ER staff urging patients to come to ER only for 'severe medical emergencies'

LAKE MARY, Fla. - Emergency room doctors say unless you are having a severe medical emergency like a heart attack, stroke, or can’t breathe due to COVID-19 to go to an urgent care facility instead of an ER. 

The overflow of COVID-19 patients in Brevard County hospitals is putting a strain on the emergency room staff trying to treat even non-COVID patients. 

"We’ve got delays getting to crash sites with paramedics to render aid for people who have been in a serious automotive accident," says Don Walker of Brevard County Emergency Services. 

Walker adds that those ambulances are stuck at hospitals waiting to drop off patients or are needing to divert to other hospitals farther away in order to get care. 

"You can see the ripple cascading effect of what the surge in the pandemic can cause," says Walker. 

In Brevard County, the hospital systems are at capacity with hospital staff forced to transform extra space into negative pressure rooms and set up tents to handle to overflow of patients. 

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"We don’t need you showing up in the emergency room unless you’ve had a chance to check it," said Walker. 

In Volusia County, Halifax Health is calling for the same by asking patients to contact their primary doctor or go to an urgent care facility first. 

"Please look at what symptoms you are having," said Lindsey Martin, the Director of Nursing of Emergency Trauma Services for Halifax Health. "If you were having heart attack symptoms, stroke symptoms, feeling like you have COVID-19 and you can’t breathe, come to the ER. It is safe for you to come here."

The hospital network says their emergency room volumes have been very high. 

"I am begging everybody to please wash your hands, please wear a mask, and please get vaccinated," Martin adds. 

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