Ashley Rowe: What I learned from my conversation with two Emergency Department doctors

When you hear the Associate Director of Emergency Medicine at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital call COVID-19 "scary," you can't help but perk up and listen carefully to what he has to say.

THE FIRST PEOPLECOVID PATIENTS SEEAT THE HOSPITAL ARETHE DOCTORS IN THEEMERGENCY ROOM.EARLIER THIS WEEKWE TOOK YOU INSIDETHE I-C-U AT MILLARDFILLMORE SUBURBANHOSPITAL.TODAY, WERINTRODUCING YOU TOTHE TOP DOCTORSINSIDE THE E-R.SEVEN EYEWITNESSNEWS ANCHORASHLEY ROWESPEAKS WITH THEMEXCLUSIVELY ABOUTWHAT IT'S LIKE TOPREPARE FOR ANDTREAT THIS INVISIBLEVIRUS... AND WHATTHEY THINK ABOUTTHE RECENT CALLS TOREOPEN THEECONOMY.:00-:08:09-:16:17-:21:21-2:09FOR TWO EMERGENCYDEPARTMENTDOCTORS WHO HAVESEEN JUST ABOUTEVERYTHING.DOCTORS JOSH LYNCHAND ALEX LJUNGBERGCOULDN'T HELP BUTFEEL ANXIOUS ABOUTTHE ARRIVAL OFCOVID-19.DR. LYNCH "STARTINGTO PREPARE FORSOMETHING THATCHANGED ON A DAILYBASIS EVEN FROM THELITTLE INFORMATIONWE HAD OUT OF CHINA,IT WAS VERYCHALLENGING."DR. LJUNGBERG "ONTHE BACK BURNER INEVERYBODY'S MIND ISAM I GOING TO BENEXT?

COULD I GETTHIS?"DR. LJUNGBERG WASONE OF THEHEALTHCAREPROFESSIONALS WHOGOT IT.

HE HAD A MILDCASE OF THE VIRUS INMARCH.DR. LJUNGBERG "THATWAS THE REALMOMENT OF YOU KNOWTHIS THING IS HEREAND IT'S REAL AND THEANXIETY WASPROBABLY AT ITSMAXIMUM POINT THEN."HE SAYS IT WAS ONEOF THE HARDESTPARTS OF THISJOURNEY SO FAR.BUT NOT FOR THEREASON YOU MIGHTTHINK.DR. LJUNGBERG "WEWERE IN THE MIDST OFGETTING READY,REALLY SEEING ANINCREASE VOLUME OFTHESE PATIENTS, AND IWAS STUCK INQUARANTINE.""IT WAS VERYCHALLENGING TO NOTBE ABLE TO BE THERE."SINCE HIS RETURNFROM QUARANTINE.AND NOW POSSIBLEIMMUNITY TO THEVIRUS.

HE AND HISCOURAGEOUSCOLLEAGUES HAVEBEEN WORKING HANDIN GLOVE TO COMBATCOVID-19.DR. LYNCH"HEALTHCARE IS APRETTY TIGHT KNITGROUP OF PEOPLE TOBEGIN WITH.

THIS HASREALLYSTRENGTHENED THOSEBONDS."THE PAIR RECALL THEEARLY DAYS HERE.WHEN THE FIRSTCORONAVIRUSPATIENTS WALKEDINTO THE E-R'S OFMILLARD FILLMORESUBURBAN ANDDEGRAFF MEMORIALHOSPITALS WHERETHEY WORK.DR. LYNCH "WEBECAME SUSPICIOUSOF OUR PATIENTS.WHICH IS NOT ANORMAL FEELING THATPHYSICIANS ANDEMERGENCYPHYSICIANS REALLYHAVE."DR. LJUNGBERG"FORTUNATELY WEHAVE PLENTY OF PPEWE'RE WELLPROTECTED, BUT THISIS STILL A SCARYDISEASE.

THIS IS ADISEASE THAT'S KILLEDOVER 40,000AMERICANS."THEY SAY THE ANXIETYIS NOW WEARING OFF.THEY'RE LEARNINGMORE ABOUT THEVIRUS EVERYDAY.AND BECAUSE THEREHASN'T BEEN A SURGEHERE LIKEDOWNSTATETHEY'VE HAD TIME TOWITNESS WHAT THEYCALL THE BESTWEAPON IN THEARSENAL.DR. LJUNGBERG "ITHINK THAT SOCIALDISTANCING IS THEBEST WEAPON THATWE HAVE AS A SOCIETYAS A WHOLE TOCOMBAT THIS DISEASEAT THIS POINT."THESE TWOFRONTLINE LEADERSHOPE THE COMMUNITYWILL REMAINCAUTIOUS ANDCAREFUL.

AS CALLSTO RE-OPEN THEREGION GROWLOUDER.DR. LYNCH "I THINK THETONE COMING FROMHEALTHCAREPROFESSIONALS INGENERAL IS THATWE'RE NOT READY YET.INSIGHT FROM THEFRONTLINE AS WEBEGIN TO REBOUNDFROM THIS CRISIS