‘We understand what we need to do’: Weekly Check-in with UMC’s Dr. Joel Hendryx

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. This week, Dr. Burgos was unavailable, so we speak with Dr. Joel Hendryx.

Here's the Q&A for November 12:

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

Dr. Joel Hendryx (UMC’s Chief Medical Officer): "We have been very busy. All of El Paso, all of the hospital systems have been very busy."

Casillas: Can hospitals handle the current number of patients?

Hendryx: "We have been working with state resources that have been coming in. We have the military that has been integrated into our hospital helping us. We have over 100 nurses who have come in to help us with this surge, so that we're able to take care of the patients, both Covid and non-Covid."

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

Hendryx: "We understand what we need to do. It's said daily. We need to stop the spread. Take that responsibility. Prevent our loved ones from getting infected."

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

Hendryx: "There are multiple images. I think many of them center around family. It centers around that heartache and grief that can occur because of this virus, and the loss of loved ones. The hope -- that there's a healing process -- we have many individuals that are going home. They are able to go home. They are able to recover."

Casillas: What is your prediction for next week?

Hendryx: "We live in a lag because of our infection rate. It takes two to four weeks for that lag to show up with us. We will probably continue to be busy. We will maintain what we have now, and we will able to deal with that with our extra resources to take care of our patients, both Covid and non-Covid."

Casillas: What is giving you hope at this time?

Hendryx: "I believe that El Paso will adapt to this new normal. I think that we as a community, we are a family. We will do the necessary steps for us to adapt and protect ourselves."

Casillas: What is your message to the Borderland?

Hendryx: "Be healthy. Eat well, sleep well. Try to do some moderate exercise that you can."

Statistics for November 12:

• 68,804 total cases, 29,743 active cases, 725 deaths in El Paso County

Here's a list of earlier segments:

• April 9 Q&A: (225 cases , 1 death)
• April 16 Q&A: (451 cases, 7 deaths)
• 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)
• June 18 Q&A: (4,088 total cases, 946 active cases, 119 deaths)
• June 25 Q&A: (4,984 total cases, 1394 active cases, 125 deaths)
• July 2 Q&A: (6,389 total cases, 2,223 active cases, 132 deaths)
• July 9 Q&A: (8,385 total cases, 3,085 active cases, 145 deaths)
• July 16 Q&A: (10,638 total cases, 3,708 active cases, 173 deaths)
• July 23 Q&A: (12,501 total cases, 3,564 active cases, 211 deaths)
• July 31 Q&A: (14,276 total cases, 3,311 active cases, 266 deaths)
• August 6: (15,596 total cases, 3,747 active cases, 285 deaths)
• August 13 Q&A: (17,378 total cases, 4,166 active cases, 330 deaths)
• August 20 Q&A: (19,057 total cases, 4200 active cases, 382 deaths)
• August 27 Q&A: (19,925 total cases, 3,102 active cases, 410 deaths)
• September 3 Q&A: (20,686 total cases, 2,822 active cases, 429 deaths)
• September 10 Q&A: (21,335 total cases, 2,724 active cases, 452 deaths)
• September 17 Q&A: (22,078 total cases, 2,801 active cases, 479 deaths)
• September 24 Q&A: (23,207 total cases, 3,300 active cases, 508 deaths)
• October 1 Q&A: (24,666 total cases, 3,812 active cases, 524 deaths)
• October 8 Q&A: (26,969 total cases, 4,929 active cases, 541 deaths)
• October 15 Q&A: (30,624 total cases, 6,887 active cases, 554 deaths)
• October 22 Q&A: (36,025 total cases, 9,406 active cases, 567 deaths)
• October 29 Q&A: (45,039 total cases, 14,359 active cases, 585 deaths)
• November 5 Q&A: (58,429 total cases, 22,954 active cases, 639 deaths)