COVID-19:
GEORGE’S STORY
The 89-bed unit was designed to care for
COVID-19 patients who require oxygen support,
care and monitoring. It is located on hospital
grounds and connected by a tunnel to the
South Tower.
The interior of the PRU reflects similarities to a
hospital inpatient unit. Each patient bay provides
privacy walls, a nurse call bell feature, oxygen
flow through the head walls, and a custom-made
hospital bed with elevating head and foot, side
rails and IPAC-approved mattress. Three nursing
communication stations were built in centralized
locations for patient monitoring and care. Digital
and virtual care tools can be utilized to support
physician-to-physician communication, ease of
patient documentation, and to ensure that patients
can stay connected to their loved ones.
The model of care consists of a highly skilled
multidisciplinary team including Community Family
physicians, nurses, personal support workers, and
a comprehensive allied health team of pharmacists,
pharmacy technicians, physiotherapists, and social
workers.
When George Stroe first visited
the Emergency Department
at Joseph Brant Hospital in
late March, he had no idea
the journey he was about
to embark on. George had
been experiencing symptoms
consistent with COVID-19,
including a fever, worsening cough and difficulty breathing.
Following the proper protocols, he was isolated, tested and
admitted to the hospital for further care.
Within the first day, his condition worsened to the point
where he required admission to the Intensive Care Unit
(ICU), and the following day had a breathing tube inserted
and was placed on a ventilator.
“The reality is that I deteriorated very fast, in a matter of
hours,” he said. “I would have died for sure if I wasn’t at
the hospital with doctors around me who did everything
they could to save me.” When he woke up, he was unsure
of where he was. George remembered his birthday and
that he was admitted in March, but he “had no idea was it
April, was it May, was it June?”
George, who was the first COVID-19 positive patient
admitted to the hospital, the first to be admitted to the
ICU, the first to be placed on a ventilator, was the first to
be discharged from the ICU to an inpatient unit. Just over
a week later, George was discharged from the hospital
and still has no memory of his time in the ICU. He has high
praise for the staff at JBH. “Everyone took very good care
of me,” he said.
After spending a month in the hospital, George is
relearning how to do certain things. While he can do
most things unaided, he is relearning to write and to type.
“When I looked at my signature on my discharge papers I
noticed how poor my handwriting looked,” said George.
“But first and foremost, I’m happy to be alive. It’s a hell of
a disease and I’m forever grateful.”
Some of the staff who are supporting the
Pandemic Response Team.
Annual Report 2019–2020 9