{"id":22241,"date":"2020-04-04T09:46:12","date_gmt":"2020-04-04T15:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyhinews.com\/?p=64065"},"modified":"2020-04-04T09:46:12","modified_gmt":"2020-04-04T15:46:12","slug":"summit-county-doctors-talk-about-how-patients-are-recovering-from-the-new-coronavirus-and-whether-elevation-plays-a-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/local-news\/summit-county-doctors-talk-about-how-patients-are-recovering-from-the-new-coronavirus-and-whether-elevation-plays-a-role\/","title":{"rendered":"Summit County doctors talk about how patients are recovering from the new coronavirus and whether elevation plays a role"},"content":{"rendered":"
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St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Frisco on Thursday, March 6. <\/strong>
Liz Copan \/ ecopan@summitdaily.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

RISCO \u2014 Dr. Marc Doucette, the emergency department medical director at St. Anthony Summit Medical Center, and other local physicians said there are lingering unknowns about how COVID-19 patients may be impacted by Summit County\u2019s lower-oxygen environment above 9,000 feet.<\/p>\n

As of Friday afternoon, Doucette said the hospital has seen \u201ca handful\u201d of patients who have been critically ill with COVID-19 symptoms and transported to the Denver area. Doucette said the decision to transport some patients to a lower elevation is simply part of the hospital\u2019s protocol. Patients who are likely to be in an intensive care unit for a prolonged period of time \u2014 whether or not their symptoms are related to COVID-19 \u2014 are relocated to a lower elevation, he said. Doucette added that the Frisco hospital has the ability to put patients on ventilators for stabilization but that the typical procedure is to relocate struggling patients to partner facilities in the Denver area.<\/p>\n

Doucette said about 80% of people affected by COVID-19 suffer mild symptoms, similar to a cold or flu, and recover fine. Asked whether high elevation puts Summit County residents at greater risk, he said doctors think risk factors for most locals are the same as they would be at a lower elevation because of long-term adaptation to living at 9,000 feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see patients that do very well up here that can be on a little bit of oxygen and may be inserted into the hospital here and get better and go home,\u201d Doucette said. \u201cA smaller percentage of patients may deteriorate and require a more prolonged hospital stay, potentially in the ICU and potentially on a ventilator.\u201d<\/p>\n

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