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London Covid: Harrow dentist 'didn't have time to tell husband' before being rushed to ICU as volunteer

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date01 April 2021
Date01 April 2021
Publication titleMyLondon (England)
The 53-year-old dentist from Harrow didn't have time to tell her husband until she got home that day.

Mrs Popat, who has a 30-year career in dentistry responded to a call to support Northwick Park's ICU as a proner which involves looking after critically-ill COVID patients by physically turning them to support their breathing.

After receiving training in the day, then PPE fittings in the afternoon, that evening Mrs Popat started her first shift in the ICU

"It was an absolute privilege to be allowed to do it," Mrs Popat said.

She added: "There were all of us wearing fit tested masks, I felt very safe but it was pretty overwhelming seeing how sick people were and the sheer numbers of patients, you could see sections of ICU that should have housed three or four patients, had about seven or eight."

Mrs Popat worked alongside 50-60 volunteer proners who supported staff in ICU, calling themselves the Prone Rangers, and although she was not afraid being on the ward, it did highlight the "realness" of the virus, she said.

Working a two months placement at the height of the second wave of coronavirus in January 2021, Mrs Popat said she hoped people...

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