<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589400420097.jpeg" alt="Dr. Jeremy Hunter/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Jeremy Hunter/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA Mosaic Life Care Emergency Room physician says Mosaic has
learned a lot about the coronavirus in the last few months.Dr. Jeremy Hunter adds what doctors in the ER are learning
about COVID-19 changes day-by-day, hour-by-hour.“So, it’s a continual learning process. The symptomatic care
remains true,” Hunter tells reporters during a news conference at the St.
Joseph hospital, saying they have to approach treatment unlike what they
typically do with pneumonia or viral pneumonia. “So, we’re really learning
daily, almost hourly how medical management is different.”Hunter says Mosaic’s St. Joseph Emergency Room has been able
to handle the workload. Mosaic has 18 ER rooms dedicated to potential COVID-19
cases, which are quickly separated from the rest of the patients coming to the
Emergency Room. He says no one who has an emergency not related to the
coronavirus should hesitate to come to the ER. Hunter says procedures make the
ER safe and needed treatment should not be delayed.The St. Joseph hospital also is prepared to turn the 4th
and 5th floors into COVID-19 wards, with 48 units on each floor.Hunter warns that no one should dismiss the coronavirus or act
as if it is nothing more than the flu. Hunter say COVID-19 is real and has not
been hyped.“This is different than influenza. This is presenting
different,” Hunter says of COVID-19 patients. “They’re in ICU for much longer.
It’s not all hype and this is a different disease with higher virulence in a
certain subset of the population, it seems, and it’s worth being concerned
about.”Hunter does say he wishes the city could test more people.“When this started, we had very limited testing,” according to
Hunter. “But now it’s getting much better to where we can really test people.
It might not be a 15-minute answer. It might be a 24-hour answer, but in the
right patient population, that’s okay.”As of Wednesday, Mosaic had tested 3,223 people with 157
testing positive for COVID-19. Ten of those patients have been hospitalized.
Mosaic is awaiting results from 125 tests.

Mosaic ER doctor says COVID-19 presents different challenges