Edmonton ICU doctor warns COVID-19 can be serious risk for young people
'It’s not the people that you would normally think'
A doctor working in intensive care in Edmonton is warning serious COVID-19 cases may not be who you would expect.
Dr. Raiyan Chowdhury is a critical care specialist who does work at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. In a phone interview Wednesday, he described what he's seeing from the front lines of the pandemic.
Chowdhury said the biggest surprise is people in their 30s needing hospitalization from the illness.
"We've certainly had older people, but we've also had younger people as well," he said. Otherwise healthy individuals without any pre-existing conditions are being hospitalized; for many, it's their first time in the health-care system.
"It's not the people that you would normally think," he said. "Younger people may be hospitalized by this or you don't necessarily have to have any pre-existing condition to deteriorate."
- 'An amazing man': Young father identified as northern Alberta's 1st fatal case of COVID-19
- Alberta sees two more COVID-19 deaths, 117 new cases
According to the Wednesday COVID-19 update from the province, there have been 62 hospitalizations in total with 20 admissions to intensive care units.
Alberta Health shared statistics Thursday showing there have been 10 hospitalizations — including one ICU admission — for people between the ages of 20 and 44. Another 13 hospitalizations have been for people aged 45 to 54.
Of the 871 cases confirmed to date in the province, 142 have recovered and 11 have died, including a 34-year-old man from northern Alberta.
Chowdhury said the other factor that has surprised him is the speed of decline in some patients, even within the span of a single day.
"There's been people that we've seen in [emergency] that come in on a few litres of oxygen and then by the end of the day have really accelerated how much oxygen they're requiring to the point where they could need a ventilator."
However, Chowdhury said he is optimistic that preparations and necessary planning is in place from all quarters — nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and others.
"It's basically all hands on deck and we're happy to see that," he said.
The general conversation around the intensive care unit is that health-care workers currently are equipped with the skills and equipment — including ventilators — to see people through the crisis, he said.
But, he added, if they have a problem that's restricted to just their lungs."
Chowdhury says what worries doctors most is the risk of organ failure for people with pre-existing conditions, like heart, kidney or lung issues.
"Once that happens, it becomes very difficult for us to be able to get people through this."
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, continues to encourage Albertans to work together to help stop the spread of the virus by practising physical distancing, washing hands regularly for at least 20 seconds and avoiding face-touching.
Completely changed
To prepare for the coming surge, Chowdhury said the Royal Alexandra Hospital has completely changed many of its protocols.
"Coming into the hospital, now you have to get screened for symptoms and hopefully a temperature check before you're allowed in," he said.
Chowdhury said he wants to see health-care workers wear face masks at all times and advocates for the use of regular face masks — not the specialty N95 respirator mask — by the general public.
"Some may call it an overreaction but I feel like if we act now, you stay ahead of the curve."
Pandemic preparations have also changed how doctors interact with the families of patients. In the ICU, they're used to talking to family members on a daily basis at the bedside of their loved ones, Chowdhury said.
"All of that now is out the door in order to limit how easily this thing could spread if it does come into the hospital," he said. Limitations have been put in place, including one visitor to one patient at a time.
"I do think that's the right approach," Chowdhury said. "We can't tell if the visitor is sick, we don't know they may be an asymptomatic case, so we do have to take incredible caution."
Technology, including the use of programs like FaceTime, is also helping keep people connected, he said.
The problem is worse for families of patients unable to communicate because of intubation. Chowdhury said he has given out his cellphone to one patient's family member to give regular updates.
"We've got to think outside of the box in medicine to help these people in this difficult time."