JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Justin Adams hasn't had a moment to catch his breath. As a nurse, he's been at the bedside of many COVID-19 patients as they have taken their last breath.
"We can finally be able to just take a deep breath and relax for maybe a minute, but unfortunately we have not seen that yet," he told First Coast News.
Adams was one of the first to get the vaccine at his hospital, but quickly realized many of those he was treating had decided not to get it.
"This has been super emotionally and physically draining on us and we thought, 'Okay, this was going to be like our saving grace,'" he recalled.
He can count on one hand how many patients were vaccinated. Those who weren't didn't have much of a chance to leave the hospital alive.
"I am being lenient. Five is probably a little bit over actually the number I have seen," Adams said.
He hopes the new year brings a new mindset for COVID-19, urging people to get their shots and the booster in order to slow the spread and the deaths he says have continued with the delta variant.
For the small number of patients who did pull through, he says they regretted not being vaccinated.
"The delta variant has been a lot more deadly and I think for healthcare professionals, it's also taken a larger toll because we see this as something that can be prevented," he said.