IT CERTAINLY WON’T BE THE WAY IT IS NOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE SHUTTING
SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS. >> NBC’S TOM COSTELLO REPORTING
THERE.
THERE. WE’RE NOW JOINED BY SOMEONE WHO
IS ON THE FRONT LINES OF ALL OF
THIS.
THIS. WE HAVE ON THE PHONE, A CRITICAL
CARE CARDIOLOGIST AT COLUMBIA
UNIVERSITY CENTER IN NEW YORK
CITY.
CITY. WE KNOW IT’S A BUSY TIME,
DOCTOR, THANK YOU.
LET’S GET RIGHT IN, CAN YOU GIVE
US AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU’RE SEEING
DAY TO DAY IN THE INTENSIVE CARE
UNIT THERE.
UNIT THERE. >> HI, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IS
PRETTY INTENSE.
PRETTY INTENSE. WE’RE SEEING THE SICKEST OF THE
SICK PEOPLE WITH COVID, PEOPLE
WHO HAVE ACUTE RESPIRATORY
DISTRESS, PNEUMONIA.
DISTRESS, PNEUMONIA. PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE ICU IS
COVID AT THIS POINT.
>> SEEING THE FACT THAT DATA
SHOWING AFRICAN-AMERICANS SEEM
TO BE DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTED BY THIS DISEASE.
THIS MORNING DR. BIRX TALKED
WITH SAVANNAH AND SHE SAID SHE
DOESN’T THINK AFRICAN-AMERICANS
ARE NECESSARILY MORE SUSCEPTIBLE
TO INFECTION BUT THE
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS CAUSING
THE PROBLEMS.
THE PROBLEMS. CAN YOU WEIGH IN ON THIS?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. SO I WORK IN A COMMUNITY THAT’S
PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY AS WELL.
WE ARE SEEING A LARGE NUMBER OF
MINORITY PATIENTS.
MINORITY PATIENTS. UNFORTUNATELY I WOULD PROBABLY
AGREE WITH DR. BIRX.
WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION
TO KNOW WHO IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE
AND WHO ISN’T OTHER THAN AGE AND
PRIOR RISK FACTORS.
WE KNOW THAT THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AND
OTHER MINORITY COMMUNITIES THAT
SUFFER FROM POVERTY, LACK OF
ACCESS TO GOOD MEDICAL CARE HAVE
MORE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
LIKE HYPERTENSION, DIABETES,
OBESITY AND THOSE DISEASES
CERTAINLY PREDISPOSE TO MORE
INFECTION WITH CORONAVIRUS.
>> IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE
THERE ARE ALSO REPORTS THAT MEN
SEEM TO BE DYING AT A HIGHER
RATE THAN WOMEN.
I’M SURE TOO SOON ON THAT AS
WELL.
WELL. >> YOU KNOW, AGAIN, EVERYBODY IS
SCRAMBLING QUICKLY TO DO AS MUCH
RESEARCH ON THIS AS WE CAN.
WE HAVE SEEN A LARGE NUMBER OF
MEN AS WELL.
IN ORDER TO CONFIRM THAT’S TRUE,
WE DEFINITELY NEED THE DATA.
SO LUCKILY WE HAVE INCREDIBLE
DOCTORS, SCIENTISTS, WHO HAVE
GOTTEN TO WORK VERY QUICKLY AND
PUTTING TOGETHER THESE STUDIES
FAST SO WE CAN HAVE MORE
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. >> DOCTOR, HOW IS IT THAT THIS
DISEASE CAN IMPACT PEOPLE SO
DIFFERENTLY.
DIFFERENTLY. IS IT A FACT THERE ARE DIFFERENT
STRAINS?
STRAINS? SOME PEOPLE ARE IN INTENSIVE
CARE, OTHERS SPEND ABOUT A WEEK
AT HOME AND THEY ARE OKAY.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AT ALL?
>> I THINK IT’S A GREAT
QUESTION.
QUESTION. WE’RE ASKING OURSELVES THE SAME
THING EVERY DAY.
WHY IS IT THAT ONE PERSON IN
THEIR 40s, WHO IS A MARATHON
RUNNER, CAN BECOME CRITICALLY
ILL AND A 75-YEAR-OLD NURSING
HOME PATIENT CAN RECOVER.
WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. DIFFERENT THEORIES.
DIFFERENT THEORIES. A STRAIN, HOW MUCH VIRAL LOAD
YOU ARE INITIALLY EXPOSED TO.
ARE DOCTORS WHO HAD KPOUR TO
INTUBATION AND VENTILATION MORE
AT RISK BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE
AEROSOLIZATION, SOMETHING WITH
YOUR OWN IMMUNE SYSTEM WE DON’T
UNDER.
UNDER. THIS IS ALL BEING EXPLORED.
EVERY PATIENT THAT COMES IN GETS
A HUGE SLEW OF LABS DRAWN
REGULARLY, WHAT WE CALL A COVID
LAB SET.
LAB SET. WE’RE CHECKING INFLAMMATORY, TO
SEE ARE SOME PEOPLE MORE
SUSCEPTIBLE BECAUSE THEY MAKE
MORE CYTOKINES.
MORE CYTOKINES. WE DON’T UNDERSTAND, IT’S TOO
SOON.
SOON. >> ON A PERSONAL NOTE, DOCTORS,
YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN, YOU’VE
MADE A DIFFICULT DECISION TO
STAY AWAY FROM THEM FOR A WHILE.
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE AT HOME
TO KNOW?
TO KNOW? >> I’VE SEEN IN NEW YORK CITY
PEOPLE GOING OUTSIDE AND RUNNING
AND TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THE WARM WEATHER, AND I AGREE
IT’S BEAUTIFUL OUT NOW AND
STARTING TO CHANGE.
BUT FOR THE SAKE OF ALL THE
PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINES, IT’S
SO IMPORTANT TO STAY HOME.
WE ARE MAKING BIG SACRIFICES AND
PEOPLE ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES.
NOT JUST DOCTORS AND NURSES,
GARBAGE MEN, RESPIRATORY
THERAPISTS, NURSES.
THERAPISTS, NURSES. THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED
IN DELIVERING THIS KIND OF
HEALTH CARE AND SUPPORTING OUR
COMMUNITIES.
COMMUNITIES. EVEN DELIVERY PEOPLE.
SO FOR THEIR SAKE, JUST STAY
HOME AND TRY TO KEEP THE SPREAD
LOW.
LOW. >> PERFECTLY SAID, DR. JENNIFER