I’ve worked the coronavirus front line — and I say it’s time to start opening up

New York Post ^ | April 27, 2020 | Daniel G. Murphy

[CheshireTheCat]

I’m an emergency physician at St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx. I have been in the ER every day these last few weeks, either supervising or providing direct care. I contracted a COVID-19 infection very early in the outbreak, as did two of my daughters, one of whom is a nurse. We are all well, thank God.

COVID-19 has been the worst health-care disaster of my 30-year ­career, because of its intensity, duration and potential for lasting impact. The lasting impact is what worries me the most. And it’s why I now believe we should end the lockdown and rapidly get back to work.

[CheshireTheCat]

Yet another ER doctor weighs in--we need a few dozen more to also.

[going hot]

Preach it!

[jmacusa]

I work for Barnabas Health in an ER in NJ. I'm not a doctor but everything this doctor has said about the patient case load and the onset and abatement of the way Covid came on and then tapered off is true. It's time to get back to work and end this ridiculous, counter productive lock down.

[goodnesswins]

Someone tell the scare monger politicians.

[Paradox]

Its good to hear from this guy, definitely no flubro.

[MinorityRepublican]

Time to open up on May 1st. By now our medical system should be resupplied.

[PGR88]

We usually average 240 patients a day. For the last week, we averaged fewer than 100. That means our patients in this diverse, low-income community are afraid to come to the ER for non-COVID care. Gotham-wide, the number of 911 ambulance runs declined to 3,320 on April 18, down from a peak of 6,527 on March 30, according to New York Fire Department data. The current nadir is significantly below the average. Meanwhile, our pediatric volume in the ER has practically disappeared.

Beyond Covid-19, this is telling me that a large part of American health-care, particularly in places like NY City, is wasteful expenditure.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

It tells me all these deferred procedures, surgeries, and other things are going to bite us on the ass in a few months.

[Basket_of_Deplorables]

SSounds awful. Hmm...so it stormed through in about 6 weeks? Like that Israeli doc said...?

[Basket_of_Deplorables]

“It’s time to get back to work and end this ridiculous, counter productive lock down.”

Thank you. For all.

[21twelve]

According to the Chinese - it stormed through Wuhan in about 6 weeks.

The first phase of the 1918 Swine flu stormed through in about 6 weeks the first time in the fall of 1918 in the USA.

And then another, lesser round in the spring of 1919 for about 4 weeks.

Social distancing was used in some cities back then. It kept the number of deaths down per week, but prolonged it. But they avoided the over-runs at the hospitals.

I would be considered a Fearper I suppose, but it is time for things to open up and for folks to decide for themselves on what is “essential” business or not.