An intensive care nurse has revealed her daily struggle working for the NHS in the fight against coronavirus.
Jennifer McDowall, 27, who works as a Critical Care Nurse at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has shared a series of videos showing her skin peeling off, her faced bruised from PPE, and her anguish at being apart from her loved ones.
In clips posted to TikTok , the nurse revealed she’s had to stay apart from her father who is immunocoompromised, meaning she can’t see her partner of five years who is caring for him in her absence.
The key worker, whose videos have racked up more than 4.3million views on TikTok also revealed she spends days crying with anxiety, while grieving for her patients and their families.
In another clip, Jennifer revealed her mother married her partner of 15 years just before the lockdown, but she couldn’t attend the wedding because her step-father is also poorly.
An intensive care nurse has revealed her daily struggle working for the NHS in the fight against coronavirus. Jennifer McDowall, 27, who works as a Critical Care Nurse at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has shared a series of videos showing her skin peeling off, her faced bruised from PPE, and her anguish at being apart from her loved ones
The key worker, whose videos have racked up more than 4.3million views on TikTok also revealed she spends days crying with anxiety while grieving for her patients and their families
Jennifer revealed she was left her bruises on her face from protective facial gear, and her skin peeling off her fingers from 13 and half over shifts in the ICU
In one clip, the key worker reveals how she hasn’t seen her family and isn’t able to visit her family while she works
She managed to watch her nuptials, taking place on her mother’s balcony, from the garden, and even caught the bouquet.
Last month, Jennifer moved into a Premier Inn, where she only had a a microwave and toaster, which she bought herself to cook with.
Her poor internet connection made relaxing a struggle and no laundry services, meant she was forced to buy new clothes to sleep in and wash her dishes in the bathroom sink.
She was left her bruises on her face from protective facial gear, and her skin peeling off her fingers from 13.5 hour shifts in the ICU.
Jennifer (pictured in uniform right) says she tries to hold it together before difficult shifts
With no dining table, the nurse eats her meals from the floor, from a stockpile of microwavable foods she brought with her which are often unhealthy quick dishes like chips, and watches Netflix shows (right)
Jennifer revealed she keeps going on Tesco Blue Spark – an energy drink similar to Red Bull – and treats herself to Bailey’s Iced Coffee while watching Netflix shows including Ru Paul’s Drag Race after work, if her internet is strong enough.
With no dining table, the nurse eats her meals from the floor, from a stockpile of microwavable foods she brought with her which are often unhealthy quick dishes like chips.
After a week in the Premier Inn, Jennifer had to move out to a Mercure, as the first hotel closed.
Jennifer had to move out of her home, where she lives with her father, into a hotel and then a self-contained apartment, as both her father (left) and step-father (right with her mother) are ill
Jennifer is now awaiting results from her Covid-19 test, and is in a self-isolated apartment
In her second stop, she received free meals and laundry, which she has to eat alone in her room.
The nurse also said she sleeps until 6pm and has nights full of anxiety and fear as she deals with her dying patients and grieving families at the hospital.
Jennifer only spent one week in the Mercure before being moved out to a self-contained compartment as she was showing symptoms of Covid-19.
She remains there while she waits her test results, and even though she is unable to work, she still can’t see her family.
Her partner of five years dropped off some of her favourite treats, she said in a video.
In another clip, Jennifer shares how her mother married her partner of 15 years just before lockdown, but she couldn’t attend the wedding because her step-father is also poorly. She managed to watch her nuptials, taking place on her mother’s balcony, from the garden, and even caught the bouquet.
There’s no laundry service at the hotel, so Jennifer has to keep wearing new pyjamas (left). The nurse has to wash up in her bathroom sink after eating dinner (right)
It comes as Dominic Raab declared that coronavirus lockdown will stay for at least another three weeks, taking the date to May 7.
The Foreign Secretary, who is deputising for the Prime Minster, confirmed the public’s ‘efforts are starting to pay off’ but draconian curbs cannot yet be lifted after he chaired a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee.
He said scientists believe transmission of coronavirus the community is ‘almost certainly’ below the level at which the outbreak will peter out, although there is still spread in hospitals and care home.
‘Based on this advice the government has decided the measures must remain in place for at least the next three weeks,’ he told the daily Downing Street briefing.
The government is under massive pressure to set out an ‘exit strategy’ from the social distancing measures, after its own watchdog warned GDP could plunge by a third and two million people lose their jobs. It came as the UK announced 861 more deaths from the coronavirus, taking the total number of victims to 13,729.