BEAUMONT, Texas — There are still lots of questions surrounding the coronavirus, and that's the scariest part for so many people. That includes healthcare workers.
Even with the uncertainty, recoveries have been bringing some much needed joy.
Nurse Karie Singleton says it makes all the difference.
"Never did I think we would be experiencing this," Singleton said.
She's been a nurse for about 10 years, and for the past two, she's been the infection preventionist for CHRISTUS Southeast Texas.
"Simplistically, I make sure that any of the infections that come into our hospital are not shared with others," Singleton said.
There's now doubt, she's on the front lines of a battle no one expected would sweep the nation.
When it first hit, the unknown was the scariest part for lots of us.
"It was daunting. It was something new, every day we learned something about it that could change the projection of what we planned to do," Singleton said.
They've learned more about the virus since then, but the uncertainty is still there.
"Every day you come to work and you hope that the patient is getting extubated, or the patient's labs are improving, their temperatures are resolving, and sometimes it's a slow process," Singleton said.
As Karie and other healthcare workers at CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth gather to celebrate a COVID-19 patient being discharged from the hospital, they feel a sense of encouragement.
"When I hear that we get to announce a code home, it means joy, it's health that the patients are able to go home, it means that the excellence that we provide here has really excelled," Singleton said. "The ability to send a patient home healthy, out the door, knowing that you've been able to contribute to that, is just amazing."
She mentioned the outpouring of support from the community, whether it's PPE donations, food, or just thank-yous, doesn't go unappreciated.