A patient at Duke University Hospital's emergency room felt uncomfortable waiting in the transparent COVID cube. She said she felt 'on display,' and said other patients snapped photos of her.
>> AHEAD ONLY . >>> PEOPLE STARTED STARING AT ME. PEOPLE START TAKING PICTURES OF YOU. >> RIGHT NOW, A COVID PATIENT FEELS SHE WAS PUT ON DISPLAY IN A GLASS CUBE IN A LOCAL EMERGENCY ROOM. THE FIRST LOOK INSIDE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY ROOM OVERWHELMED WITH PATIENTS. >> THE HOSPITAL SAYS THERE IS A REASON FOR THE CUBE, BUT THE PATIENT SAID THAT A ALREADY SOLUTION IS NEEDED. . >> Reporter: YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE PATIENT'S VANTAGE POINT FROM OUR QUARANTINED CUBE. >> I FELT LIKE SOMEONE NEEDED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. >> Reporter: STRUGGLING TO BREATHE, SHE WENT TO DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL'S EMERGENCY ROOM. IT WAS 9:00 P.M. OCTOBER 15th. . >> THE EMERGENCY ROOM WAS PACKED. PACKED. I MEAN, THERE WAS PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. >> Reporter: TO ISOLATE THEM, THE HOSPITAL HAD HER AND TWO OTHERS WAIT IN PLEXIGLASS CUBES. >> REALLY? THEN I'M LIKE, ALL RIGHT, THIS IS SAFE. I'M NOT GOING TO PUT ANYONE AT RISK. >> Reporter: SHE SAT IN THE CUBE FOR HOURS, SICK, IN PAIN, AND EMOTIONAL. PEOPLE STARTED TAKING PICTURES. AND SHE ALSO TOOK PHOTOS SAYING SHE WAS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PATIENT IN THE CUBE NEXT TO HER. >> THIS WOMAN WAS COUGHING SO MUCH. SHE WAS IN WAY WORSE CONDITION THAN ME. AND SHE WAS SLEEPING IN HER CHAIR WITH HER HEAD HANGING DOWN. I THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THIS IS NOT HOW PEOPLE WITH COVID SHOULD BE TREATED. >> Reporter: SHE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT THE LONG WAIT FOR CARE AND THE CUBE. >> THEY NEED A CURTAIN AT LEAST. IT'S DEGRADING. IT'S DEGRADING. >> Reporter: THE NEXT MORNING, SHE WAS MOVED TO A ROOM. >> AND I SAID, WHAT MADE YOU COME GET ME. AND THEY SAID YOUR FACEBOOK POST. AND THEY KEPT MAKING FUN OF ME, HOW MANY LIKES DID YOU GET. >> Reporter: THE HOSPITAL SAID THEY ARE SORRY WE SOMETIMES DO NOT MEET THE STANDARDS. THE CUBICLES ARE ONE WAY TO ISOLATE PATIENTS USING THE SAME FURNITURE AS THE MAIN WAITING AREA. SHE ADDED DESPITE INCREASED STAFFING SINCE COVID, WAIT TIMES OFTEN VARY AND ARE DIFFICULT TO PREDICT. >> DUKE, YOU NEED TO DO BETTER. I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD GO BACK TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, EVEN IF IT WAS LIFE THREATENING, BECAUSE OF HOW THEY MADE ME FEEL. HOW MANY OTHERS FEEL LIKE THAT? WHO WANTS TO GO IN A GLASS BOX FOR 15 HOURS. >>> THE DUKE SPOKESWOMAN ADDED MANY PATIENTS GET ONGOING CARE IN THE WAITING ROOM. AND SHE BLAMES PART OF THE BACKUPS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM ON PATIENTS WAITING TO GET CARE ON CRITICAL HEALTH ISSUES UNTIL THEY REACHED THE EMERGENCY LEVEL. AND SHE IS NOW CONSIDERED RECOVERED FROM COVID. .
