WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Eighteen months. That's how long health care workers have been fighting coronavirus, treating sick patients and telling families their loved ones didn't make it.
Dr. Lance VanGundy, an emergency room doctor with UnityPoint Health Marshalltown, is sick of it.
After four days in a row of long shifts in the ER, and a few conversations with unvaccinated patients who remained skeptical of the vaccine, VanGundy had enough.
From the front seat of his car, still in his scrubs, VanGundy went live on Facebook.
"Hey, I feel like I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't say something," VanGundy started in the video. "I don't want to be political, I just need everybody to really know. In over 20 years of doing this, I've never been this busy or this stressed or seeing this many sick people."
VanGundy talked about not being able to admit patients or find open intensive care unit beds in the state.
"They're all full, so this is bad," said VanGundy in the video. "It feels like a third-world country sometimes. So get your shots, people, get your shots."
Little did VanGundy know, but his Facebook video would be shared more than 1,600 times and gathered nearly 300 comments in 24 hours.
"I've had a really surprising outpouring of support from all over the country," said VanGundy on Friday morning. "People I don't know, people I haven't talked to in years. Most people felt I spoke some truth to something that they have been feeling for a long time."
VanGundy said the goal of the video was to share how COVID-19 is burdening the hospital system. He wants Iowans to take the virus seriously and get vaccinated.
"I'm just a hard-working Midwest doctor. I really want my patients to have amazing outcomes," said VanGundy. "But the truth is, you can't silo yourself with this disease anymore...I think the pandemic has gotten bad enough that you are in one of two camps, whether you like it or not: you're either part of the problem, or you're part of the solution."
VanGundy isn't alone in sharing his frustrations and exhaustion with the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa. Local 5 has spoken to half a dozen doctors over the last several weeks who said they are worn out.
More than 500 Iowans are currently hospitalized with coronavirus, a level Iowa hasn't seen since January.
The above graph charts the progression of hospitalizations in Iowa over the last two months.
In Polk County, visitor restrictions were put back in place this week because of a surge in cases and hospitalizations.