‘This is the new norm’: Weekly check-in with UMC’s Dr. Jose Burgos

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- In an effort to deliver the most comprehensive coronavirus coverage, ABC-7 has started a weekly feature where we ask Dr. Jose Burgos, the director of internal medicine at University Medical Center, the same seven questions each week to track how the pandemic is changing. 

Here's the Q&A for Thursday, June 18:

Mauricio Casillas (KVIA): How has this past week gone for you?

Dr. Jose Burgos: "We have been seeing a very evident decrease in our number of in-patients and our number of critically ill patients as well in the intensive care unit, so we're happy about that."

Casillas: Can hospitals handle the current number of patients?

Burgos: "Definitely now more than ever since our numbers are getting lower and lower. This trend has been noticed for the last couple of weeks."

Casillas: What should people at home be doing right now?

Burgos: "Since we are seeing the cases decreasing, doesn't mean that we are winning the battle and are done. We have to get ready for another peak. It might happen. So, we cannot lose our manners and our behaviors of social distancing."

Casillas: What is the most eye-opening thing you've seen this week?

Burgos: "This article that actually came out in the UK this past week, confirming that steroids were actually good and successful at treating patients with coronavirus -- which actually backs up something that we started doing since the beginning of the Covid season at UMC. We started to treat patients with high doses of steroids and that is a reason that a lot of our patients never got into the ICU, never got intubated."

Casillas: What is your prediction for next week?

Burgos: "I'm sure that over the next couple of weeks, we will probably continue to see the trend patients admissions going down."

Casillas: What is giving you hope at this time?

Burgos: "Seeing our patients responding to the treatment, going home, the numbers trending down, this all gives me hope that we are going to do well."

Casillas: What is your message to the Borderland?

Burgos: "I know that everyone's excited going to restaurants, going to bars, going to public places, but let's make sure that you avoid when it's very crowded -- that you're wearing a mask, washing your hands and practice social distancing this is the new norm."

Statistics for June 18:

• 4,088 total cases, 946 active cases, 119 deaths in El Paso County

Here's a list of earlier segments:

• April 9 Q&A: (225 cases , 1 death in El Paso County)
• April 16 Q&A: (451 cases, 7 deaths in El Paso County)
• April 23 Q&A: (675 total cases, 543 active cases, 10 deaths)
• April 30 Q&A: (924 total cases, 506 active cases, 21 deaths)
• May 7 Q&A: (1,190 total cases, 541 active cases, 30 deaths)
• May 14 Q&A: (1,607 total cases, 771 active cases, 43 deaths)
• May 21 Q&A: (2,046 total cases, 883 active cases, 57 deaths)
• May 28 Q&A: (2,569 total cases, 1,032 active cases, 72 deaths)
• June 4 Q&A: (3,069 total cases, 1,059 active cases, 89 deaths)
• June 11 Q&A: (3,650 total cases, 1,015 active cases, 97 deaths)