Physician-in-Chief's Message
May 6, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
 
Please see updates below and please see request from the ambulatory care group. 
There is currently 31 COVID patients in-house. Pediatric surgeries will be ramping late this week.

We are also excited to let everyone know that we have a Children’s COVID Treatment Taskforce.  This is a multidisciplinary team comprised of pulmonology, infectious disease, allergy/immunology, rheumatology, intensive care and hematology/oncology. Please contact Zachary Willis , Tim Vece or Jim Hagood with any questions.
UNC COVID Updates
Inpatient Care
  • Attached is the newly developed Pediatric OR/Procedural Case COVID Testing Pathway. It can also be found on the COVID Pediatric Resources page
Virtual Care
  • Attached are instructions on how to engage an interpreter for a virtual visit and how to add another participant to a video connection.
  • Please share broadly. Interpreter Services is now prepared and eager to assist providers on video calls.
Ambulatory Care
  • We have begun to map out strategies to use the Raleigh clinic for more face-to-face visit and maintain physical distancing for providers, staff and patients. There appears to be ample room to accommodate the providers that are normally in Chapel Hill and the Raleigh providers while still providing physical distancing. Please refer to COVID Pediatric Resources page for information on scheduling and follow-up processes. 
  • As we mentioned last week, please consider a timeline for increasing face-to-face visits in Raleigh, please think about what a "new normal" will look like for your division.  How many providers and ancillary staff (fellows, dietitians, pharmacists, social worker... people who are usually part of your clinic team) would you need to see more in person visits? How will you align your template with in-person and video visits? Divisions please let us know as a division group your plan for a partial re-opening in Raleigh and a full re-opening in Raleigh. 
  • Children's Specialty clinic in the hospital in Chapel Hill is currently under the control of the Healthcare system COVID Response.  Please consider this space likely unavailable for normal clinic through the end of summer.  While we are uncertain when the clinic may be able to re-open, we are discussing and planning for different scenarios. We realize we will need availability for some patients to be seen in Chapel Hill and are thinking through that process.
Your COVID-19 Questions & Answers
Response from Tom Belhorn

Q: I heard on the news last night scientists have discovered a new strain of COVID-19 has emerged, and the second strain, which is predominant in the US, is more transmissible than the first. Will this impact the spread of disease and vaccine development?
 
A: First of all, this is not the first report of possible “new strains” of COVID-19. The most recent study (not yet peer-reviewed) is from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and was discussed in several news outlets yesterday. The authors shared information about results of their computational analyses that revealed the emergence of a more contagious “new strain” which now predominates in the US. Scientists have been studying the genome of SARS-CoV2 isolates from different locations and time-points throughout this epidemic. It would not be too surprising an RNA virus develops mutations – BUT with the lack of data it is far too early to say we have a new “strain” of the virus (many doubt this) and studies have not been done to actually test these transmissibility of newer isolates. Such studies are important, though, to see if the virus does develop changes in the genome which would impact vaccine development. But for now – stay tuned (…to reliable sources of information)!   
Inspirational Art Courtesy of
Please remember Friday Yoga at 6 pm. 
 
It is a true privilege to work with all of you. We appreciate all that you do!

Gratefully…
919-417-3130 (cell)