Media Coverage for November 2020

^{KFOX - Nov. 27, 2020}

According to data, 919 El Pasoans have died due to COVID-19 since March. "Our community is struggling. Our city is struggling," said Melanie Longhurst, Behaviorist and Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. She said that feeling connected to those around us is extremely important during times of grief.

^{KVIA - Nov. 27, 2020}

The Centers for Disease Control has categorized shopping among crowds this holiday season as a high-risk activity. "You're really taking a risk that is, in my opinion, not justified for the amount of money you are going to save," said Dr. Armando Meza, chief of infectious diseases at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. "Believe me. Being sick is going to be a lot more expensive financially, emotionally and in your health than saving a couple of dollars.

^{Fox 29 - Nov. 25, 2020}

El Paso health experts said coronavirus hospitalizations appear to be leveling off, but trends could change over the holidays Dr. Ed Michelson, the Emergency Department Chair at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center of El Paso said while it appears the worst is behind us, when it comes to new hospital admissions- the situation is still bad in the ICU. Dr. Michelson said he's concerned that the number of ICU patients has not dropped below 300.

^{KVIA - Nov. 24, 2020}

The bamlanivimab infusion wing accepted its first patient on Tuesday afternoon. A Hispanic man, said to be under the age of 65, was selected by doctors at University Medical Center for the three-hour treatment process. The therapy has been shown to prevent hospitalizations in some patients when used before they become very sick. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Armando Meza told ABC-7 that these antibody treatments work similarly to a vaccine in the sense they provide antibodies against a virus.

^{KFOX - Nov. 24, 2020}

Early Tuesday evening, the first El Pasoan was brought to the convention center to receive a potentially life-saving treatment called bamlanivimab. Bamlanivimab is a COVID-19 antibody treatment approved for emergency use just two weeks ago. “Bamlanivimab is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to the COVID-19 virus in the body and prevents it from attaching to cells within the body,” Dr. Edward Michelson, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center said.

^{KVIA.com - Nov. 24, 2020}

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges Americans to stay home and celebrate only with those in the same household. The agency warns that gathering with friends and family in other households can increase the risk of spreading the virus. A local psychologist says technology can help, especially video chat platforms like FaceTime and Zoom. To spice up a normal video call, Dr. Melanie Longhurst, a psychologist with Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, recommends adding in a virtual activity. Dr. Longhurst recommends cooking the same recipe with others virtually at the same time.

^{Twitter - Nov. 23, 2020}

We need your help. In partnership with @TTUHSCEP, we ask the communities we serve to continue practicing #COVID19 precautions: mask up, social distance and wash your hands.

^{Texas Standard - Nov. 23, 2020}

Dr. Armando Meza, Chief of infectious Diseases at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in El Paso wants all families to understand that message. “Families in the Hispanic population where we really like to meet, and we like to hug each other and interact and all that, it is an unfortunate situation because it puts us at a very high risk for becoming infected,” said Meza. Dr. Meza knows that family dynamic well. He has relatives in both El Paso and Juarez. While strong families are the backbone of border communities, those bonds can also increase the risk for COVID. The virus can spread like wildfire through large extended families.

^{Twitter - Nov. 23, 2020}

We need your help. In partnership with @TTUHSCEP, we ask the communities we serve to continue practicing #COVID19 precautions: mask up, social distance and wash your hands.

^{KFOX - Nov. 22, 2020}

Robert Holguin continues to explore the COVID-19 pandemic in El Paso on this week’s Built in the Borderland. In this episode, Holguin exams a key part of El Paso’s medical infrastructure, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center of El Paso.

^{KTSM - Nov. 22, 2020}

Dr. Fabrizzio Delgado, division chief for the psychiatry consult service at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, said there is no right or wrong way to go through the grieving process. Delgado said the stages of grief such as depression, denial, anger, acceptance and bargaining do not necessarily occur in the same order for everyone. For some people, the stages may be intertwined, he said.

^{Facebook - Nov. 21, 2020}

UTEP President Heather Wilson and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso President Richard Lange co-wrote an op-ed in The Dallas Morning News about different strategies to fight COVID-19. Read here: https://utepn.ws/3nJegfH

^{The Dallas Morning News - Nov. 21, 2020}

“Our community hasn’t had time to process grief, of either the Aug. 3 massacre, and now COVID-19, and that’s worrisome because we’re seeing worsening symptoms of PTSD that will be with us for a long time,” said Dr. Fabrizzio Delgado, a psychiatrist at the University Medical Center of El Paso and an assistant professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. “Things are probably going to get worse before they get better as deaths spike. And so when they get better, that’s when you’re going to start seeing the emotional scarring around us.”

