Newborns to young adults, a pediatrician takes on COVID-19

Long Island, New York pediatrician Dr. Greg Gulbransen is working seven days a week to tackle the coronavirus in one of the nation's hot spots, with a newborn among his many young COVID-19 patients.

Lisa Bernhard has more.

Dr. Greg Gulbransen,a pediatrician in Long Island, New York,remembers the first time he learned that one of his patients – a 21-year-old - had tested positive for the coronavirus.

A call came from a local lab technician at precisely 2:13 am on a Monday, he recalls, with the patient’s test result.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) OYSTER BAY PEDIATRIC AND ADOLESCENT MEDICINE CLINIC, DOCTOR, GREG GULBRANSEN, SAYING: “It was like you took a 5-hour energy drink and put it right down my spinal cord.

It was my first COVID-positive patient, and I just levitated out of bed.

I didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

I thought, this is it.

You know, it's here.

This is a disaster." Gulbransen practices in one of the nation’s hot spots – his county, which borders New York City, has over 25,000 cases of the virus and more than 1000 people have died, according to a Reuters tally.

And while many of his young patients have tested positive, the disease looks different in children than it tends to in adults.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) OYSTER BAY PEDIATRIC AND ADOLESCENT MEDICINE CLINIC, DOCTOR, GREG GULBRANSEN, SAYING: "We have a 6-week-old with COVID, really no symptoms other than runny nose.

Thank God for that.

We have quite a few toddlers and plenty of school-age children, and they seem to do rather fine.

It's their parents that aren't so well.

And the reason we're testing the children is because their parents know they have it.

Father may be in New York City police officer or first responder.

Classic story.

Sure enough, the mom gets it.

And then the kids get colds.

We test them, and they're all positive." He also had a newborn who tested positive due to both parents having COVID-19.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) OYSTER BAY PEDIATRIC AND ADOLESCENT MEDICINE CLINIC, DOCTOR, GREG GULBRANSEN, SAYING: “That child has had to be breastfed and cared for by a relative in the family and kept away from the parents.

And this relative was breastfeeding her child and this child.

They've just now gotten reunited.” Gulbransen says he’s fortunate his office has two entrances on either side of the building – allowing him to treat COVID and non-COVID patients in separate areas and helping his business stay afloat at a time when many other pediatricians have had to shut.

He’s even working seven days a week – sometimes via smartphone.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) OYSTER BAY PEDIATRIC AND ADOLESCENT MEDICINE CLINIC, DOCTOR, GREG GULBRANSEN, SAYING: “I just think it's important to provide the service at all times.

You have to be here for these patients because this is the most challenging time.

This is when these parents are in panic mode.” Besides, with New York's healthcare system at full throttle, Gulbransen wants to take no risks.

His motto: "Whatever you do, don't send someone from this office to the ER."