COVID-19 is ravaging people at home, but there’s a simple solution that can save lives

Becker's Healthcare April 28, 2020
Peter J. Pronovost, MD, PhD, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio

Over 52,000 people in the United States have now succumbed to coronavirus.

Tragically, many died at home because their local hospitals were stretched to capacity and they were turned away and told to monitor themselves for worsening symptoms. I’ve read stories where some patients returned to the hospitals again and again, only to be told, “You still aren’t sick enough to be admitted, come back if you get worse.”

What does “worse” mean for someone who’s already been compelled to go to the hospital several times? Many people with COVID may not know they are getting worse; they feel fine yet their blood oxygen is dangerously low. The only way to identify this deterioration is to measure a patient’s blood...

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