my patients. |
| FINAL PUSH From 6:30 to 7:30 I check everyone and brush their teeth again. Then I prepare all of the medication they will need for the night shift. From 7:30 to 8, I race to finish documenting everything that happened during my shift. | FINAL PUSH From 6:30 to 7:30 I check everyone and brush their teeth again. Then I prepare all of the medication they will need for the night shift. From 7:30 to 8, I race to finish documenting everything that happened during my shift. |
| Updated June 30, 2020 | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| RETRO ROCK THERAPY I’m in the car by 9:15. I call my wife to tell her I’m OK. We talk as I drive home. She tells me who made trouble, who went to bed on time and what everyone ate for dinner. Then I listen to classic rock — Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel, and try not to think about the day. | RETRO ROCK THERAPY I’m in the car by 9:15. I call my wife to tell her I’m OK. We talk as I drive home. She tells me who made trouble, who went to bed on time and what everyone ate for dinner. Then I listen to classic rock — Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel, and try not to think about the day. |
| HOME I get home at 10:15. There’s a laundry bag at the front door. I undress. Spray my watch and shoes with Clorox, walk upstairs, go into the shower and I scrape off the Covid. We sit at the kitchen table and talk about our day — I finally let mine out, and she listens. She’s sympathetic and validating. I usually eat healthy but during this time I’ve been turning to comfort food. Sometimes I work three or four days in a row, so I will not have seen the children, which feels terrible. At night they leave out their drawings on the dining room table for me to see. | HOME I get home at 10:15. There’s a laundry bag at the front door. I undress. Spray my watch and shoes with Clorox, walk upstairs, go into the shower and I scrape off the Covid. We sit at the kitchen table and talk about our day — I finally let mine out, and she listens. She’s sympathetic and validating. I usually eat healthy but during this time I’ve been turning to comfort food. Sometimes I work three or four days in a row, so I will not have seen the children, which feels terrible. At night they leave out their drawings on the dining room table for me to see. |
| COMFORTS At 11 we get into bed and watch our guilty pleasure, “Friends.” It’s bottom-of-the-totem-pole humor, but I love that I don’t have to think. We hold hands and laugh. By 11:30 we turn the lights out. Sometimes I fall asleep quickly; sometimes it’s hard because I can’t get the day’s images to stop. Once you’ve seen something, you can’t unsee it. | COMFORTS At 11 we get into bed and watch our guilty pleasure, “Friends.” It’s bottom-of-the-totem-pole humor, but I love that I don’t have to think. We hold hands and laugh. By 11:30 we turn the lights out. Sometimes I fall asleep quickly; sometimes it’s hard because I can’t get the day’s images to stop. Once you’ve seen something, you can’t unsee it. |