lorna breen's father said that she is in every sense is of the word, a hero a casualty, of the virus. just like so many thousands of others. stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york >> our thoughts are with dr. breen's family tonight if you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call the suicide prevention life line at 1-80-- >> and as we continue on tonight, there's a stark warning for one of the country's biggest meat companies. tyson foods says there will be limited supplies of their products in stores because of plant closings and said the food supply chain is breaking >> reporter: tonight, signs that a critical link in the nation's food supply chain may be cracking as the meat processing plants arntd the country have been covid-19 hot spots. so far, over a thousand employees of meat processing giants have tested positive for the virus, forcing the temporary closure of the plants. some are scared to show their face because they are not wanting to lose their jobs but are more scared of getting sick >> they didn't have enough material and masks and things like that to

lorna breen oversaw the e.r. york presbyterian hospital, working at the center of the covid-19 crisis, she even contracted the virus herself well earlier this week dr. breen died by suicide. it's a loss that has left her family reeling and reminds all of us of the mental health challenges facing so many frontline workers. we spoke with lorna's sister and brother-in-law yesterday, their first interview and i asked them to tell us about the lorna they loved and adored. >> my sister was beautiful she had such a beautiful soul. she was brilliant. she cared so much about her friends, her colleagues, her patients, her family she loved the world, she loved to travel. and i just would want people to know how much she gave to the world in her time here. >> dr. lorna breen's family says she was the friend you wished for and the doctor everyone deserves, a dynamo, equal parts fierce and fun, just returned from this snowboarding trip to montana with her sister in early march when duty called she went to work in the emergency

lorna breen. the doctor treated covid patients at new york presbyterian hospital.he was well-respected, and by all accounts she stepped up be with the best during the worst of this. she even contracted covid herself, dealt with it. as soon as she was better, she went back to work. and then after all she did for others, sunday she died by suicide. her father says she was killed by the enemy on the front lines, and i'm sad to say he's right. he is a retired surgeon. his name is dr. phillip breen. doctor, i am very sorry to meet you under these circumstances and i hope you accept not just my condolences but my thanks for your daughter in the city where i and so many other millions live for doing the work of keeping so many safe, especially when it came at such a cost to her and to you, her family. thank you, sir. >> you're very welcome. >> what do people need to know about who your daughter was and what she was about? >> well, she was a doctor, every bit of the word that a doctor should be. she put her life on the line to take care of other people. she was in the tren

lorna breen, an emergency room doctor took her own life. in a statement to nbc news, her father said like the many heroes that are still there, she was in every way in the trenches of the war. fighting the effects of the covid virus that she contracted herself. dr. breen survived the virus, but it was the grueling work her father said that took a grave toll life and death hospital but for many health workers the coronavirus experience has been more difficult and more emotional. >> i wish i had known the type of emotional havoc this would have caused on my life, the lives of my colleagues and my patients. >> reporter: we spoke to this doctor last week from the university of miami. >> it's hard to not take your work home with you i sit at home reliving each death each delay in my head. >> reporter: this nurse struggles with the same thing >> i'm thinking that was probably the worst day, i never had seen anything like that ever not having somebody at their side while they are sitting there dying. >> reporter: some of the healthcare workers wor

lorna breen. how some of our heros are helping raise the spirits of one another next.ring that mess around here, evan! whoo! don't do it. don't you dare. i don't think so! [ sighs ] it's okay, big fella. we're gonna get through this together. [ baseball bat cracks ] nice rip, robbie. ♪ raaah! when you bundle home and auto insurance through progressive, you get more than just a big discount. i'm gonna need you to leave. you get relentless protection. [ baseball bat cracks ] you get relentless protection. overnight they became our offices, schools and playgrounds. all those places out there, are now in here. that's why we're still offering fast, free two day shipping on thousands of items. even the big stuff. and doing everything it takes to ensure your safety. so you can make your home everything you need it to be. wayfair. way more than furniture. but we can grill together. oscar mayer invites you to take your backyard cookouts to the front. on may 2nd, join us for the oscar mayer front yard cookout. enjoy sharing a meal together but safely apart, while we share a mill

