NC doctors urge Gov. Cooper to issue shelter in place order

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Doctors here in the Cape Fear are calling on governor Roy Cooper for a statewide shelter in place order, saying it’s the best, and maybe only thing to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Doctors say the clock is ticking, and this order could be what saves lives in the coming weeks.

“We only have a very few days left to act in order to prevent our health systems from being completely overwhelmed,” New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Chief Physician Executive Dr. Phil Brown said.

Brown says it’s not a matter of weeks, but days until we could find ourselves in a dire situation.

“Our predictions for how fast this could go should we continue on the same trajectory as countries like Italy, would take us to a very bad place,” Brown said.

Dr. Joe Pat Hatem at Dosher Memorial Hospital agrees it’s time for a shelter in place order.

“I think it is time for the Governor to say, ‘Let’s stay at home. Let’s put a little more emphasis on this public health measure,'” Hatem said.

Brown says the whole country has been in a catch up phase since the start of the spread of Coronavirus. 

“This is a much different disease than we’ve ever seen in the world since 1918,” Brown said.

Hatem says a shelter in place order not only protects people at home, but it keeps the hospitals from running out of resources to treat patients.

“80% may do reasonable well, but the medical resources for those who get really ill, these are ICU patients, and require a lot of services.”

Hatem says a lot of hospitals around the country are already running into issues with supply shortages, so this order could help save lives of potential patients.

“They would be the heroes that saved lives by staying at home,” Hatem said.

Doctors say time is running out though, and the longer we wait, the worse things will be down the road. Brown says we are still just in the beginning of this pandemic.

“I’m to at all sure there’s still enough time to save us from being in a highly stressed mode with regard to health system delivery of care to those who need it,” Brown said.

An order like this may seem drastic, but Brown says it’s what can save our community.

“It’s going to make a huge difference for all of us in terms of who survives and how quickly we can recover,” Brown said.

Certain towns and cities in the Cape Fear have already recommended stay at home orders.

Starting Wednesday at 5 p.m., all non-essential businesses will be closed, including salons, movie theaters and health clubs and more.