COUNTY FOR STATE OFFICIALS. THEY ARE HOLDING GROUPS OF 10
KIDS PER CLASSROOM AND ON THE
PLAY GROUND.
PLAY GROUND. >>> HOUSTON IS HOME TO THE
LARGEST MOST ROBUST MEDICAL
CENTER IN THE WORLD SO YOU’D
THINK OUR REGION WOULD BE READY
FOR THE INFLUX OF CORONAVIRUS
PATIENTS, RIGHT?
PATIENTS, RIGHT? >> DO WE HAVE ENOUGH BEDS?
WHERE WILL ALL THESE PATIENTS
GO.
GO. ONE ISOLATION UNIT, WE BRING YOU
THOSE ANSWERS.
THOSE ANSWERS. >> THIS IS ONE OF OUR ROOMS WE
CONVERTED INTO AN ISOLATION
ROOM.
ROOM. >> IT’S A SEALED OFF MEDICAL
UNIT ORIGINALLY BUILT TO DEAL
WITH THE DEADLY EBOLA CRISIS.
THESE SPECIAL ISOLATION ROOMS
WILL BE USED TO TREAT
CORONAVIRUS VICTIMS IN HOUSTON.
LOCATED IN KATEY, THE
STATE-OF-THE-ART ISOLATION UNIT
USES HUGE AIR PURPOSING MACHINES
LIKE THIS ONE TO CONSTANTLY PUMP
VIRUS CAN TAM NAILED AIR OUT OF
THE HOSPITAL AND AWAY FROM
PATIENTS AND MEDICAL STAFF.
>> WHAT WE’VE DONE IS ADD ADD
NEGATIVE PRESSURE MACHINE IN
HERE WHICH BASICALLY SUCCESS THE
AIR OUT OF THE ROOM AND VENT
LATHES IT OUTSIDE.
>> ALL THE AIR THAT GOES INTO
THE ROOM IS SUCKED OUT AND SENT
OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE. >> THE IDEA IS TO KEEP THE GERMS
AND THE AIR FROM GETTING INSIDE
THE REST OF THE HOSPITAL.
>> AT THIS POINT, ARE YOU
WORRIED YOU MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH
BEDS TO TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE
THAT COULD BE FLOODING IN HERE?
>> YES, WE’RE TAKING PROACTIVE
MEASURES AND DEVELOPING ANOTHER
UNIT THAT WOULD GIVE US ANOTHER
22 BEDS TO CARE FOR THESE
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. >> LOADED WITH EQUIPMENT
DESIGNED TO TREAT PATIENTS
SUFFERING FROM THE CORONAVIRUS
WHO WILL NEED PULMONARY CARE,
THIS HIGHLY IN EFFECT OURS
DISEASE UNIT IS EQUIPPED WITH 20
BEDS.
BEDS. WE’LL HAVE FIVE DOCTORS, ALL
PULMONARY CRITICAL CARE EXPERTS.
METHODIST IS WORKING TO OPEN A
SECOND UNIT AT THE SAME LOCATION
OFFERING AN ADDITIONAL 22 BEDS
WHICH WILL GIVE METHODISTS 42
ISOLATION ROOMS TOTAL AT THIS
HOSPITAL LOCATION ALONE.
THIS UNIT WILL NOT OPEN FOR A
COUPLE MORE WEEKS BUT METHODIST
IS ALREADY TREATING CORONAVIRUS
PATIENTS IN ISOLATION ROOMS AT
METHODIST HOSPITAL IN THE
MEDICAL CENTER.
MEDICAL CENTER. >> HOW MANY PATIENTS HO HAVE THE
CORONAVIRUS ARE YOU TREATING
RIGHT NOW?
RIGHT NOW? >> LAST TIME I CHECKED, IT WAS
12.
12. >> WHERE ARE THEY BEING TREATED?
NORTHEAST IN THE MEDICAL CENTER
BUT OTHERS IN THE HOSPITAL
CENTERS ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
>> 16 CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS ARE
BEING TREATED, 12 PRESUMPTIVE
AND FOUR CONFIRMED CORONAVIRUS
PATIENTS CONFIRMED BY THE CDC.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALL OF
THE TECHNICIANS, DOCTORS AND
NURSES WILL BE WEARING, IT GOES
ON LIKE THIS.
THIS FEEDS PRESSURIZED FRESH AIR
INTO THE MASK WHICH KEEPS THE
PATH AGAINS AWAY FROM WHOEVER’S
WEARING IT.
WEARING IT. >> AGAIN, THIS ISOLATION UNIT IS
NOT OPEN FOR PATIENTS YET, BUT
METHODIST HOPES TO HAVE IT READY
TO GO WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
WHAT ABOUT HOUSTON AS A WHOLE?
IN YOUR OPINION, DO YOU THINK
THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS ENOUGH
FACILITIES RIGHT NOW SET UP TO
HANDLE WHAT COULD BE A LARGE
INFLUX OF PEOPLE WITH THIS VIRUS
COMING IN TO BE TREATED?
>> THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, THE
CITY, THE COUNTIES ARE ALL
WORKING TOGETHER CLOSELY TO MAKE
SURE WE CAN ADDRESS THIS
CONCERN.
CONCERN. >> DO YOU WORRY THERE WILL NOT
BE ENOUGH FACILITIES RIGHT NOW?
>> I WOULD WORRY IF THERE IS A
BIG IN FLUX THERE IS NOT ENOUGH
FACILITIES.
FACILITIES. WE ARE WORKING ON CAPACITY PLANS
AND HOW TO BEST TAKE CARE OF THE
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. >> WITH THE TOTAL NUMBER OF
CORONAVIRUS CASES STANDING NOW
AT 31 FOR THE HOUSTON AREA, THAT
MEANS THAT HOUSTON METH DIVIDE
HOSPITAL ARE RIGHT NOW TREATING
OVER 50% OF THOSE CORONAVIRUS
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. THAT HIGHLY INFECTIOUS UNIT IS
IN KATY AT THE HOUSTON METHODIST
CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL.
>> HOW ABOUT MOBILE TESTING LABS
FOR THE CORONAVIRUS?
IS METHODIST WORKING ON OPENING
ANY ONE OF THOSE.
>> THEY CERTAINLY ARE, METHODIST
IS WORKING TO OPEN AT LEAST
THREE MOBILE LABS, ONE IN THE
PARKING LOT OF THE HOSPITAL YOU
JUST SAW IN OUR STAIR, ONE IN
BAY TOWN AND THE THIRD AT JOSIE