'Terrified' Hillsborough Nurse Pleads For Caution As COVID Spikes

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough nurse Jennifer Koczon-Knief was working in a New Jersey hospital when the coronavirus pandemic first hit — and now as cases spike, she said she's "terrified" to relive the deaths and tragedy she had to endure the first time around.

"Those of you who believe the virus is a hoax or it isn't serious, you are wrong. I seen it firsthand," Koczon-Knief said.

Koczon-Knief, who has been working as a nurse for the past eight years at a hospital she declined to identify, is pleading with the community to take precautions and take the coronavirus seriously.

"I was working during the first wave, and it was like a horror movie," Koczon-Knief said. "The things I've seen can't be unseen. Many patients died alone. Some were able to FaceTime their families. We would see many patients walking in with minor symptoms and, within hours, they couldn't breathe. We had so many deaths we needed a portable morgue."

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli echoed her words Wednesday, addressing the lingering mental effects of COVID-19 that are impacting hospital staff.

"PTSD is real. It is real," Persichilli said. "And it's not only nurses. It is everyone who worked in the hospital in March and April are (now) having some issues with the anxiety related to what they went through."

Persichilli noted that many state organizations and universities have set up counseling centers and outreach services for those hospital employees suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Koczon-Knief is hoping that by speaking out, she will stop the misinformation spreading about the virus.

"A lot of people aren't worried because they haven't been directly impacted. They are just hearing about it from other people who lost loved ones and don't know how serious it is," said Koczon-Knief. "It is definitely NOT just the flu. This is a new type of virus that we don't know much about. It is very contagious and very deadly to some."

Koczon-Knief said she and some of her fellow nurses contracted the virus in the spring.

"It was scary — a lot of us got sick," Koczon-Knief said. "I had a very mild case, but I was sick and my whole family had to uproot and quarantine."

Koczon-Knief says her intentions are not political. She understands many people have lost their jobs or are lonely due to the state shutdown, but she is urging people not to gather.

"People are letting their guard down, and it's a little too soon for that," said Koczon-Knief. "I am seeing people without masks, coughing and sneezing. I see families coming to the hospital who were all at one party. Masks may not be 100 percent, but it is better than nothing to help protect you or save a life."

As more people are gathering and with the holidays coming up, Gov. Phil Murphy implemented new restrictions to curtail the spread of the virus. He reduced the limits on indoor gatherings from 25 to 10 people beginning this past Tuesday, and on outdoor gatherings from 500 to 150 people beginning Nov. 23.

New Jersey reported 4,060 new COVID-19 virus cases and 38 more fatalities on Tuesday — the highest single-day death toll since early July.

As of Tuesday, Hillsborough reported 19 new coronavirus cases since Monday. Hillsborough has reported a total of 196 cases in the past two weeks, bringing the township's total of cases to 945 since March.

"A lot of people are getting sick again and it's scary. I don't want to go through it again," said Koczon-Knief.

Worried about the serious psychological health issues the second wave will cause, she is urging residents to be careful.

"Please take care of yourself and realize this is serious. This is not gone yet, and who knows if it will ever go away? I pray for that vaccine," Koczon-Knief said. "As a nurse, I care about society and people. Working from the health care perspective, this is a health crisis and pandemic."

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