A video of a woman identified as an ICU nurse near Chicago went viral after she claimed she quit her job treating coronavirus patients due to an alleged lack of personal protective equipment.
This week, her account has been called into question by a growing number of social media critics.
The woman, who has been named in news reports as Imaris Vera, is seen crying in the video and saying “America is not prepared and nurses are not being protected” from the virus.
She claimed the hospital, which she did not name, was short on supplies, but required her to come into contact with coronavirus patients.
The video was shared in a tweet by CBS News on Sunday with a caption: “This nurse had to make a difficult decision in order to protect herself and her family members with pre-existing conditions.”
In tears, a nurse says she quit her job after she was asked to work in a coronavirus ICU without a face mask: “America is not prepared, and nurses are not being protected” https://t.co/ywoSuLOPYP pic.twitter.com/S5BsnlO5nt
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 5, 2020
On Monday, several Twitter accounts shared the tweet from CBS News and questioned the accuracy of the claims.
CBS News Posts Misleading Video Of Nurse Crying Over Poor Working Conditions
She says she was assigned to a COVID patient and “none of the nurses are wearing masks”
Her claims were not vetted by @CBSNews & got reposted by @BernieSanders https://t.co/8eN2fBL862
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) April 6, 2020
Jussie Smollett all over again. No thanks. https://t.co/Sxe9NCIuwe
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) April 6, 2020
So it turns out this video is entirely fraudulent. https://t.co/2axIrXK4LA
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) April 6, 2020
CBS News did not immediately respond to a request from the Washington Examiner asking how the outlet vetted the woman’s claims. Trusted Health, which is listed as her place of work according to what appears to be her Facebook page, also did not respond to a request for comment.
Sen. Bernie Sanders shared the video Sunday, saying “It is insane that our nurses are being forced to care for the sick without masks and respirators.”
“The Department of Labor must immediately issue emergency workplace standards to protect our health workers, their families, and their patients,” Sanders said.
It is insane that our nurses are being forced to care for the sick without masks and respirators. The Department of Labor must immediately issue emergency workplace standards to protect our health workers, their families, and their patients. https://t.co/Z8dWqtxz5X
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) April 5, 2020