lorna breen, dying by suicide. dr.ontracted the virus herself, recovered, and gone back to work. her father telling the "times," make sure she's praised as a hero because she was. anguish from her friend, dr. debbie yi madick. >> i originally felt sad. now i just feel devastated. with all these people asking for lockdown to end, what about us? we didn't sign up for this. >> reporter: in new york, governor andrew cuomo urging residents to stay at home so any gains aren't lost. >> may 15th is when the pause regulations expire statewide. i will extend them in many parts of the state. >> reporter: in other parts of the country the virus still raging. massachusetts now seeing its surge plateau. but in one hard-hit state, a reason to cheer. for the first time in 36 days, . parts of the south now planning to reopen. restaurants in tennessee and georgia started welcoming customers. steven leslie's restaurant, roasters, has been open for 30 years. supplies rolling into the kitchen. >> i'm kind of excited. because these are my f

the front lines the head of the emergency department at new york presbyterian allan hospital dr lorna breen taking her own life her father saying she tried to do her job and it killed her doctor had contracted the virus called on the job she returned to work after nearly 2 weeks of recovering her father telling the new york times make sure she is praised a hero because she was reporting in new york trinity chavez r t. here in russia lockdown measures have also been extended or go live to our correspondent saskia taylor for the details after this break. it. seems wrong. just don't all. get to shape out. and in the game. trail. find themselves worlds apart. to look for common ground. welcome back president putin has extended russia's lockdown to may the 11th he told a video conference with regional chiefs that the toughest phase of the fight against the pandemic is about to start. it would mean a just lot more switch if we were in your belief the daily number of new infections has stabilised but that doesn't mean we can relax the situation remains very complicated experts and scientists say w

lorna breen died by suicide. she had contracted the virus, recovered and had gone back to work. her father telling "the times" make sure she's praised as a hero because she was. she's as much a casualty as anyone else. anguish from her friend. >> with all these asking for lockdown to end, what about us? we didn't sign up for this. >> reporter: now word 28 new york city teachers have died of the virus including 30-year-old ronna zoe mungin, a brooklyn teacher who died monday. her sister, a registered nurse, speak with abc news about her death concerned about how her sister was turned away twice before she was tested for covid-19. >> reporter: nearly 2900 people have died there. half of them in nursing homes but the governor says the spread of the virus finally seems to have plateaued. kenneth and mona, back to you. >> all right, andrea, back to you. >>> next to washington where the white house has unveiled its blueprint for coronavirus testing. it's also responding to new problems with the small business loan program. abc's ines de la cuetara has more. >> reporter: this morning,

lorna breen, 49, a new york hospital medical director, became yet another casualty when she took herwn life on sunday. she had recovered from coronavirus, but some in her family believe she succumbed to the stress of what she witnessed every day. colleagues describe dr. breen on social media as a true friend mpd compassionate warrior and a great emergency physician, great person, and great friend. >> these workers have seen more death than they've ever seen in their entire careers. >> reporter: dr. ayman fanous fears for other healthcare workers. he's head of psychiatry for suny down state. >> i try to give them the message that's important as much as possible to take care of themselves, as well as to be able to express their feelings. >> reporter: he's seen a dramatic increase in the number of doctors and nurses seeking support therapy. >> as we see in war, when you get shot, you might not feel the full impact of the pain right away, but with time, you'll see more and more symptoms, more and more insomnia, possibly flashbacks and nightmares. >> it's too many patients dying >> it's t

lorna breen, dying by suicide. dr. breen had contracted the virus herself, recovered, and gone back to work. her father telling the "times," "make sure she's praised as a hero, because she was." tonight, anguish from her friend dr. debbie yi madhok. >> i originally felt sad, and now i just feel devastated, with all these people who are asking for lockdown to end, what about us? we didn't sign up for this. >> reporter: and in new york today, governor andrew cuomo urging residents stay at home so any gains aren't lost. >> may 15th is when the pause regulations expire statewide. i will extend them in many parts of the state. >> reporter: in other parts of the country, the virus still raging. massachusetts now seeing its surge plateau. the governor announcing nearly 2,900 people have died, a staggering 56% of them in nursing homes. >> the numbers are tough to comprehend, but they illustrate the lethal grip covid-19 can have on seniors. >> reporter: but in one hard-hit state, a reason to cheer. for the first time in 36 days

