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babylonsister

(171,075 posts) Sat Apr 18, 2020, 05:38 PM Apr 2020

'They're Coming Back To The Hospital Sicker': Boston ER Doctor...

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/04/17/coronavirus-boston-er-doctor-seeing-repeat-coronavirus-patients/?fbclid=IwAR3RCrmJ18ThLN92Zw7h17VN-hBhFvoMobdvRYcBO7ha-uz1ZfORhIzWvoQ

‘They’re Coming Back To The Hospital Sicker’: Boston ER Doctor Seeing Repeat Coronavirus Hospitalizations
April 17, 2020 at 5:09 pm

BOSTON (CBS) – A Boston emergency room doctor working on the front lines to fight the coronavirus epidemic says his hospital is seeing a new trend – repeat patients.

Dr. Jon Santiago, who is also a state representative, works in the ER at Boston Medical Center. While Massachusetts is in the midst of its surge in cases, Dr. Santiago said that from what he’s seeing, protocols put in place to flatten the curve are helping.

When we spoke with him two weeks ago, Santiago told us that BMC briefly ran out of ICU beds during a spike in admissions and homeless patients. He said that is not the case right now, and there are ICU beds open. However, some of those earlier patients are now coming back.

“Over the last week we’ve seen an interesting phenomenon where people who’ve been initially diagnosed a week ago, they’re coming back to the hospital sicker and often requiring a ventilator or the ICU,” Santiago told WBZ. “That just demonstrates how insidious the virus can be.”

This weekend he will be assigned to work in the Boston Hope field hospital at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, where he said there are currently 40 to 50 COVID-19 patients.

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'They're Coming Back To The Hospital Sicker': Boston ER Doctor... (Original Post) babylonsister Apr 2020 OP

So they come in with the symptoms, get diagnosed and sent home. Then they can come back LizBeth Apr 2020 #1

I've read previously that EarlG Apr 2020 #2

That is what I have read. That is about the time the virus decides if it can attack the lungs. LizBeth Apr 2020 #3

Agreed. Fits one of the common patterns. Nt lostnfound Apr 2020 #4

LizBeth

(9,952 posts)

1. So they come in with the symptoms, get diagnosed and sent home. Then they can come back

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 05:41 PM

Apr 2020

to the hospital when it gets worse, which is exactly what we hear this disease do. So not sounding like this is a major event. It is the given, with what the virus is. They are not saying they recovered and then got it again.

EarlG

(21,956 posts)

2. I've read previously that

Reply to LizBeth (Reply #1)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 05:44 PM

Apr 2020

around day 10 is when it really kicks in for a lot of people, and folks often feel like they're getting better before that. Presumably that's what's going on here.

LizBeth

(9,952 posts)

3. That is what I have read. That is about the time the virus decides if it can attack the lungs.

Reply to EarlG (Reply #2)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 05:47 PM

Apr 2020

lostnfound

(16,186 posts)

4. Agreed. Fits one of the common patterns. Nt

Reply to LizBeth (Reply #1)

Sat Apr 18, 2020, 05:54 PM

Apr 2020

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