- Title: California doctors treating increasing numbers of younger coronavirus patients
- Date: 26th June 2020
- Summary: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - MAY 21, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TENTS OUTSIDE SANTA CLARA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER SIGN READING 'TENT 2'
- Embargoed: 11th July 2020 00:34
- Keywords: COVID-19 Coronavirus Riverside Santa Clara cases face masks hand washing hospitals preventative measures reopening surge
- Location: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; ENCINITAS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES;
- City: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES; ENCINITAS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES;
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA003CK0DIRR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Staff Santa Clara Valley Medical Center have been expecting a surge in coronavirus patients for weeks; now, they're here.
In an interview with Reuters on Friday (June 26), Dr. Clifford Wang says there's one major difference between this new wave and the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
"Typically what we are seeing is as opposed to earlier in the pandemic, we are seeing more younger patients than older patients," Dr. Wang said, adding "The older patients tend to be sicker so we're seeing more younger patients who are getting admitted to the hospital and that's a trend that's new."
"It's a reflection of a number of things going on. I think as we have opened up some of the restrictions and there's been more socializing, that typically tends to occur in younger populations," Dr. Wang said.
The hospital is more prepared than it was in March, with more PPE gear and tents that were created for overspill are still in place in case numbers rise sharply.
Six weeks ago, Riverside County officials voted unanimously to rescind county health orders, including the mandatory wearing of face masks. COVID-19 cases are rising steadily.
Dr. Geoffrey Leung, chief of medical staff at Riverside University Health System, said despite many of the public being opposed to the masks initially, many have come around to the idea of wearing them after getting sick themselves.
"Yeah, we've definitely seen that and that's not the way we'd like for people to become converts," said Leung, adding "When individuals test positive or have a loved one who tests positive and they may not have maybe understood the complete benefits of wearing a mask or they may have felt like the risk was so low that it wouldn't have affected their family and then once it does happen, it's a very different reality."
He added "Wearing a mask can really decrease the likelihood. For an individual, it can probably decrease the risk by 60 to 80 percent and if everyone is wearing a mask, probably 90 percent or even higher and if this was a medication, everybody would be taking it. There wouldn't even be a discussion."
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