WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center discharged its 1,000th COVID-19 patient from its hospital on Thursday.
Carl Booker went to Wake Forest Baptist Health's emergency department on December 5, due to severe difficulty breathing. Doctors diagnosed the father of three with COVID-19 and pneumonia. He was hospitalized for five days.
On Monday, WFMY News 2 spoke with Booker about his experience battling the virus.
"I'm not just 1,000, I'm one of several thousand that will walk out the door, and I think that's [the hospital's] hope and expectation also," he said.
Booker says the prayers from loved ones and the outstanding care from doctors, nurses and staff gave him hope.
“They took the time to get to know me and encourage me and with my diagnosis, I wasn’t able to have visitors, so this was very impactful for me; something very special that they didn’t have to do," Booker said, "I’m very thankful for the care they provided me with.
"During the entire ordeal, they took time out to explain everything. I mean, they were really helpful. They were genuinely concerned and really wanted to see me get better."
Booker explained how doctors and nurses went from room to room, suiting up each time with layers of new PPE. Seeing it in action gave him an even deeper appreciation for the WFBH staff.
"They're treating each room like a biohazard room," he said, "And that's how they did that. Every room, every time they went in and out. They have to do that for 12, 14 hours straight... It's like, you really can't wear a mask for 15 minutes or an hour? When you're going to the store or something? If people understood what these people go through on a daily basis… There's just no excuse."
Booker's release is significant for both him and the hospital.
“Our front-line folks are working endlessly to try to get every patient to the point where they’re well enough to be discharged and that’s something to take great pride in,” Dr. Kevin High said.
Dr. High is Wake Forest Baptist's Health system president, as well as the president of the Atrium Health North Central/Western N.C. Region.
"Although a vaccine is on the horizon, it’s critical to remember that this pandemic is not over and we all must stay vigilant in our fight against this virus,” Dr. High said. "I am beyond proud of our staff for their continued dedication, resiliency and commitment to our patients throughout this pandemic."
Booker lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The Wake Forest Baptist Health system also recently administered its 100,000th COVID-19 test in its ambulatory clinics and in certain cases, in-house labs, a WFBH spokesperson said.