the front lines the head of the emergency department at new york presbyterian allen hospital dr lorna breen taking her own life her father saying she tried to do her job and it killed her dr brian had a contract of the barras while on the job she returned to work after nearly 2. except recovering her father telling the new york times make sure she is praised a hero because she was reporting in new york trinity chavez r.t. good stuff for trinity european cities are beginning to turn the corner on the coronavirus moscow says it's close but not quite there yet president out of airport they announced that he's going to be pushing back the opening to now may 11th which is about a week or 2 difference from what they had originally planned and germany we just learned are going to start reopening schools monday and then what about paris the latest we go now to paris here is our to correspondent charlotte dubinsky. vance's prime minister has been outlining what next as the country looks to ease the restrictions that have been in place since march 17th from may the 11th some schools will be allowed t

the front lines the head of the emergency department at new york presbyterian allen hospital dr lorna breen taking her own life her father saying she tried to do her job and killed her doctor had contracted the virus while on the job she returned to work after nearly 2 weeks of recovering her father telling the new york times make sure she is praised a hero because she was reporting in new york trinity chavez r.t. and this is the news of rick sanchez and you're watching our continuing special coverage of the coronavirus situation an all news coming in from all 'd over the world we're so glad you're there of we'll be right back. the world is. shaped by those. thinks. we dare to ask. we go to work so you stay home full. we want her back coverage interest many of you want you know sean portable d.v.d. up for all over the world and we're so glad you're there european cities are beginning to turn the corner on the coronavirus small school says it's close not quite there yet president bush today announced this morning that he was going to be pushing the reopening to like may 11th germany though w

the front lines the head of the emergency department at new york presbyterian allan hospital dr lorna breen taking her own life her father saying she tried to do her job and it killed her doctor had a contract at the barras while on the job she returned to work after nearly 2 weeks of recovering her father telling the new york times make sure she was praised a hero because she was reporting in new york trinity chavez r.t. and this is the news of rick sanchez and you're watching our continuing special coverage of the coronavirus situation an all news coming in from all 'd over the world we're so glad you're there and we'll be right back. economic system known as capitalism has generated more wealth than any other system in history in many ways it has defined maternity itself hundreds of millions have been lifted out of poverty however capitalism has also witnessed growing income inequality the appeal of socialism currently on the rise can complement. is you'll media a reflection of reality. in a world transformed. what will make you feel safe. isolation community. are you going the right way

the front lines the head of the emergency department at new york presbyterian allan hospital dr lorna breen taking her own life her father telling the new york times make sure she is praised a hero because she was reporting in new york trinity chavez r.t. and this is the news of rick sanchez if you're watching our continuing special coverage of the coronavirus situation and all news coming in from all 'd over the world we're so glad you're there of we'll be right back. think. time after time called her ration to repeat the same mantra sustainability it's very important to accelerate the transition to sustainable transport sustainability stay in her manner more equitable and sustainable well. they claim that production is completely hamas does need. you to pump us numbers and not to do this not to present companies want us to feel good about buying their products while the damage is being done far away and this is something i'll just keep going to any means i mean let's skip the sun moves in unison we didn't even i'm stymied seemed to be based on that understood look to see when. we go to wo

lorna breen a hero.gency room director at allen hospital returned to work a week and a half after contracting the virus herself, she's a casualty of the pandemic after she died by suicide. in an interview with "the new york times" the father says this to his late daughter. she tried to do her job and it killed her, adding make sure she's praised as a hero because she was. >> with me now dr. rosenthal at western university. welcome. this is just squeezes on your heart, you know? a colleague of dr. breen told the "times" while doctors are familiar, daily and dealing with tragedies, they have to worry about getting sick themselves and getting their family and friends sick and they don't have to treat their co-workers curta kind of mental toll is that taking? >> thank you for having me. this pandemic is flowing us on a curve to what is already a stressful job. it is too early to know that the true toll this is going to take. >> i know that you say the burn out for healthcare workers was already an issue befo

