ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Hospital critical care units have gone through changes amidst the pandemic.

These hospital units first closed off visitations entirely at a time when personal protective equipment (PPE) was hard to come by and there were still so many questions about how the coronavirus spread.

It was an emotional time for loved ones, but also for the medical staff who had to break that news.

“We understand how important it is to have open visitation and for family members being present for the care of their patient,” explained Dr. Azra Bihorac, professor of medicine, surgery and anesthesiology at the University of Florida. “Because that just expedites the healing process, both for patients and family.”

“It was unfortunate but really a necessary measure to limit visitations. At the time of the lockdown, we had a complete stop of visitations at some point. This time, our unit is open for the family members, up to the two visitors. At times it can go down to one visitor at a time,” she went on.

Bihorac says her surgical intensive care unit worked hard to find a compromise with allowing some visitors as more information on the coronavirus became available.

Bihorac says emotional burnout was a problem for ICU workers pre-pandemic, let alone now. She’s working on an app to help them cope with the stress.