Due to continued surges of COVID-19 across the U.S. the mental health impact on health care workers has in some cases escalated to diagnoses of PTSD, Reuters reports. Hospital employees, including VA hospital ICU nurse Chris Prott, have experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress as current surges of the delta variant bring back memories of 2020. But after working with veterans also living with PTSD, Prott struggled to validate his own experience with the disorder. “On the surface, a nurse at your local hospital will not look like a guy coming back from Afghanistan,” said psychiatrist Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. “But underneath it all, we have these core neurobiology-determined functions that are the same.” Hospitals and national health organizations are pursuing solutions like support groups and increased confidentiality for those seeking treatment as they try to stymie further staff shortages.