PORTLAND, Ore. — With so many more people feeling the impact of the omicron variant, emergency room nurses and doctors around Oregon have a message: Avoid showing up to the ER to get tested.
While emergency departments are open 24/7 all year long to provide life-saving care, health care workers said they’re beginning to see an uptick in patients only coming in for a COVID-19 test, or with very mild symptoms. Unless patients need emergency care right away, chances are they’ll be waiting for several hours to see someone.
“It’s hard to tell somebody when not to come in, but there are quite a few people that are coming in with very mild symptoms,” said ER nurse John Cealey, who works at a Portland hospital.
Emergency physician Dr. Dan Bissell with Legacy Health said they are seeing a significant amount of patients without any symptoms coming to the ER for a COVID test.
“Unfortunately, that is not the best use of emergency room resources because we are really trying to focus on those patients who are having significant symptoms and have emergencies,” said Bissell.
Kevin Mealy, a spokesperson for the Oregon Nurses Association, said their ERs are overflowing with COVID cases and other medical conditions.
“I would advise anyone who needs emergency care to seek out the ER, but if you need help, if you need a COVID test, if you need assistance or guidance on mild conditions – there are better options out there,” said Mealy.
The health care workers said on top of the strain this puts on the doctors and nurses, the wait times for everyone shoot up. Wait times in a Portland ER could be 10 hours or more, according to Mealy. He said he heard of one instance this week were there was a 16 hour wait.
“We are adjusting our operation significantly to try and triage people and our goal in the emergency room is always to identify and prioritize those patients that are most sick,” Bissell said.
According to experts, worsening COVID symptoms, including shortness of breath, low blood oxygen levels, or the inability to keep liquids down, are reasons to see your primary care doctor or come to the ER.
“We always want to remind the community that the ER is always there for any emergency that you may have and it is a safe place to come to get care, even in the midst of another COVID surge,” said Bissell. “We want to make sure that people are getting the care they need for things like strokes, heart attacks, belly pains and other things are still happening despite the pandemic.”
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