Key Preparations for the Second Wave of Coronavirus

A top New York University physician revealed plans to ensure that the four NYU hospitals in Manhattan, Long Island and Brooklyn will be better prepared and equipped to handle the potential recurrence of the coronavirus.

Dr. Fritz Francois, chief medical officer at NYU Langone Health, said he’s planning on implementing the seven T’s to protect staff and patients: 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,” he told Fox News.

Some experts have forecasted a potential “second wave” of coronavirus cases and deaths next fall that may be even more devastating than the current crisis.

“In my mind, it’s inevitable that we’ll have a return of the virus…when it does, how we handle it will determine our fate,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The second wave could be even more serious said Robert Redfield, M.D., director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to Prevention.

“There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be more difficult than the one we just went through,” he said.

Francois said that he’s stocking up on tools such as personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as testing all incoming patients for COVID-19. NYU has developed precision teams to offer state-of-the-art care to patients, and upgrading triage teams by placing equipment outside hospital rooms to minimize the number of times staff needs to enter.

According to Fox News, NYU is conducting plasma and stem cells trials to determine the best treatment to fight the virus.

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