Given the narrative that has been occurring for more than a year my family and I try really hard to have nothing to do with hospitals. It may not be the same reason as other people. For us it is more about being harassed about whether we want vaccines, asked questions about COVID, etc. We didn't want anything to do with that.
Now considering the narrative has been that the emergency rooms and hospitals are overrun still with COVID patients and Delta variants I gritted my teeth and went to the hospital yesterday. My father in-law aged 90 was having heart problems yesterday and he has been for a few days but he has been trying to put off doing anything about it because we are moving around the 1st of September to another State and we are all excited to be leaving Colorado (I've lived here 45 years). Well when his heart rate is in the low 30s and his legs and such are tingling it's time to do something about it. We called for an ambulance when he finally agreed to let us.
They got there spoke to my wife (primary care giver) and then they decided they need to take him to a closer hospital and they needed to do it under code (lights and sirens). My wife and I followed a little bit behind in a car since there is no way we can keep up with an ambulance that is traveling under code. The traffic has also become increasingly worse in the Denver area over the past few years. It is almost rush hour traffic (by a 10 years ago perspective) any time of the day now.
We arrived at the hospital. There were signs around that masks were required. WE ASKED for one at the front desk for the main entrance and were given two cloth masks. We then followed directions to the emergency room entrance.
We were there and saw a busy night. Though it wasn't busy due to what you likely expect.
We even commented that it seemed busy. The nurse responded that it was like that most days now. We asked her what it was mostly. She indicated it seemed to be mostly stupid people. Were they stupid for COVID reasons? Nope.
I was there with my wife for five hours during that time they came to the conclusion her father needed a pace maker. Putting a pace maker in is super simple these days. We didn't realize that at first.
Anyway as to COVID and the pandemic we saw exactly TWO peripherally COVID related things as we wandered around this large and busy hospital.
When we left the Emergency Room (ER) area to take her father to the 5th floor PCU the person pushing his bed was wearing an N95 mask. The only one I'd seen the entire time I was in the hospital. I noticed it because I have trained myself to pay attention to masks because seeing what is okay to wear as masks considering these mandates shows just how stupid the mandates are.
We made it to the floor and one of the nurses saw him and said "Do we need N95?" to which he responded "No, I just wear this all of the time."
Then eventually the nurse came to the room and commented that she liked the Slayer concert T-Shirt I happened to be wearing and commented that she used to be a Metal Head. I later said once a metal head, always a metal head to which she laughed and agreed. I listen to a lot of music other than metal and so does she but it will always be part of me and something I return to.
She asked a lot of questions about all kinds of illnesses, mental, and otherwise. Never once asked a single question related to COVID.
However, at one point she did state that due to the lock down their hours for visitors are usually 6am to 8pm. It was almost 9pm. She indicated they had made an exception due to our circumstances.
That's it... big busy Denver hospital. There for many hours. That's all. That's it!
Today he had a Pace Maker put in and my wife was there from about 9am until around 2pm. I asked her if any other COVID things came up. She said not a thing.
This is 100% anecdotal but I thought I should share it anyway.