By Mary O’KEEFE

The recent surge in positive COVID-19 cases has once again put those on the front lines of the pandemic preparing for more hospital admission cases.
Director of the USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Emergency Services David Tashman, MD, has seen more patients testing positive for COVID-19 coming into the hospital.

“It is [about] 10 times what it was a month ago,” he said.

He added that the areas of Glendale, La Crescenta and La Cañada have been in a type of cocoon area where cases have not yet been extremely overwhelming like those of other hospitals. He has spoken with colleagues at hospitals in Los Angeles and Simi Valley who have told him they have been and are now overwhelmed by this third wave of the pandemic.

After months of dealing with COVID-19, putting on the masks and other PPE [personal protective equipment] is just a natural thing.

“It’s become a ritual at home,” he said. His wife is also a physician and they have one child. “When I get home I undress in the laundry room, everything goes into the laundry and I go straight into the shower.”

He has work shoes that he leaves outside the house.

“It is getting tough for everyone. And everyone is tired, just sick of it, but it’s what we have to do,” he said. “Everyone wishes it would just go away but that’s not going to happen.”

One thing that especially frustrates him is when a person comes in with symptoms and tests positive for COVID-19. “And they tell me they didn’t think this was real until now.”

Some people did not believe in the severity of or the reality of the pandemic – until they ended up in the emergency room. They are treated like any other patients, he added, but it is frustrating. He wants people to know that this pandemic is real and that wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and washing hands are important things to do to control the spread of the virus.
“We are seeing a lot of families,” he said who are testing positive.

And flu season is here, although California usually gets the brunt of the season in January and February.

“It is too early to say what [this flu season will be like]. There are two theories: one is that it is going to be mild,” he said. “It was mild in Australia.”

Australia is a good gauge because the country is south of the equator. It already experienced the flu season whereas the United States is entering it.

The second theory, Tashman said, is there may be more co-infections of people getting the flu and COVID-19.

“And that would be very serious,” he added.

When asked what people can do for those on the frontline, he replied, “Just believe what you are being told. Wear a mask in public … I will be happy not to see you.”

Wearing a mask is also the advice of Manny Khodadadi, RN at USC-VHH. As this third wave begins his advice echoes Tashman’s.

Khodadadi has another concern though and that is those who are afraid to come to the ER when they need to.

“I am concerned the community is afraid to go to their local hospital for fear of being exposed to [COVID],” he said. “They wait if they have chest pains [for example] and they wait too long.”

He added that patients who may have had a heart attack or show signs of a stroke might not come in when experiencing symptoms. With these two medical conditions the earlier treatment is provided the better the outcome for the patient.

USC-VHH is safe for all to enter. The staff has taken precautions to make certain COVID-19 patients are separated from all other patients.

“We have expanded the ER, and have learned so much in the past months,” he said. He added if it were he who needed to go to the ER he would not hesitate.

“I would feel safe here,” he added.

iPads are also being used to help with patient care and comfort.
“The iPads provided to us have been a great addition to our patient care. Due to the strict visitor policies put in place at the start of the COVID pandemic, our patients are usually alone in their rooms for the majority of their stay. They are able to communicate with family/friends through FaceTime on the iPads,” said Patch Cunanan, RN, a nurse who works on one of the USC-VHH floors with COVID-19 patients. “Some may stay on FaceTime for hours at a time to combat the loneliness they feel in the hospital. Overall, patients are more satisfied with their stay due to these resources given to us.”

Next week CVW will visit how the community and individuals have helped those at local hospitals including USC-VHH and what more can be done.