State fairgrounds COVID patient describes care and transfer

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Four patients are now being treated for COVID-19 at the alternate care facility in State Fair Park. One of the first patients at the facility said she moved to get out of a crowded hospital.

Thirty-four-year-old Amanda Best works for ThedaCare in Appleton and was sent to the hospital for COVID and double pneumonia Oct. 19. On Oct. 21 she decided to transfer to the state fairgrounds.

"It got worse for me, I have asthma too so I really couldn't breathe," said Best.

Best said her Appleton hospital stay helped her breathe again, but she says the hospital was jam-packed.

"It is so bad in the hospitals right now, and I could tell, even with the care they were trying the best they could," said Best.

As one of the youngest patients there, Best said she was asked to move to the COVID hospital at State Fair Park.

"There's so many other patients too, like I needed help, but not as much, I could kind of do some things on my own," said Best.

She was nervous to move hospitals because her oxygen still wasn't stable.

"At the hospital I was getting the care, but they were so busy I wasn't getting what I needed when I needed it and I think that was making it worse," said Best.

She learned State Fair Park was empty at the time, so she decided to take the ambulance ride and transfer.

"If I'm going to be the only person there, I'm probably going to have more care than I have right now," said Best.

She's still on oxygen at the state fairgrounds, but Best is glad she made the switch.

"I feel like I'm at one of the best hospitals in the world, it doesn't even feel like I'm in a makeshift type situation," said Best.

The $15 million facility can handle 530 patients.