lorna breen died by suicide monday morning.from covid-19 and continuing to care for virus patients and chris cuomo interviewed her father. >> she was a doctor every bit of the word that a doctor should be. she put her life on the line to take care of other people. she was in the trenches, so to speak, right in the front line as people were dying left and right around her and she contracted the virus herself, went home sick. had proven that she did have the virus and, indeed, stayed home for just a little more than a week which i don't think was enough in hindsight. but she -- i think she felt a overwhelming sense of wanting to help her colleagues and her friends who were still fighting the good fight and so she strapped on her hardest and took the bit in her mouth and she went back. and she talked to her -- just before the final 12-hour shift and during the time she was on that shift she basically went down into the trace like a horse that had pulled too heavy a load and couldn't go a step further and just went down. so she wen

lorna breen died saturday morning.he had recovered from covid-19 and was continuing to care for virus patients. cnn's chris cuomo spoke with her father, who said that after she returned to work, the pressure became too great. >> she was a doctor every bit of the word what a doctor should be. she put her life on the line to take care of other people. she was in the trenches, so to speak, right in the front line as people were dying left and right around her. and indeed as you pointed out, she contracted the virus herself, went home sick, had it proven that she did have the virus, and indeed, stayed home for just a little more than a week, which i don't think was enough in hindsight. but i think she felt an overwhelming sense of wanting to help her colleagues and her friends who were still fighting the good fight, and so, she strapped on her hardest and took the bit in her mouth and she went back. and i talked to her just before her final 12-hour shift. and during the time she was on that shift, she basically went down i

lorna breen at new york's presbyterian hospital took her own life.y sense of a word, a hero who gave her life for her friends and city. breen's father, also a doctor, confirming his daughter contracted the disease and survived it. but she had described devastating scenes of the toll the coronavirus took on patients. she tried to do her job and it killed her, her father told "the new york times." she's a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died, life-and-death struggles are part of the job at any hospital, but for many health workers, the coronavirus experience has been more difficult and more emotion emotional. >> i wish i had known the type of emotional havoc this would have caused on my life, the lives of my colleagues and my patients. >> reporter: new york presbyterian releasing a statement overnight saying in part, 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. dr. breen's father agreeing with that sentiment, t

doctor lorna breen. it's important to take care of those who are bearing the brunt of all of this trauma. >> look. we are going to actually deal more with this throughout this hour. we will talk to a former member of congress who is also focused on this. a lot of times ptsd is focused on the military but i think this is the type of impact that will happen to our health care workers here. it's a good angle. we never lead with this angle. we will cover it but we don't lead with it. it was really important to lead with this angle today, to surface this in a way that doesn't always get surfaced. good way to start things off, sadly, but in an important way. katy, thank you. let's get to more of the response issues down in washington. louisiana governor john belle forwards is visiting the white house today and he and the president are discussing the coronavirus. he is the latest governor to visit the white house in recent days following governors desantis and cuomo. everybody learning to keep the president fro

lorna breen worked 18 hours a day for weeks before she, herself, came down with the virus. says she took just a week and a half off before then returning to work, but then she was hospitalized with exhaustion. after being released to stay with her family, police say she died from self-inflicted injuries. her father says she died a hero working in the trenches against coronavirus. if you or someone you know is struggling during this hard time, there is help. call the national suicide prevention hotline at 800-273-8255. we'll be right back. america's oldest lighthouse has weathered many storms. seeing the break in the clouds before anyone else. together, we'll weather this storm. petsmart has everything your pet needs delivered directly to your door. or save 10% when you buy online and pick up in store... now with curbside pickup. shop petsmart.com or download our mobile app today. you should be mad your neighbor always wants to hang out. and you should be mad your smart fridge is unnecessarily complicated. make ice. making ice. but you're not mad because you have e*trade whi

lorna breen was the medical director of the emergency department at new york-presbyterian allen hospitalut had been staying with her family in virginia at the time of her death. she herself had contracted the coronavirus and had to leave her position to recover from the illness. her family blames her job for her death. her father said in an interview she has described harrowing scenes from the hospital. "make sure she's praised as a hero, because she was," her father, dr. philip breen, said in an interview, adding "she's a casualty just as much asas anyoe else who has died.d." and in virginia, jerry givens, a prominent anti-death penalty activist, who was once also the state's chief executioner, has died from complications related to covid-19. givens served as virginia's chief executioner for over 25 years. but after serving his own prison sentence, he became an outspoken abolitionist, speaking out against capital punishment and contacting politicians in an attempt to halt executions. he was 67 years old. and those are some of the headlines. this is s democracacy now!, democracynow.org,

