An emergency room doctor who treated CCP virus patients in New York City died by suicide, according to her family.
Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Virginia, where she was staying, said her father.
“She was truly in the trenches of the front line,” he said, adding: “Make sure she’s praised as a hero, because she was. She’s a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died.”
Tyler Hawn, a spokesman for the Charlottesville, Virginia Police Department, told the paper that officers responded to a call for medical assistance.
“The victim was taken to U.V.A. Hospital for treatment, but later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries,” Hawn told the NY Times.
The hospital has not responded to a request for comment.
Dr. Angela Mills, head of emergency medical services at several NewYork-Presbyterian campuses, wrote to staffers over the weekend about Lorna Breen’s death. Her message didn’t mention the cause.
Breen’s family added that she had contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic but went back to work after recovering. She was later sent back home by the hospital, and her family intervened before taking her to Charlottesville.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that as of Monday, more than 17,300 people have died from the virus in New York state. However, he stressed again that the number of new cases appears to have plateaued.
Suicide Hotlines
If you are in an emergency in the United States or Canada, please call 911. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255. Youth can call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868.In the United Kingdom, call Samaritans at 116 123, Papyrus at 0800 068 41 41, or Childline at 0800 1111.
In Australia, the suicide prevention hotline at Lifeline is 13 11 14. You can also visit the Lifeline website at lifeline.org.au. Youth can contact the Kids Helpline by phoning 1-800-551-800 or visiting headspace.org.au/yarn-safe
If you are in an emergency in India, call Befrienders India—National Association at +91 33 2474 4704.