^{News4SA - Nov. 20,2020}

An infectious disease specialist in El Paso says a negative COVID-19 test does not mean it is safe to gather with loved ones.As the holidays approach, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people not to gather with people they do not live with. Dr. Armando Meza is the chief infectious disease specialist for Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in El Paso. Meza said tests are not fully trustworthy

^{KVIA - Nov. 20, 2020}

Dr. Meza said traveling by private car can be less risky if individuals pay close to attention to exposure risks when stopping on the road. He also urged the community to consider where they are staying upon arrival to a destination. Dr. Meza suggested many Airbnb properties will have less people around, but hotel chains could have more advanced cleaning protocols. Thanksgiving dinner can also include risks even for those not traveling outside their community. CDC officials have cited small, household gatherings as a reason for increasing cases.

^{NBC News - Nov. 20, 2020}

For Dr. Fabrizzio Delgado, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, the growing mental health toll the pandemic has taken on Latinos in his community has become more apparent since October, when a rise in coronavirus cases and deaths made El Paso, Texas, the new epicenter of the pandemic. More than 80 percent of the city’s population is Hispanic.

^{KVIA - Nov. 19, 2020}

The number of coronavirus patients in El Paso remains at a near record high. However, even as hospitals are strained due to the pandemic, some health experts are warning that non-Covid patients may be delaying life-saving care. Dr. Edward Michelson, an emergency room physician affiliated with University Medical Center and Chair of Emergency Medicine at TTUHSC El Paso, said the number of patients in the emergency department is lower than it was a year ago. He cites a drop in non-COVID patients who he believes may be delaying emergency visits due to fears of the virus.

^{Headline News - Nov.18, 2020}

A local infectious disease expert said antibody treatments work similarly to a vaccine in the sense they provide antibodies against a virus. He warns these antibodies may not be long-lasting and patients who receive such therapies may also require a vaccine too for immunity. “Antibody protection really happens at the early stages of the infection, so if you’re going to get this treatment, it’s going to have to be within the first few days of becoming symptomatic or infected,” said Dr. Armando Meza, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. “Only patients who are at particularly high risk of having severe complications will be the ones who will be given these antibodies.”

^{KVIA - Nov.17}

A local infectious disease expert said antibody treatments work similarly to a vaccine in the sense they provide antibodies against a virus. He warns these antibodies may not be long-lasting and patients who receive such therapies may also require a vaccine too for immunity. “Antibody protection really happens at the early stages of the infection, so if you're going to get this treatment, it's going to have to be within the first few days of becoming symptomatic or infected,” said Dr. Armando Meza, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. “Only patients who are at particularly high risk of having severe complications will be the ones who will be given these antibodies.”

^{The Dallas Morning News - Nov. 16, 2020}

Dr. Edward Michelson, chief of emergency medicine at the University Medical Center and a professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, said, “I do see an end (to the crisis) but I don’t know when it’s coming. Even in a marathon, you know ... you have to have time to drink some water, get some nutrition. Here, the hospitals are simply reaching their capacity.” Michelson said the city and county, with help from the state government, “have done an amazing job in adding capacity” over the past eight weeks, adding up to “600 new hospital beds.”

^{YouTube - Nov.16, 2020}

Dr. Jessica Chacon, assistant professor at Foster School of Medicine. COVID-19 Fatigue |

^{KTSM - Nov. 16, 2020}

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Chief of Infectious Diseases Dr. Armando Meza said it is possible for patients who recover from the virus to get re-infected. “Now will everyone respond the same? The answer is no — most patients will respond with a defense response that will protect them from getting infected again,” Meza said. However, there is a difference between re-infection and long-term effects from the initial positive test.

^{Aljazeera English - Nov 14, 2020}

Dr. Armando Meza, chief of infectious diseases at TTUHSC El Paso, said that El Paso is getting support from the state.

^{Medpage - Nov. 13, 2020}

Although new cases dipped in the past couple of days, there were still close to 30,000 active cases as of Nov. 12. More than 1,000 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, accounting for more than half of hospital admissions in the city, said Richard Lange, MD, president of Texas Tech University Health Science Center in El Paso. "We don't see the end in sight," Lange told MedPage Today. "This has been going on since April, so we're now 7 months in.... For the people sitting on the frontlines in the ICU, it's emotionally draining."