doctor lorna breen was just 49 years old. thanks for joining u.s.. attorney and i'm ken wayne and i'm pam moore and even at this very hour countless doctors and nurses are working around the clock to protect lives from the coronavirus governor newsome tweeted today there are now more than 46,000 confirmed cases of covid-19 across california about 3500 of them are in hospitals with about 1200 people in intensive care units force gayle ong joins us live now with ways that doctors and nurses and other hospital staff. >>can help better take care of themselves during this pandemic scale. >>pam and ken the coronavirus has been described as an invisible war and medical experts say a lot of what health care workers are seeing is similar to what members of the military sees in combat anyone in the business to heal and care it is okay to reach out for help. >>anybody who's a who's providing health care is under stress. and deserves mental health support and hope they will take the time and trouble to get it doctor david spiegel is a professor and associate cha

lorna breen who treated covid patients at a hospital, got covid herself and took her own life.nd the clock to help a number of patients took a heavy toll. >> she had 12-hour shifts, and when she finished, she said i can't leave. nobody is leaving. i have to stay and help. and i kept telling my sister, if you can't function, you can't help anybody. you have to sleep. you to rest. she didn't want to give up. she would not give up. she would not let it break her, which of course it did. >> even before the virus, health care workers had high rates of burnout. in a study nearly 44% of physicians reported burnout symptoms. joining me is dr. collin west, professor of medicine at mayo clinic. he has studied well-being, stress, burnout in health care workers for more than 15 years. dr. west, i know that there are systems in place where you try to keep health care workers from getting too emotionally attached. for instance, i remember when my own father was in the intensive care unit, they made sure the rotation in intensive care was in such a way where the goal was no medical worker wou

lorna breen. she was a front line manhattan emergency room doctor who contracted the coronavirus. died by suicide days later. this morning our nbc news colleague savannah guthrie spoke to her sister. >> what did she say about what it was like in her hospital? >> she said it was like armageddon. she said there are so many sick people everywhere. she said people are just dying in the waiting room before they even get in. there aren't enough hookups for the oxygen to help them. they're not getting admitted fast enough. you know, we can't keep up. she had 12-hour shifts. and when she finished, she said i can't leave. nobody's leaving. i have to stay and help. and i kept telling my sister, you know, you can't -- if you can't function, you can't help anybody. you have to sleep. you have to rest. she didn't want to give up. she would not give up. she would not let it break her, which, of course, it did. >> i know that's one of the reasons why you're talking to me today is because you want to help, and you want to put this country on notice that their health care workers need care too. >>

lorna breen, died by suicide. dr. breen had contracted the virus herself, recovered, and went back to work. her father telling "the new york times," make sure she's praised as a hero, because she was. another painful reminder it is far from over. another headline we want to mention this morning involves colleges and universities, so many wondering if they will be open in the fall. one major university, harvard, with a very blunt assessment saying they will be open this fall, but the learning, all of it or some of it, would be done remotely. michael? >> thank you so much there, tom. >>> as some states relax lockdowns there's concern about re-opening colleges and universities around the country this fall. joining us is purdue university president mitch daniels, also a former governor of indiana who last week announced plans to welcome students back to the campus this fall. thank you so much for joining us this morning. you described purdue as a city of more than 50,000. so how can you re-open the school safely? >> we'll

lorna breen, an emergency room doctor at new york's presbyterian hospital took her own life her fathery sense of the word a hero who gave her life for her friends and city breen's father, also a doctor, confirming his daughter had contracted the disease and survived it. but she had described devastating scenes of the toll the coronavirus took on patients she tried to do her job, and it her father told "new york times. she's a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died life and death struggles are part of the job at any hospital, but for many health workers, the coronavirus experience has been more difficult and more emotional. >> i wish i had known the type of emotional havoc this would have caused on my life, the lives of my colleagues and my patients. >> reporter: new york presbyterian releasing a statement overnight, saying in part, 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. dr. breen's father agreeing with that sentiment, telling nbc news, like