Fighting For Their Lives

Like many others, Dr. Jeremy Breit, a pulmonologist and critical care doctor at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, first heard about COVID-19 on the news.

But it all became very real – and too close to home – soon enough. Although he was only treating a few COVID-19 patients at the hospital in February, that number has gone up drastically in recent months. 

He estimates that he has treated about 200 patients – all very ill. Sadly, of those hospitalized, about 20 percent died. Some others were hospitalized for almost two months. 

“At first there was a lot of debate between colleagues because we didn’t know how to treat patients,” he laments. 

Fortunately a lot has changed. “Testing is easier,” Dr. Breit says. “Today the foundation for treatments is steroids, the drug Remdesivir, convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies along with oxygen. I am cautiously optimistic that we will have a vaccine very soon, but who gets it and how is another question.

A vaccine will not kill the virus, but it prepares the immune system for it.”

Since March, Dr. Breit has worked long, long hours with gravely ill patients while spending equally long hours studying to learn how to best treat the virus.   

“Coronavirus falls into everything I do as a pulmonologist. I was, and am still, working at least 80 hours per week and sometimes pushing 90 to 100,” the 45-year-old Boca Raton resident says. 

 But there have been some silver linings. One of Dr. Breit’s favorite success stories is that of a young woman who was admitted to the hospital very ill with COVID-19 in October. She had just given birth and also had a toddler. Her out-of-town sister came to help, but that was the extent of the woman’s support system.

 “Everyone at the hospital helped. They all donated money and even watched her kids before her sister arrived. The whole hospital cheered when she went home,” says Dr. Breit, who has two sons of his own.

Dr. Breit is extremely strict about following protocols – and his diligence has paid off. “I am quite proud that none of the nine physicians in my group contracted coronavirus despite coming in contact with infected patients daily,” he says.   

But life has definitely changed for him.  

“This has reminded me to make sure to take full advantage of whatever time I have left and not take it for granted,” he says.