For seven years, PA anesthetist Heather Repp has worked in operating rooms, inserting and removing breathing tubes, administering gas and treating blood pressure for both elective and emergency surgeries. But when the COVID-19 crisis struck Georgia, the nature of her work changed dramatically.

"There were a lot of extra hands because we weren't doing cases that would be elective, like an ACL. So they put a few of us young, healthy individuals and asked us if we wanted to be redeployed to COVID units," says Repp in a ten-minute video shared with 95.5 WSB. "I have been in a COVID ICU for the last few weeks. . . It's been very humbling, to say the least."  Watch video below >>>

In her new role, Repp and other physician assistants like her support ICU physicians and nurses as they treat critical COVID-19 cases. One procedure she handles constantly: intubation. “Once we put that breathing tube in, there is a high chance that they will not come off the ventilator.”

Repp explains that this is because the effects of COVID-19 lead to a condition known as ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome. “We try and call their family members on FaceTime before we put a breathing tube in, because we know it could potentially be the last time they talk to them. And that’s been really difficult.”

Intubation can help the patient’s lungs to relax, but as Repp explains, other problems may soon develop. “These patients typically go into organ failure, including kidney failure, they need to get on dialysis, they become fluid overloaded, their limbs start to swell from the drugs to keep their blood pressure up, they could easily lose extremities. . . it’s definitely not pretty when it gets to that point.”

To do her job, Repp must come face-to-face with COVID patients who are extremely ill—and extremely contagious. Inserting and removing a breathing tube generates aerosols, which may allow the virus to travel by air. The healthcare workers know that in doing this, “there is a chance that we could all catch the virus much more easily and get a high viral load.”

To protect themselves, staff wear tight-fitting masks, goggles, shields and other protective clothing. But although many of these protective supplies are meant to be disposable, supply shortages require workers to reuse them. “We are UV sterilizing them, but they look nasty after a few uses, and that is part of what is in the back of your mind when you go home to be with your family, is ‘Did I take everything on and off correctly? Did I wash my hands enough? Did I not touch my face?’”

Still, Repp and her fellow healthcare professionals go back into the fold each day to save as many lives as possible. What can we do to help? Repp keeps it simple. “Just be really aware and educate yourselves on what the facts are. . . before you try and go back into society. We ask that you don’t put yourself at risk and don’t put your family members at risk.” It’s about more than just personal protection, she adds. “It’s the diabetics, the hypertension, the elderly, they all need our support right now.”

Thanks to Heather Repp (@heathnwellness) for sharing her story with us via video.

Watch video below >>>