The internist Elisa Stein, doctor in the rescue center of the Vivantes Hospital in Berlin-Friedrichshain, reported on her everyday life in the emergency room at the rC3 hacker congress. The situation is currently coming to a head: “Many die, regardless of whether from, with or through Corona in pandemic times.” She therefore has no understanding for “lateral thinkers” and Covid – 19 – deniers who spend hours and days talking about the actual cause of death in social Exchange networks. Misinterpreted statistics and facts, which are often wrongly argued, determined the public discourse about the pandemic and its effects.

Many more or less well-founded Research results and opinions are currently being accepted and discussed uncritically, Stein complained. On the other hand, there is a certain degree of listening to experts. “You have to look critically at who says what, but without slipping into the corner of the conspiracy,” she argues against the oaths. Many now wrote with Sophie Scholl pathos on the flags to be government critics.

Shielded infection rescue center In the clinic, In which she works as an internist, the emergency room has been divided into three areas, according to the doctor. The “normal” sector is reserved for problems beyond Corona. The structurally isolated infection rescue point is completely shielded. Doctors and nurses are only allowed in there with full protection including glasses, gowns, visors and gloves. Then there is a stopover for newcomers with acute respiratory diseases and fever, which are not necessarily Corona. If someone is already infected, it is “a bit of a lottery game”.

The Berlin doctor Elisa Stein

(Image: CC by 4.0 rC3 media.ccc.de)

Pure suspected cases would not be packed in one room, the insider assured. But there are times when many patients are brought in by the fire brigade at the same time and queues form in front of the premises: “We then have to make an assessment: intensive, normal, straight home.” As soon as CT images are available, they are a good help even before the test results: Covid – 19 spread over both sides of the lungs, which looked like frosted glass. A bacterial inflammation, on the other hand, is concentrated compactly on one side.

Advance directives or health care proxy make sense Triage, that is, the decision as to who is to be ventilated mechanically in the case of scarce intensive care beds, staff and equipment, “is nothing new,” Stein clarified. Many factors played a role here, including ethical ones. For example, the question arises of how old a patient is, how many previous illnesses such as diabetes or cancer he has, whether he would like ventilation and whether it would probably be a temporary or permanent measure. A living will or power of attorney would do a lot.

It is now unusual in pandemic times for doctors to weigh up such considerations together with bosses, carers and Relatives under time pressure and many other sick people waiting would usually have to meet on the phone. To make matters worse, you “constantly need a wipe” and various gloves in order to be able to pick up the phone. The sound quality is poor through the loudspeaker. In general, it is the most frustrating thing about the Corona situation that “the time, the strength is lacking for more humanity and care”. and other diseases of the respiratory tract, one should not believe, according to the doctor. These are “mostly copied together” and do not represent reality. She is also astonished that young people in particular complained of chest pain weeks after an infection, then had to struggle with pulmonary embolism or were hardly able to do sports because of problems with breathing.

Side effects or long-term consequences unclear Vaccinations, even with the new RNA vaccines, did not affect human DNA, Stein emphasized. It contains a piece of ribonucleic acid from the virus in the form of a blueprint that is coded for an antigen. This template is replicated in the body and the immune system combats the particle. Symptoms such as tiredness, fever or muscle pain are not virus symptoms, but rather the own immune response. She does not know whether side effects or long-term consequences have to be expected later. These are also possible with natural medicines or energy drinks, for example. In the event that someone has already gone through Covid – 19 and developed antibodies, an additional vaccination is not harmful.

(sea)