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Riverside Doctor: Hampton Roads 'not even close' to end of pandemic

Dr. Charles Phillips saw his first COVID-19 patient in March 2020. He said he had 'no idea' the pandemic would take off the way it did.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — It’s almost hard to believe but it’s been one year since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Riverside Health System Family Physician, Dr. Charles Phillips saw his first COVID-19 patient back in March 2020.

“I remember vividly. It was a patient he was in his mid-60s and he had actually just flown back from Florida from a golf tournament,” Phillips said. “It’s kind of interesting, Dana, I walked in and the gentleman already had on - and this is back at the very beginning now - he already had a mask on, he had gloves on, and I looked at him and I was like, ‘why are you wearing all this?’” 

Five days later, the first COVID-19 nasal swab test at his practice came back positive. From there, things only got worse.

"I had no idea that this would’ve taken off like it has," Dr. Phillips said.

As cases continued to increase, his usual patients canceled appointments for fear of contracting the virus at a medical facility.  

“You know I see at least 30 plus patients a day and by the time end of March or April, I was down to seeing about - if I was lucky - six or eight a day," he said. 

He said just before Thanksgiving, Riverside averaged about 15 or 20 patients in the hospital at a time, with COVID-19 infections.

“And then back in January and February, that went up to 120. Which is ridiculous. It’s right off the scale," he said. "And we’re coming back down, but we’re not out yet. As of today we’re looking at 50 cases inpatient, and that’s still a lot higher than before the big holidays.”

Dr. Phillips said things aren’t over with, just yet. He said we have to be vigilant about “the simple stuff.”

“Keeping your hands washed, wearing your mask and staying socially distant," he said. "We have to keep that up. We can’t have a false sense saying, ‘Everyone is getting these vaccines we should be good.’ We’re not there yet, we’re not even close.”

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