Frontline NHS nurse begs Britons to abide by coronavirus lockdown in stark warning

A frontline nurse has begged Britons to abide by the coronavirus lockdown in a stark warning on social media after a more than 12-hour ‘gruelling’ shift left her ‘broken.’ 

Lexi Georgiades, who works on the cardiac ward at Darent Valley Hospital near Dartford, Kent, took to social media after the intense shift.

She said her ward was now fully devoted to coronavirus patients, and described being both mentally and physically exhausted.

Ms Georgiades also shared her worries that the situation is getting ‘a thousand times worse’.

In her Facebook post yesterday evening, which was accompanied by a photo of her at work, she also urged people to heed government advice and stay at home.

The staff nurse wrote: ‘This was a photo a took a couple nights ago now but after last night, I feel a post is needed.

‘I endured a incredibly hard 12.5hrs last night on my cardiac ward which is fully covid 19 now.

‘There was admission after admission, really sick patients, all below the age of 50!

‘We was short staffed which made our job impossible to fully achieve what we needed to and we had NO break whatsoever with a sip of cold coffee when we was gasping.

‘Yes we often don’t have breaks but during this pandemic, it’s mentally and physically exhausting to the point where you just want to burst into tears behind our masks.

‘Patients are dying alone and I’m trying to spend a couple minutes holding their hands so they know someone is there, trying to comfort patients who’s husbands/wives who are also in ITU next door and reassuring poorly patients they’ll make it through (even though they may not).

‘My thoughts were, how can we endure this for another few months, if not longer? I felt broken on my half hour drive home this morning.

‘I didn’t really believe this would get worse and I can’t imagine what ITU are going through as theatres and other areas have been opened up for extra ITU beds. What I experienced was bad enough BUT it is getting 1000x worse by the day.

‘PLEASE PLEASE stay in if you aren’t already. This isn’t over. You think it won’t be you but numbers are going to worsen over the next week and it’s hitting anyone at any age. Don’t put us through this nightmare for much longer.

‘I have another 3 nightshifts from tomorrow back to back and I have no words for what’s to come.’

Ms Georgiades signed off with a crying emoji.

So incredible was the online public response to her post that she later replied: ‘These comments have made me cry. Such a scary and overwhelming time.’

Her fiance James Linnane also posted this morning (TUES) to thank everyone for all their good wishes and praise.

One of those expressing their gratitude and support was Niquie Tower. She posted: ‘I truly feel for all these medical staff are having to go through especially when at least some of these dying patients lives could be ok if people just listened to our PM and the plea’s of nhs workers to £STAYATHOME.

‘It must be very frustrating both mentally and physically for them all knowing that this may have been prevented. Thank you for all your hard work. Our hearts and prayers are with you all workers and patients.’

Another, Stephanie Wilson, added: ‘I don’t know you but you’re doing an amazing job. Hold your head high.

‘You all deserve a bloody pay rise and a good night out on the NHS when this is all over. Thank you for all you’re doing.’

While Amber Back expressed the thoughts of many, saying: ‘To all our