FLORIDA, United States — The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the ways people work, communicate, and socialise, giving birth to this “new normality” that, though widely discussed, remains foreign to most.

Many have lost their loved ones and others have won the fight against the deadly virus, but according to a recent release, one of the things that hasn’t changed is South Florida hospital Memorial Healthcare System’s commitment to its patients throughout this pandemic under the direction of Dr Paula A Eckardt, chief of memorial’s division of infectious disease, who works alongside a highly trained team in critical care, nursing and laboratory.

COVID-19 directly affects the respiratory system, which is why it has been so difficult to attack and, at the same time, spreads very easily. Dr Eckardt, together with the team of doctors and nurses at the hospital, has successfully followed strict hygiene levels, temperature screening, physical distancing, and virtual methods to assist in reducing the virus transmission, the release said.

Except for the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean islands are a low-impact COVID-19 zone, the release said. Nonetheless, taking the right precautions will be the best way to stop the virus from spreading and maintaining this area as safely as possible.

Dr Eckardt has reportedly followed all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and recommends for all medical institutions to take extreme precautions and to stay alert to a possible COVID-19 rebound.

The infectious disease expert insists on wearing masks, restricting visitations for all patients, and offering a virtual appointment when possible. Dr Eckardt also suggests allowing everyone to access a test, with symptoms or without, since positive COVID-19 people who are asymptomatic can be at high risk of spreading the disease without even knowing it.

Fighting against novel coronavirus without a vaccine or a specific treatment has been the biggest challenge for health care workers and the South Florida facility was selected to participate in the trial of the drug remdesivir (broad-spectrum antiviral). There is limited information known about the safety and effectiveness of using remdesivir to treat people in the hospital with COVID-19. Remdesivir was shown in a clinical trial to shorten the time to recovery in some people, the release said.

“We won’t stop fighting against this pandemic, and we are working together every day with the research department in order to find better ways to assist and treat our COVID-19 patients,” said Dr Eckardt.