WORK IS ONGOING TO WASHINGTON
TO HELP MEDICAL SUPPLY
SHORTAGES DOCTORS ON THE FRONT
LINE OF THE CORONAVIRUS
OUTBREAK ARE LIVING IT
INCLUDING DR. NASIA SAFDAR FROM
MADISON.
SHE IS A PROFESSOR OF
INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND JOINS US
NOW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
WE KNOW YOUR HOSPITAL TREATED
THE FIRST AND TODAY THE ONLY
PERSON WITH CORONAVIRUS WHO HAS
NOW RECOVERED.
BUT INCREASING NUMBER OF TESTS
ARE BEING DONE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION AS TO
THE PROGRESSION OR HOW THIS
DEVELOPS?
>> I THINK WE'RE SEEING GLOBAL
SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
EVERY DAY THERE IS INCREASING
NUMBER OF CASES BEING REPORTED.
IT SEEMS INEVITABLE IT WILL
ARRIVE HERE AS WELL.
>> YOUR HOSPITAL HAS INSTITUTED
ITS PREPAREDNESS PLAN INCLUDING
A HOTLINE NUMBER WHICH WE WANT
TO JUST PUT UP ON THE SCREEN
THAT IS 608-720-5300.
WHO SHOULD USE THAT HOTLINE?
WHAT IS IT FOR?
>> GENERALLY IT'S FOR THE
PUBLIC UW HEALTH PATIENTS AND
THOSE THAT HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHETHER THEIR SYMPTOMS NEED TO
BE EVALUATED OR IF THEY HAVE
PARTICULAR CONCERNS ABOUT
TRAVEL AND SYMPTOMS.
>> AND HOW DOES THAT WORK?
IF SOMEONE FEELS THEY NEED TO
BE SEEN THE EXPECTATION IS THAT
THEY WOULDN'T JUST WALK INTO
THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
>> WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE BEST
CARE POSSIBLE IN ALL SETTINGS.
WE RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE CALL
FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE IS TO EVALUATE WHETHER ONE
REALLY NEEDS TO BE SEEN, ARE
THE SYMPTOMS MILD THEY WOULD
RECOVER ON THEIR OWN.
THE OTHER IS TO PREPARE THE
HEALTH SYSTEM AND HEALTHCARE
WORKERS TO RECEIVE THEM AND
PROVIDE THE SAFEST CARE
POSSIBLE.
>> YOU MUST HAVE HAD THROUGH
YOUR HOSPITAL AND EMERGENCY
ROOM SOME OF THESE PEOPLE
COMING IN SUSPECTING THAT THEY
HAD THIS VIRUS.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
HOW DOES THAT PROTOCOL WORK IN
TERMS OF BEING PREPARED FOR
THAT?
>> I THINK THE PROTOCOL WORKS
IS THAT WE FIRST SCREEN TO SEE
WHAT THE RISK IS OF COVID-19.
SINCE WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY
ADDITIONAL CASES IN WISCONSIN
WE'RE FOCUSING ON TRAVEL AND
EXPOSURE TO KNOWN CASES TO THE
EXTENT THE PATIENT MAY BE AWARE
OF.
IF THERE IS SUCH A RISK, THEN
WE PLACE THEM IN THESE PRIVATE
ROOMS THAT ARE NEGATIVE
PRESSURE ROOMS AS RECOMMENDED
BY THE CDC, HEALTHCARE WORKERS
WITH GOWN AND GLOVE AND PUT ON
A RESPIRATOR AND ASSESS THEM.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE FOCUSING ON
DIAGNOSTIC TESTING FOR COVID-19
OTHER VIRUSES NEED TO BE TESTED
FOR.
>> YOUR PLAN CONCERNS
CONSERVING MASS,, GLOVES, HAND
SANITIZER.
WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE STOCKS
IN YOUR HOSPITAL OF THESE
THINGS AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING
TO CONSERVE?
>> I THINK FROM THE
PREPAREDNESS STANDPOINT.
THERE ARE A FEW PATIENTS AND A
FEW MORE THAN THAT AND A TRUE
SURGE.
THE WAY WE CONSERVE THE
EQUIPMENT IS THAT ORDINARILY IF
THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF A
SHORTAGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT
YOU WOULD USE A MASK, A
RESPIRATOR FOR HEALTHCARE
WORKERS, USE IT FOR ONE
ENCOUNTER AND DISPOSE OF IT.
THE CDC HAS GUIDANCE HOW TO
EXTEND THE LIFE OF THEM BY
REUSING THEM FOR THE SAME
PATIENT IN MULTIPLE ENCOUNTERS.
WE HAVE INSTITUTED THAT.
WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ONLY
ESSENTIAL PEOPLE ENTER THE ROOM
TO PRESERVE THINGS THAT SK
INSTITUTED AS WELL.
KEEPING AN EYE ON INVENTORY AND
AUDITING TO MAKE SURE USAGE IS
GOING AS PLANNED.
>> DO YOU HAVE SHORTAGES OF
I.V. BAGS AND MEDICINE?
>> AT THE MOMENT IT DOESN'T
SEEM TO BE THE KAI.S AS THINGS
PROGRESS AND ESCALATE WE'LL
KEEP AN EYE ON THOSE THINGS AS
WELL.
>> TERMS OF ESCALATION AND
PROGRESSION WHAT CONCERNS DO
YOU HAVE OF STAFF SHORTAGES IN
THE EVENT OF A WIDESPREAD
OUTBREAK?
>> OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE
EXPERIENCED IT STAFF SHORTAGES
ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR IF THERE
ARE A NUMBER OF CASES IN THE
HEALTH SYSTEM AND TO BE ABLE TO
PLAN FOR THAT.
IT MEANS BEING FLEXIBLE AND
CREATIVE IN THINKING HOW BEST
CAN THE WORKFORCE BE PUT TO USE.
IF A HEALTHCARE WORKER NEEDS TO
BE OUT OF WORK BECAUSE THEY
WERE EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY WITH MEDICINE CAN
CONTINUE.
INDIVIDUALS MAY WILL THINK
ABOUT BEING FLEXIBLE AND DO
DIFFERENT WORK.
MD TRAINED PHYSICIANS WE CAN BE
FLEXIBLE IN WORK.
ASK OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
WORKFORCE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOCTOR,
FOR