St. Louis Hospital Celebrates Its First Day Without Any COVID Patients in ICU Since Pandemic Began
Missouri Baptist Medical Cente
A hospital in St. Louis is celebrating its first day of having zero COVID-19 patients in its intensive care unit since the start of the pandemic.
The Missouri Baptist Medical Center announced the news on Facebook, saying that Wednesday is "the first day since March 19, 2020 (399 days) with ZERO ICU COVID-19 patients."
"This milestone provides this dedicated team some much needed relief and is a sign of hope that the vaccines and safety measures are working," the post read. "Sometimes the smallest victories seem the greatest."
In photos shared alongside the announcement, frontline workers hold up signs with inspirational messages — including one reading: "Better Days Ahead."
Missouri Baptist Medical Cente
Missouri Baptist Medical Cente
The big milestone comes four months after the hospital discharged its 1,000th COVID patient.
In December, Dr. Paolo Masetti — an ICU physician who works at the Christian Hospital — was escorted out of Missouri Baptist Medical Center as staff cheered him on.
The hospital set up a memorial on its lawn last month in honor of those affected by COVID, placing more than 1,500 pinwheels to represent survivors and 271 white hearts for lives lost to the virus.
Missouri Baptist Medical Cente
"[It's] a place to reflect," said Pam Brouder, chief nursing officer at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, told KSDK. "Being in health care this past year, I've been a nurse for many years, 26 years. I think back and remember, wow, I've never experienced a year like this."
As of Wednesday, more than 134 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 87 million are considered fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC estimates that more than 3.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in Missouri.
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