NYC emergency physician: Coronavirus cases rising, we need 'more of everything'
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New York City hospitals are headed toward a critical "inflection point" at which they will run out of emergency equipment and critical supplies as they treat a rising number of COVID-19 patients, a local emergency doctor said Friday.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends," Dr. Allon Mordel -- attending physician at NYU Langone and Bellevue Hospital Center's emergency departments -- said that as some of the nation's best hospitals are hit by waves of incoming coronavirus cases, there is nothing they do not need.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I can't tell you on the citywide level what the exact need is," Mordel said.
"I can tell you that cases are still rising. We are seeing more and more people. And, if resources stay limited, it's obviously going to -- there is going to be an inflection point in which we run out."
The demand for safety equipment in New York City, the current epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, has reportedly become so dire this week that Mount Sinai West hospital nurses have resorted to wearing trash bags as protection against the virus.
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Mordel said that he had the necessary equipment for his last shift, but that he could "only hope" he will continue to have enough for the shifts to come.
"Again, I would tell you we need more of everything. Because we have to prepare for more of everything. We have to prepare for more people coming in every single day," he explained.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As of Thursday evening, there were more than 85,000 cases in the United States with more than 1,100 deaths. New York State has more than 39,000 cases, with over 23,000 of those reported in the Big Apple. There have been over 380 deaths recorded in the state thus far.
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"I don't think anyone in the world was ready for the expense that this pandemic presented," Mordel told the "Friends" hosts. "I think it caught the entire world by surprise. And, it's been a learning experience for everyone across the board."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"And, I think what we learned from this will translate into a different approach for years to come," he continued. "And, I can tell you we are seeing things -- the use of technology and platforms like telehealth platforms that have had unprecedented need now that will probably carry on for many years to come."