NURSE WHO WORKS IN THE >>> THERE WERE GROWING HOSPITALIZATIONS NATIONWIDE AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE A SPIKE IN COVID-19 INFECTIONS. IN NORTH CAROLINA ALONE, 1100 PEOPLE ARE IN THE HOSPITAL BATTLING THE VIRUS. I'M JOINED BY ASHLEY WHEELER, REGISTERED NURSE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT THE DUKE REGIONAL HOSPITAL PRODUCING HER BLOGS MONTH AFTER MONTH TAKEN IS INSIDE DUKE REGIONAL HOSPITAL DURING REALLY SCARY TIMES WEEKLY. GREAT TO SEE YOU. NINE MONTHS INTO THE PANDEMIC AND WE ARE NOW SEEING RECORD HIGHS FOR DAILY CASES AND TRAGICALLY RECORD DEATHS, DUE TO COVID-19. CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEE NOW IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS? >> HOURS IS PRETTY MUCH JUST LIKE A DAILY SLOG OF SEEN THE EIGHT USUAL AMOUNT OF PATIENTS WITHIN THE SUBSET WHO EITHER HAS CASES COMPLICATED BY THE POSSIBILITY OF COVID-19 OR THEY ARE VERY LIKELY TO BE COVID-19 POSITIVE PATIENTS WE ARE HAVING TO WORK UP. SO WE ARE HOLDING A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL. WE ARE HAVING MANY DAYS WHERE THE ICU IS FULL. IT'S JUST BEEN REALLY TAXING AND WE ARE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL AND WE ONLY HAVE SO MANY ROOMS. SO WE ARE KIND OF UP AGAINST IT. >> DO YOU SEE ANYTHING NOW THAT IS SURPRISING YOU IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING INTO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, OR THE SEVERITY OF THEIR INFECTIONS WHEN THEY GET THERE?>> THAT HAS BEEN PRETTY STEADY FOR US CAMINO, LOTS OF PEOPLE DO COME IN VERY UNWELL. THE THING I'VE SEEN TAKE UP A LOT LATELY, LIKE FAMILIES COMING IN TO GET COVID-19 TESTING. WE HAVE A SET UP WHERE WE CAN HAVE OR WE HAVE A SEPARATE WAITING ROOM WHERE COVID-19 PATIENTS CAN COME IN IF THEY JUST FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AN EXPOSURE KIND OF A LOW SYMPTOMOLOGY KIND OF PRESENTATION WE CAN GET THEM TESTED AND TREATED AND HOPEFULLY KEEP THEM SEPARATED. WE ARE HAVING WHOLE FAMILIES COME IN HAVE BEEN EXPOSED, A FAMILY MEMBERS POSITIVE OR THEY'VE HAD AN EXPOSURE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THAT KIND OF IS REALLY UPSETTING, WHEN YOU SEE THAT THIS IS HITTING THE COMMUNITY THAT HARD. >> I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT CHILDREN, IT IS INTERESTING YOU TALK ABOUT FAMILIES BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, NATIONWIDE, ALMOST 200,000 CHILDREN TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS DURING OCTOBER ALONE. THAT'S THE HIGHEST WE'VE SEEN SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN. DO YOU SEE A LOT OF YOUNGER CHILDREN, AND ARE THEY VERY SICK BECAUSE WE KNOW KIDS WITH MILDER SYMPTOMS CAN RECOVER QUICKER. >> WE ARE TESTING A LOT OF CHILDREN, MOST OF THOSE FOLKS COME IN AND GET TESTED AND THEY ARE GETTING AN OUTPATIENT TEST AND THEY ARE GOING HOME AND I PERSONALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RESULTS END UP BEING. I'VE SEEN THE NUMBERS AND I'VE SEEN AN UPTICK AND IT DEFTLY HAS BEEN HIGHER MONTH OVER MONTH, SINCE SEPTEMBER. WE SEE A LOT OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE ASTHMA AND, THOSE PATIENTS, IF THEY HAPPEN TO HAVE COVID-19 WITH HER ASTHMA THEY WILL BE IN A REALLY, REALLY TIGHT SPOT BECAUSE SOME OF THESE KIDS HAVE REALLY SIGNIFICANT ASTHMA PROBLEMS. THAT'S A BIG WORRY FOR ME. >> I HAVE 10 SECONDS BUT HAVE TO ASK, HOW ARE YOU DOING AND HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN MONTHS NOW? >> I'M FINE. I MINUTE ER NURSE TO THE COURT SO I ROLL WITH IT. BUT IT'S BEEN REALLY CHALLENGING AND I'M ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT THE TEAM. WE ARE FINDING A BUT I'M WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THE WINTER WILL BRING. >> ASHLEY WHEELER, THANK YOU