Nurse dies from ‘the virus’

John Cummings, RN, 56, Holiday Island, who had worked as a registered nurse since 1994, passed away Sunday, August 2, in Springfield, Mo., of complications from Covid-19.

Cummings was employed at Mercy Hospital in Berryville prior to becoming ill.

“He was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs on June 24,” his daughter, who works as a paramedic in Cassville, Mo., said. “He was told to go back home. They didn’t feel like it was appropriate for him to be admitted to the hospital at that point. We were okay with that. Then, the next day, on June 26, he got quite a bit worse and was taken by ambulance to Mercy Rogers. He was placed in the intensive care unit the very next night.

“He was transferred to Springfield on July 3 where he was intubated and put on a ventilator. On July 9, he was placed on ECMO, an advanced life support technique. The closest thing I can relate it to is dialysis. They take the blood out of the body and filter it. It was to help give his lungs a break so he could heal. During that time, he caught sepsis, an infection in the blood stream. They passed around the idea of him getting a lung transplant, but they decided he was not a good candidate because of the sepsis.”

Despite those challenges, Cummings said her father remained stable the week before his death. But after being advised by the doctor to start considering end-of-life comfort care, Cummings, her mother and her mother’s sister were praying for a sign from God about whether it was time to let him go.

“We asked God to show us a sign,” Cummings said. “What do we need to do? We didn’t want to selfishly hold on to him longer for our own needs. Within 30 minutes of praying, the doctor called us to say my father had been given an emergency chest tube, and went from the standard three to four maintenance drugs to about nine different medications to keep him alive. We basically took that as our sign that it was time for Dad to go home. We drove from my parent’s home in Holiday Island to Springfield and were allowed to be in the room when he passed.”

Cummings said her father was very passionate about being a nurse.

“He was proud that I was in healthcare,” she said. “He would have been very proud of the nursing staff who took care of him. They did a really great job at Mercy Rogers and Mercy Springfield.”

Cummings was younger than most people who die with Covid-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 80 percent of the victims in the U.S. have been over 65 years old. Other big risk factors are heart disease and diabetes. But Cummings was healthy.

“Dad had no underlying health conditions,” Cummings said. “Covid-19 is almost like the luck of the draw. Some people are eighty, spend a month on a ventilator, and leave the hospital to go home. For most people, it is not a death sentence. But, for some people, this is a very real threat. A lack of underlying health conditions doesn’t mean you are safe. Dad was completely healthy, and he didn’t leave the hospital.”

“Mercy is saddened by the death of our co-worker, John Cummings,” said Mercy spokeswoman Jennifer P. Cook. “We send our condolences to his family, friends and co-workers. We deeply appreciate John’s service to Mercy.”

Cummings was born in Southeast Missouri but lived in Northwest Arkansas since the 1970s. In addition to his wife, Jane, and daughter, Rachel Cummings, he leaves behind two sisters, Tammie Hahn of Texas and Ginger Kinne of Holiday Island. There will be a graveside service for Cummings at 11 a.m. Friday at the Eureka Springs Cemetery. Those who attend are asked to wear a mask.

Cummings’ death comes as national health authorities have warned that the U.S. is entering a dangerous new phase with widespread Covid-19 transmission linked partly to states reopening in order to help the economy. There has been a pushback from some on wearing masks, and social distancing, both recommended as top tools to help prevent the spread of the virus.

As a healthcare provider, Rachel Cummings also faces the risks of contracting Covid-19 on the job. Emergency services is supposed to be notified when an ambulance is sent to pick up a patient with Covid-19. Cummings said that doesn’t help if people get sick and are not tested or are asymptomatic. While the virus is well known for causing breathing problems, people can also first present with a heart attack or stroke. That can be misleading as to the cause of the illness.

Cummings is not daunted by the danger.

“I’m proud to be a paramedic,” she said. “I worked hard to do that. Just like flu season, Covid-19 is part of the job. We just have to be smart about our personal protection equipment and precautions.”

According to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), as of August 3 there have been 2,896 healthcare workers who have tested positive for Covid-19.

“There have been fewer than 10 deaths,” ADH spokeswoman Danyelle McNeill wrote in an email. “I’m not able to give an exact number because there have been so few and I’m not allowed to share where those deaths occurred.”