Infectious disease doctor sidelined after exposure to Sarasota COVID-19 patient

Doctor self-quarantined after COVID-19 exposure

Kimberly Kuizon reports

SARASOTA, Fla. - Dr. Manuel Gordillo has been working from home for nearly a week. He's the infectious disease specialist in Sarasota who diagnosing the first COVID-19 patient at Doctor's Hospital.

After making the diagnosis, he separated himself from patients and the public.

"I'm very involved with this, we’ve been preparing for a long time," he said. "I feel like almost a major league coach that is about to start the season and when the season starts, something happens and he cannot be directing his team,"

Towards the end of last week, Gordillo first met the patient, a man in his 60s from Manatee County, at Doctor's Hospital in Sarasota.

"Nobody expected the person to have this disease. The patient was not in isolation, like most of the patients in the hospital," he said.

The patient tested negative for a number of other viruses, including the flu, so they tested him for the novel coronavirus.

"In all honesty, I thought it was a low likelihood that the patient had this disease because he had no history of travel. We couldn't test him on the first day I saw him," said Dr.Gordillo.

That night, the CDC changed it's criteria for testing, allowing doctors to test patients who didn't have a travel history.

"I immediately went the next day, early, 5 a.m., and ordered the test," said Dr. Gordillo.

The test came back positive for COVID-19. At that moment, he says he considered what a positive test would mean for the patient, as well as himself and anyone else who came into contact with the man.

The patient was released from the hospital Friday, but Dr. Gordillo remains quarantined because it's still unclear how long it takes for an infected person to show symptoms.

LINK: Florida’s first hospitalized COVID-19 patient discharged from Sarasota hospital

While at home, he continues to work. He reviews patient records and consults for doctors over the phone.

He has shown no signs or symptoms of COVID-19 - a relief for the doctor and anyone who has been worried about contact.

As long as he stays healthy, Gordillo will come out from self-quarantine March 12.

If you feel sick

The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.

LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website

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