(WXYZ) — With hospital beds filling up fast due to the current COVID-19 case surge in Michigan, health care workers say they're overwhelmed.
Examining Michigan's current COVID-19 ICU and hospitalization rates
Frontline workers are urging the public to do everything they can not to end up in the ICU or the ER.
Several nurses and doctors say it's taking a toll on them, physically, mentally and emotionally, and they're looking for light at the end of the tunnel.
"We're bursting at the seams," McLaren Nurse Jeff Morawski said. "We're overwhelmed with patients. Our ER is holding patients every day."
Hospitals are seeing the highest number of patients since March and April of 2020.
The state's COVID-19 tracking site for cases, ICU and bed capacity shows that some units are 80 to 90 percent occupied.
Kim Stasik, an ICU nurse at Beaumont Health, said it can become a heavy burden, being the only connection patients have with their families.
"We're seeing a lot of younger patients, average 40 to 60 for the most part, and a good portion of them has no other medical history," Stasik said.
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Stasik said staff is just worn out.
"I worked an eight hour night shift on Monday night and walked in. Unfortunately, we were challenged with staffing," she said. "People are tired, so they're not picking up as much overtime as they did in the first and second surge."
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