Local doctor returns from treating COVID-19 patients in New York City
Tested before returning to work
Tested before returning to work
Tested before returning to work
A New Hampshire physician has returned home from treating COVID-19 patients in New York City.
Dr. Richard Levitan from Littleton Regional Hospital is one of the country’s top emergency airway experts in the country. He offered to share his skills in New York.
“Every room – instead of being Room 1 – was now 1a, 1b, 1c because we had no space,” Levitan said.
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“He was able to go a little bit earlier before the surge,” Chief Medical Officer at Littleton Regional Hospital Dr. Edward Duffy said. “He helped out quite a bit I’m sure, but he’s also bringing back practical, real world information about critical care of this disease of COVID-19.”
One of the things that Levitan said surprised him the most were the types of patients he saw with the virus.
“People without obesity, people without heart disease, without lung disease, without diabetes. And yet, they come in terrible and they will need a ventilator,” Levitan said.
While there, Levitan found hope.
“We can do more, less aggressive moves – like just trying to keep their oxygen up and positioning them and using special oxygenation devices – and not put them on ventilators,” Levitan said.
Hospital officials said Levitan was tested for the virus before returning to work, that test came back negative.