#NYU doc urges health care workers to use these preparations for second coronavirus wave

By Krystina Alarcon, Fox News

At the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, all four New York University hospitals in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Long Island were filled to the brim with infected patients. Over the course of the pandemic, the hospital system added 189 beds in their two Manhattan hospitals alone.

Dr. Fritz Francois, chief medical officer at NYU Langone Health, spoke with Fox News about the plan their hospitals have in place in preparation for a second wave of coronavirus. He says they are following the seven T’s to keep their workers and patients safe: Tools, Testing, Teams, Triage, Treatments, Trials and Throughput.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for us to do research and publish what it is that we find, as opposed to just doing things anecdotally,” Francois told Fox News. “And we now know so much more about it [coronavirus] than we did before.”

Tools and Testing

Stocking up on the tools they need, like personal protective equipment (PPE), is one of the many ways Francois is keeping his staff safe. He’s also relying on testing to ensure his patients stay safe too. Every incoming patient regardless of symptoms is getting tested for COVID-19. Knowledge is power and the more you know about a patient the better you can treat them, Francois said.

Teams

“[We developed] specialty teams to deliver types of care that other institutions don’t have, such as an ECMO team or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, [which] was a dedicated team,” said Francois, who is also a patient safety officer at NYU Langone Health.

Triage and Treatment

From how many times a nurse can go into a room to how they clean equipment, triage processes got a total overhaul because of the virus.

“We developed ways in which we can have some of the equipment outside of the room so that minimizes the need to go into a room multiple times,” Francois said.

Trial and Throughput

NYU is doing a number of trials to see what fights coronavirus best. The trials include treatments like convalescent plasma and stem cell therapy.

“[Throughput] is in terms of how do we ensure that patients can safely transition [back home or to a rehab center] when they [beat the virus],” Francois said.

With this in mind, Francois believes that if there is a second wave they will be more than prepared to battle it.

“We’re not in the same position, we know so much more, we’re better prepared — and that really is going to make all the difference in the world.”