Kiwi paramedic Chez Valenta, who is living in New York, has detailed the horrors residents there are facing due to the impact of Covid-19. Photo / 1 News
Kiwi paramedic Chez Valenta, who is living in New York, has detailed the horrors residents there are facing due to the impact of Covid-19. Photo / 1 News
A Kiwi paramedic living in New York has detailed the horrors residents are facing due to the impact of Covid-19.
Chez Valenta, who grew up in West Auckland, said the virus is like nothing she and her colleagues have seen, revealing it has wiped out entire families and left many struggling for food.
She told 1 News medical staff are risking their lives and personal protective equipment is running out fast, saying nurses are having to wear rubbish bags for protection.
Kiwi paramedic Chez Valenta, who is living in New York, has detailed the horrors residents there are facing due to the impact of Covid-19. Photo / 1 News
"We are running out of gowns with which to perform high-risk procedures. We are running out of masks themselves and even the surgical masks are becoming scarce," Valenta said.
"It's gotten to the point where we are starting to become creative. I've been to hospitals where nurses are wearing rubbish bags and that's probably going to be the same scenario for a lot of us really, really soon."
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There are more than 67,000 Covid-19 cases in New York state alone, with more than 170,000 people testing positive across the US.
Not only have Valenta and her colleagues felt the wrath of Covid-19, she says the most gut-wrenching moment in time was when she witnessed an entire family die inside three days.
"I've seen it wipe out an entire family over the course of three days - different ages, different health statuses.
"There was this belief that it preyed upon the elderly or those with [existing health issues] ... but it has zero regard for how old you are, it has zero regard for how healthy you are.
"That was probably the most heart-wrenching thing."
Valenta has decided to stay in New York in a bid to help those in need, despite her family begging her to return to New Zealand.
But while she is stuck in New York, she has a message for New Zealanders.
Talking to 1 News, Valenta reminded Kiwis to be kind to police officers trying to keep us safe and remember you're isolating to save lives, something she wishes the US did earlier.
There are 47 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in New Zealand and 14 new probable cases. 82 cases have recovered.
There are now 708 confirmed and probable cases, with 14 people in hospital.
Only one person has died from Covid-19 in New Zealand.
