STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Erin Olszewski, a nurse turned undercover reporter and whistleblower, reveals the horrific maltreatment of COVID-19 patients at Elmhurst Hospital Center, the public hospital in Queens, New York, that is “the epicenter of the epicenter” of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.
- Olszewski addresses a number of problems at Elmhurst, including the disproportionate mortality rate among people of color and the controversial rule surrounding Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders
- Elmhurst does not segregate COVID-positive and COVID-negative patients, thereby ensuring maximum spread of the disease among noninfected patients coming in with other health problems
- Patients who repeatedly tested negative for COVID-19 were still listed as confirmed positive and placed on mechanical ventilation, thus artificially inflating the case numbers while condemning the patient to death from lung injury
- Many of the doctors treating these patients are not trained in critical care. One of the “doctors” on the COVID floor is a dentist, and inexperienced medical students are relied upon