First Person with Wuhan Coronavirus in U.S. Being Treated by a Robot
The robot limits the exposure of medical staff to the virus.
We have seen robots do everything from parkour to helping with the elderly. Now, a nifty robot is being used in the U.S. to treat a patient infected with the Wuhan Coronavirus, CNN reports.
RELATED: THIS HUMANOID ROBOT IS A TEACHER FOR CHILDREN AND A COMPANION FOR THE ELDERLY
The patient is a man in his 30s that that checked in the emergency room because he believed he was experiencing symptoms from the Wuhan coronavirus. He was sadly diagnosed with the virus on Monday.
He had recently traveled to Wuhan and was worried about his symptoms. The doctors put him in isolation, and he has been reported to be in stable condition.
Robot doctors
So, where does the robot come in? Well, its role is actually highly important, as it is meant to protect medical staff by limiting their exposure to the virus.
Equipped with a stethoscope, the robot takes the man’s vitals and communicates them to doctors who are not in the room with the patient through a screen.
“The nursing staff in the room move the robot around so we can see the patient in the screen, talk to him,” told CNN Dr. George Diaz, chief of the infectious disease division at the Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington.
Doing well
Despite being in a stable condition, the man has not been released yet. Medical professionals have ordered additional tests for the patient.
These tests are supposed to show whether the man is still contagious. In the meantime, Washington state health officials have been communicating with 43 people that are considered being “close contacts” of the patient.
“Close contacts” are defined as anyone who may have come within 3 to 6 feet of the infected patient. All such contacts will be contacted daily and actively monitored for signs of the virus.
What do you think of this nifty robot? Is it a useful option for medical staff to keep safe, or is it an impersonal way of treating a patient? Either way, the robot’s role is very important as it lessens the risk of doctors being infected by the virus.
SHOW COMMENT ()
