This was not a drill and it was not easy, but health care professionals responded as they always do to provide compassionate and innovative care to save lives.
Lessons learned are invaluable. Here are just a few examples of what providers have done so far:
- Created better ways to prepare for an epidemic or pandemic
- Created new ways to stage for testing that safeguards caregivers
- Power-partnered with area private sector companies to source PPE
- Adopted telehealth as the safe way to communicate with patients infected with the coronavirus and set-up virtual visits with family for patients
- Improved patient outcomes of the critically ill by placing them on their stomachs to relieve pressure on the lungs and heart
- Recognized many frail older patients with low blood oxygen needed respiration, but not a ventilator
- Shared treatment insights with doctors at other facilities
The private sector of America delivered quickly, creating several new tests for the coronavirus. This included the breakthrough Abbott 5-minute swab test and a new saliva-based test. Also, several manufacturing companies switched production to make ventilators, PPE, and hand sanitizer.
Pharmaceutical companies are working on a potential coronavirus vaccine. In addition, they are full-speed ahead developing new therapeutics.
The three-phase Federal Task Force Plan to reopen the economy stipulates states must meet recovery benchmarks in each phase of the plan. Also, the Plan mandates states have adequate testing in-place for the virus, and implement isolation and contact tracing measures to reduce any new spread.
As many as 29 states will reopen on or about May 1 since they have already met the Phase One requirement. The remaining states will begin to reopen their economies as soon as they satisfy the Phase One benchmarks.
There will be time when the outbreak is over to drill down to the facts about the coronavirus, and why China and the WHO each failed to notify the world when the outbreak initially began.
One thing we know with certainty is that our health care system has performed admirably to combat this new virus. Well done!!