DETROIT (WXYZ) — A medical professional working on the front lines during the Coronavirus outbreak is speaking out about the sacrifices he and his family are making each and every day while combating this crisis.
Dr, Eric Johnson is day-in and day-out working to help people affected by COVID-19. He says because he's in constant contact with patients he and his wife made the decision to send their two young children to live with family out of state while trying to fight the virus here in Michigan.
"When it comes to your door step and you start seeing these patients and the potential to become infected with it yourself, there definitely is some anxiety that comes with that," said Dr Johnson.
Dr. Johnson is working 50 to 60 hour works weeks at Henry Ford Hospital. His wife Emily is also a doctor. She’s out of town doing a surgical fellowship in plastic surgery.
The father of two is working on the front line doing everything he can to help those infected with COVID-19.
"I’m definitely seeing kind of the worst cases, because that’s when they’re usually calling us to come place breathing tubes so these patients can be on ventilators" said Johnson.
Eric says because of his close proximity to the virus and patients, he and his wife made the difficult decision to send their children, ages 13 and 9, to live out of state, while he stays in Michigan to fight the coronavirus.
"I think definitely with the additional stress and the initial uncertainty where this was going. My sister-in-law and her husband, he’s a college professor and she teaches fourth grade, which is where my 9 year is, and so they were gracious enough to take them in until we know where all of this is going," said Johnson.
Eric says the entire team at Henry Ford is working around the clock, treating those infected with the coronavirus.
"With the help of our excellent nursing and respiratory therapists a lot of the patients are maintaining and often doing better, that’s not to say that all will," he said.
Eric says the virus is changing the world right in front of our very eyes. People need to start thinking about their families and others to slow the spread of the virus.
"Anything the public can do to help limit the spread of this to help minimize the exposure and the transmission of this virus is something that would be greatly appreciated by every medical professional that I work with," said Johnson.
Eric is hoping the virus will eventually slow down, but really doesn't know when that will be. Hesays we should all do our part to help out.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Read our daily Coronavirus Live Blog for the latest updates and news on coronavirus.
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
Find out how you can help metro Detroit restaurants struggling during the pandemic.
See all of our Helping Each Other stories.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.