LOS ANGELES — Recently, Dr. Jerry Abraham was already putting out his 100th fire of the day before 10 a.m. 

His clinic, Kedren Health in downtown Los Angeles, has been inundated with countless people hoping to get COVID-19 tests for weeks. 

What You Need To Know

  • Hospitals and clinics across the country are struggling to cope as burnout reaches an all-time high

  • For weeks, Dr. Jerry Abraham's clinic, Kedren Health in downtown LA, has been inundated with countless people hoping to get COVID-19 tests

  • Some days, the lines stretch around the block, and on this particular day, the wait was only four hours

  • Recently, the California Department of Public Health has been bringing in volunteers from as far away as Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida, which has helped ease the congestion

Some days, the lines stretch around the block. This particular day is a good day, with a wait of only four hours. 

“It’s just chaos,” he said. “There’s no staff. I have no one to work this room,” he said, pointing to a big storage area where they keep the vaccines under lock and key. 

Abraham has been working 18-hour days, seven days a week, for two years now. But the last month or so has been especially brutal, as the highly contagious omicron variant rips through his community. 

“When will we get a break?” he said. “It’s been one thing after another since March 2020.”

Hospitals and clinics across the country are struggling to cope as burnout reaches an all-time high. About half of Abraham’s staff is out sick, and the rest are stretched to the limit.

“Right now, my big challenge is everyone has COVID, so I can’t figure out anyone to work right now,” he said.

Recently, the California Department of Public Health has been bringing in volunteers from as far away as Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida, which has helped ease the congestion. 

Even so, managing the site has been a challenge as more and more patients test positive for COVID-19. 

“Forty percent of these people are positive, “ he said, pointing at the line behind him. “I don’t want anyone catching COVID in these lines, and that’s always one of the fears.”

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Simone Webster is an outreach worker for LA County’s homeless. Many of her clients are unvaccinated. She got tested for peace of mind. 

“I live with my grandmother,” she said. “We’re so close, and I just want to make sure she’s safe.”

Now that the omicron surge is showing signs of easing in states hit early by the variant, Abraham said he hopes California won’t be too far behind. 

“We do the best we can with what we have, you know?” he said. “It’s heartbreaking because you want to do more.”