ER Doctor Lorna Breen Dies Of Suicide After Weeks Of Treating COVID-19 Patients
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A top New York City doctor took her own life after weeks of treating patients with COVID-19.
Dr. Lorna Breen, 49, was medical director of the emergency department at New York Presbyterian's Allen hospital in Upper Manhattan.
She died Sunday while visiting family in Charlottesville, Virginia.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
- Resources, Hotlines, Unemployment & Covering Bills
- Remote Learning Tools For Parents Teaching At Home
- Ask Dr. Max Your Health Questions
- How Make Your Own DIY Face Mask
- How To Safely Remove Disposable Gloves
- Tips For Parents To Help Kids Cope
- Chopper 2 Over Empty NYC Streets, Landmarks
- Complete Coronavirus Coverage
According to The New York Times, Dr. Breen had been infected with the coronavirus but had recovered.
She told her father she had been dealing with an onslaught of patients, some dying before they could get out of the ambulance.
CORONAVIRUS: NY Health Dept. | NY Call 1-(888)-364-3065 | NYC Health Dept. | NYC Call 311, Text COVID to 692692 | NJ COVID-19 Info Hub | NJ Call 1-(800)-222-1222 or 211, Text NJCOVID to 898211 | CT Health Dept. | CT Call 211 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Her father said, "she tried to do her job, and it killed her."
The hospital system issued a statement praising Dr. Breen as "a hero."
PHOTO GALLERY: Coronavirus Shutdown 30 Days In
"Words cannot convey the sense of loss we feel today. Dr. Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department," the statement read. "Our focus today is to provide support to her family, friends, and colleagues as they cope with this news during what is already an extraordinarily difficult time."
