Doctor infected with COVID-19 continues to treat patients virtually

PHILADELPHIA - For most of us, the coronavirus is to be avoided at all costs. However, some are on the front lines trying to set up a plan of defense. This was the case for Dr. Aditi Joshi, medical director of Jeff Connect and an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She has COVID-19 but continues to serve her community — virtually.

“Around March 10, we realized that this coronavirus is going to hit Philly. When we realized that, one of our goals, and really my only goal was my colleagues who are going to be setting up in the ER needing time,"  Dr. Joshi told FOX 29.

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Dr. Joshi is a doctor whose focus is telemedicine. She was working on ways to treat the patients virtually and try to slow the spread of COVID-19 when she became infected herself.

“I think I started with a dry cough on the 19th and I spiked a fever on the 21st," she explained.

Her symptoms included fevers, severe weakness and frequent vomiting. Since her work in telemedicine was so important in preventing the spread, she kept seeing patients virtually for as long as she was physically able to.

"I truly believe that the fact that we’re able to do telemedicine and keep people at home and give them information at their home is going to make a difference. I wanted to keep doing it because I could and I need to," Dr. Joshi added.

A common trait of those in the medical profession, she’s not healthy yet herself, but she is still focused on how she can help.

“If my antibodies are high enough, I can donate plasma and that might be helpful. If there’s any sense that I have immunity, which I know there’s not a clear answer on that, then I can be in those rooms a little more safely than my colleagues," she said.

Dr. Joshi is admittedly not comfortable telling her story but sharing her story could be the thing that saves someone and for her that’s worth it.

"We don’t know when it’s going to peak here, maybe in a couple weeks, we’re not sure yet. When it happens, we need everybody to do their part and that’s why I decided to share it because I thought it was important," Dr. Joshi said. 

The idea of helping others even if it makes you uncomfortable is what heroes are supposed to do – for goodness sake.

We want to hear from you. Tell us about a hero you know using the hashtag #FOX29Heroes or #ForGoodnesSake.

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