This article describes how physicians and nurses in New York City are facilitating conversations with patients with COVID-19 who are isolated and critically will with their loved ones via video chat or phone calls.
Intensive care units (ICUs) typically allow visitors but due to the contagious nature of coronavirus, visitors are restricted. Thus, patients very will with COVID-19 are typically alone in the ICU. Health care workers are trying to facilitate conversations between patients and loved ones, particularly in cases where patients are refused intubation. Sometimes health care workers do not have enough time to facilitate these loved one conversations via cell phone before a patient dies.