Coronavirus Latest: Health Care Workers On Front Lines Bracing For Worst In Coming Weeks

Eyewitness News spoke to Dr. Clairborne Childs, the lead hospitalist at Penn Presbyterian hospital, on what we can expect during the surge.

TOO ERS CAPABLE OF PRODUCINGCOVID-19 RELATED SUPPLIES.JANUARY SNELL.JIM, THOSE HEALTHCAREWORKERS ON THE FRONTS LINES INPENNSYLVANIA NOW PREPARING FORTHE WORSE.WE'RE JOINED THIS MORNING BYDOCTOR CLAIBORNE CHILD, WHO ISTHE LEAD HOSPITAL DOCTOR ATPRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOININGTHUS MORNING.AND DOCTOR, WE HAVE HEARDFROM THE SURGEON GENERAL ANDTHE GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIAAS WELL THAT THESE NEXT TWOWEEKS WILL LIKELY BE VERYDIFFICULT, AND WE WILL LIKELYSEE SURGE IN CASES APPEARINGIN THE REGION.LOU HOSPITALS IN OUR AREABRACING FOR THIS?AND DO YOU FEEL THAT WE'REPREPARED?I DO FEEL THAT WE'REPREPARED.ONE THING I THINK WE HAVE HEREIN THE PHILADELPHIA REGION ISWE HAVE A BIT MORE TIME THAN ITHINK OUR COLLEAGUES IN OTHERPARTS OF THE COUNTRY HAS.I KNOW HERE AT PENN MEDICINESOMETHING WE'VE BEEN DOINGACTUALLY TALKING TO THEPHYSICIANS IN SEATTLE, TALKINGTO PHYSICIANS IN NEW YORK, TOREALLY GET THEIR PERSPECTIVEAND SORT OF BIT AFTER PREP FORSOME OF THE PITFALLS THAT THEYFACED AND SOME OF THECHALLENGE THEY FACE FORPATIENT.NINE NUMBER EVERY CASES HEREIN THE PHILADELPHIA REGIONCOMPARED TO NEW YORK CITY AREMUCH LESS, I THINK THE STATEOF PENNSYLVANIA WE HAVE ABOUT13,000 CASES.FOR NEW YORK STATE, ABOUT130,000 CASES, SO ABOUT TENTIMES MORE.SO WE HAVE SOME TIME.AND I THINK THAT WE ARE USINGTHIS TIME AS CAREFULLY AS BESTWE CAN TO REALLY BE PREPARED.AND YOU KNOW ONE CONCERNTHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROMHEALTHCARE WORKERS ALL ACROSSTHE COUNTRY IS LACK OFSUPPLIES, LACK OF PERSONALPROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.HOW HAS IT BEEN FROM YOURPERSPECTIVE HERE IN OUR AREA?HERE IN OUR AREA, I FEELWE'RE PRETTY WELL PREPARED,PRETTY WELL STOCKED.AGAIN THERE IS HAS TO DO WITHTHE FACT THAT WE HAVE A BITMORE TIME.SO WE HAVE TIME TO MOVE THERIGHT EQUIPMENT TO MAKE SUREWE ORDER THE CORRECT SUPPLIES,TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THEMECHANICAL VENTILATE THEIRS IFWE NEED THEM.TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CLEAROFF AND REORGANIZE OURHOSPITAL FLOORS, PROVIDE THERIGHT AMOUNT OF ICU CARENEEDED.SO, I THINK WE'RE NOT QUITESHOWING AT MUCH AFTER PINCH ATOUR COLUMN IDENTIFICATION INOTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE, AGAIN, MAINLY DUE TO THEFACT THAT WE HAVE TIME.LITTLE BIT MORE TIME THAN THEYDID TO BE PREPARED.AND THAT OF COURSE ISENCOURAGE TO GO HEAR.FOR YOU PERSONALLY, GOING INEVERY DAY, BEING ON THE FRONTLINES, OF ALL OF THIS, WHATHAS THIS BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?WELL, IT HAS BEEN SURREAL.YOU KNOW, OUR TRAINING REALLYPREPARED US TO TAKE CARE OFPATIENT, I THINK, YOU KNOW,YOU NEED PROVIDER, NURSE, YOUKNOW, ALL WENT TO MEDICALSCHOOL, NURSING SCHOOL, ALLBEEN TRAINED TO TAKE CARE OFAND I THINK WE WILL CONTINUETO DO.THAT WILL THAT'S IN OUR DNA.I THINK THAT THE CHALLENGETHAT REALLY CONCERNS US IF WEGET TO POINT WHERE OURPATIENTS DON'T HAVE THERESOURCES OR WE DON'T HAVE THERESOURCE TOSS TAKE CARE OF THEPATIENTS.THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OURTRAINING DOESN'T REALLYPREPARE YOU FOR.SO HAVE TO RAGS CARE, IF ITDID COME TO THAT.SO I THINK THAT THAT IS SORTOF IN THE BACK OF OUR MIND, WEGET TO POINT THAT WE'RE NOTABLE TO PROVIDE THE BEST CAREWE WOULD NORMALLY PROVIDE.I THINK THAT'S A FEAR THATKEEPS US UP AT NIGHT.IF WE GET TO THIS SURGE, WILLWE BE ABLE TO MEET THE NEED OFOUR PATIENT.AND SO AGAIN, I THINK WE'REDOING THE BEST WE TO BEYOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL PRETTYGOOD THINKERS, WE THINK WELLON OUR FEET, PRETTY NIMBLE,THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY FOCUSIS GETTING A GOOD PLANTOGETHER.SHOULD THE SURGE HAPPEN.NOW ONE POSITIVE THING THATHAS COME OUT OF ALL OF THIS ISTHAT WE'VE REALLY SEEN THECOMMUNITY, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, STEPPING UP ANDSUPPORTING HEALTHCARE WORKERSLIKE YOURSELF ON THE FRONTLINES, WHETHER IT BE WITHMEALS, OR CREATED YESTERDAY,MAKING PLACE I CAN FACESHIELDS FOR HEALTHCAREEMPLOYEES WATCH HAS THAT BEENLIKE FOR TO YOU GET THESUPPORT OF SO MANY PEOPLE?IT HAS BEEN GREAT.YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE IN WESTPHILADELPHIA, AND JUST THESUPPORT WE RECEIVE FROM THECOMMUNITY HAS BEEN AWESOME.THERE HAVE BEEN FREE MEALS FOROUR NURSES, RESIDENTS TRAININGI KNOW CLOTHING COMPANYRECENTLY CAME BY AND GAVE SOMECLOTHING DONATIONS TO THEWORKERS WHO ARE AT OURDRIVE-THRU COVID-19 TESTINGAREA OVER ON MARKET STREET.IT IS JUST AN AWESOME, YOUKNOW, WE DIDN'T GET INTO THISBUSINESS TO GET FREE STUFF.BUT, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW THAT WEHAVE THE SUPPORT OF OURCOMMUNITY, TO KNOW THAT, YOUKNOW, THEY HAVE OUR BACKS, ANDTHAT THEY'RE THERETO CHEER USON, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THEMOST HEARTWARMING THINGS ABOUTTHIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE.SO DOCTOR CLAIBORNE CHILD,THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKINGTIME SPEAK US WITH THISMORNING, AND BEST OF LUCK TO