North Memorial Health Sees More ICU Hospitalizations As COVID-19 Cases Rise

The number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise across the country and right here in the metro. Health experts say the highly contagious delta variant is the cause of most new infections.

On Monday, The Minnesota Department of Health released its latest virus numbers showing 632 more cases and six new deaths. “Most of the people are not vaccinated coming in,” said Mary Turner, President of the Minnesota Nurses Association.

Turner is a nurse at North Memorial Health and works on the ICU COVID-19 floor. “Over the last couple of weeks that I worked, the number of COVID cases has at least doubled,” she said.

The number of ICU COVID-19 patients has increased at North Memorial Health as COVID-19 cases rise.

The health expert says patients who come into the hospital with the delta variant tend to be in bad shape.

“I wouldn’t wish this delta virus on my worst enemy. It’s serious. They’re coming in very sick,” explained Turner.

The increase in COVID-19 cases is taking a toll on nurses who have been caring for COVID patients for over a year.

“It doesn’t surprise me when I have nurses telling me, ‘Hey, I got another job,’ or ‘I’m going to be moving on to this department,’ or some of the senior nurses are saying, “I can’t do this anymore,” said Turner.

Meanwhile, the ICU nurse is encouraging everyone who can get vaccinated to do so.

“Even if you do get COVID, like a breakthrough COVID or whatever, it’s like getting the flu, you’re not going to end up intubated, on your stomach in my ICU,” Turner said.

Mary Turner, president of Minnesota Nurses Assoc.

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