^{News Nation - Nov. 13, 2020}

Amid the catastrophic rise in cases, local doctors are seeing an influx of new patients with severe mental health disorders. Psychologist Dr. Fabrizzio Delgado said he’s seen about a 50 percent increase in patients—a rise that coincided with COVID.

^{El Paso Herald-Post - Nov. 12, 2020}

Since 2017, nearly 1,800 UTEP health care students and medical students from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine have engaged in IPE experiences developed by the Health-Focused Interprofessional Education Community of Practice at UTEP. The group consists of faculty from the College of Health Sciences and the schools of Nursing and Pharmacy. During the IPE experience, students from different health disciplines work collaboratively to address the health care needs of an imaginary patient from a vulnerable population. They discuss their roles, learn from each other, and work synergistically to determine the best care possible for the patient. Students learn to work as an interprofessional team and apply this knowledge to their future practice.

^{El Paso Matters - Nov. 12, 2020}

As El Paso’s COVID-19 crisis continues, an emergency medicine expert warns hospitals may run out of space to treat those affected by the pandemic. Dr. Edward Michelson, chair of emergency medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, gave El Paso Matters a candid view on Tuesday about what may happen if cases do not decline significantly. He treats patients at University Medical Center. 

^{KFOX 14 - Nov. 12, 2020}

More medical personnel, 35 more hospital beds, and personal protective equipment have all been shipped into the El Paso region, as the COVID-19 crisis shatters Texas records and claims lives. “El Paso County is a lot smaller than the counties around Houston, Dallas, that’s particularly concerning,” said Dr. Edward Michelson, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Paul Foster School of Medicine, at Texas Tech University Health Science Center.

^{KVIA - Nov. 11, 2020}

Dr. Edward Michelson, chair of the Emergency Department at TTUHSC El Paso, discusses this trend with us.

^{The New York Times - Nov. 10, 2020}

The majority of infections in El Paso have come, health officials said, from local community transmission, especially within multigenerational families who often live together or come together frequently to shop or visit. “We have seen multiple members of families coming in, usually on different days,” said Dr. Edward Michelson, chief of emergency medicine at the University Medical Center and a professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

^{El Paso Border Coalition for Fitness - Nov. 6, 2020}

Interested in boosting your health during these coming months? We recently spoke with Dr. Armando Meza, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, and learned how exercise can help protect you from feeling the more serious effects of COVID-19. Check out the interview below! Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso Live Active EP #asktheexpert #stepbystep #getfit #holiday2020

^{News Nation - Nov. 6, 2020}

Dr. Edward Michelson, chair of Emergency Medicine at TTUHSC El Paso, shares why El Paso has seen an increase of COVID-19 cases.

^{KFOX TV - Nov. 2, 2020}

Last night's episode of "Built in the Borderland" focused on the breakdown between the City and County of El Paso when it comes to an emergency response to our coronvavirus crisis, specifically the situation at our local hosptials. The episode includes conversations with local health experts, policy makers and business owners. (Includes interviews with Dee Margo, Peter Svarzbein, David Stout, Wing Daddy's Sauce House - Mesa, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Oge Alozie)

^{The Dallas Morning News - Nov. 2, 2020}

Un reconocido médico de El Paso advirtió que covid está abrumando tanto las instalaciones médicas que le preocupa empezara “racionar la atención médica”.“Continuará la expansión" de contagios, dijo el Dr. Richard Lange, presidente del Centro de Ciencias de la Salud de la universidad Texas Tech en El Paso. “Tal vez no lo veamos ahorita, pero obviamente si no controlamos (la pandemia) eso sucederá”.

^{The Dallas Morning News - Nov. 2, 2020}

A top physician in El Paso warned that COVID-19 is overwhelming medical facilities so much that he worries about having “to ration health care.”“We’re continuing to expand,” in terms of cases, said Dr. Richard Lange, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. “It’s not on the immediate horizon, but obviously if we don’t get this under control at some point that will happen.”

^{KVIA Ch. 7 - Nov. 2, 2020}

A local infectious disease expert with Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso says there are some reasons that risk can be heightened in these locations. City data shows that the highest amount of virus exposures, 37%, is coming from retail stores. Dr. Armando Meza said stores can be risky environments due to the amount of exposures an individual might encounter. The CDC recently redefined what it means to have “close contact” with an infected individual. The agency had previously defined that contact as 15 minutes, but U.S. officials now say repeated, brief encounters can spread the virus too. While Dr. Meza said there is no way to completely eliminate the risk, he said there are ways to reduce it.