Louisiana asks for glove and mask donations as coronavirus spreads
New Orleans EMS director Dr. Emily Nichols reacts to the rise of COVID-19 cases in Louisiana.
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The chief of Emergency Medical Services for the City of New Orleans told "Bill Hemmer Reports" Wednesday that her department is dealing with a coronavirus outbreak similar in scale to New York City.
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"We are being hit really hard and there were numbers of infection per capita that are very close to New York," said Dr. Emily Nichols. "Similar to the amount of [emergency] employees, the percentage of employees that are out sick, we do have several that are in isolation with symptoms right now.
Nichols added that New Orleans is in a "good place" for now when it comes to medical supplies, but added that more would be needed in the coming days.
"We are fortunate that some of them [emergency workerss] are actually coming back to work so we are seeing some recovery," she said. "The biggest thing we need right now are supplies. More personal protective equipment, PPE, and we are anticipating a surge in needs throughout the region, particularly in the hospital and patients needing ventilators."
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Nichols said her department is taking inventory as often as twice per day to stay ahead of any potential shortfall and that another city department is handling interstate and intergovernmental transactions in that regard.
"But we know it's all in flux," she said. "If we have more patients that need care, it will take more equipment so every day we are reevaluating."
Host Bill Hemmer asked Nichols about a preacher in the capital city of Baton Rouge who was charged with several misdemeanors after holding church services.
Nichols responded that she is not fully versed in the legality of the case, but reiterated that social distancing and hand-washing is the best way to prevent contagion.
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