Coronavirus: Emirati doctor sticks to his post at California's Stanford University hospital

Ajlan Al Zaki spoke to 'The National' about his day-to-day battle and crisis facing US

When Ajlan Al Zaki began his residency in internal medicine at Stanford University in 2018, he had no idea that two years later he would be on the front lines of California's battle against the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 50,000 people worldwide.

The Emirati doctor says he can barely remember what life was like before the outbreak.

Dr Al Zaki now works more than 12 hours a day treating coronavirus patients of all ages at Stanford University's hospital, as cases in California approach 10,000.

"This an unprecedented, I could not imagine seeing something like this in my lifetime," he told The National.

The coronavirus outbreak has turned Stanford “into a ghost town”, he says.

Dr Al Zaki, 34, a Buhooth Scholarship recipient from Khalifa University, treats coronavirus patients who need close monitoring.

Their symptoms vary, he says. Between 20 and 30 per cent of patients have no symptoms, while the others develop fever, coughs, muscle pain or shortness of breath, he says.

Some also experience a loss of their senses of smell and taste as well.

Born and raised in Abu Dhabi, Dr Al Zaki also studied at the George Washington University after moving to the US in 2005.

He considers California's doctors luckier than many at this stage because hospitals in the state are not at full capacity and physicians do not have to choose which patients to treat first.

Dr Al Zaki says this is because the state was quick to enforce quarantine measures on March 9.

With the number of cases in the US now past 213,000, the most of any country, he says early signs were missed when the virus was wreaking havoc in China and Italy.

The biggest limits facing the US are “testing capabilities and expanding hospital capacity”, Dr Al Zaki says.

He says his home country showed a more robust and aggressive approach through the night curfew, very early mass testing at airports and the drive-through public testing introduced recently.

“It’s better than what I see being done here in the US,” Dr Al Zaki says.

Dr Al Zaki says scientists have long anticipated the emergence of a virus like Sars-Cov2, pointing to previous coronavirus outbreaks such as Sars, H1N1, the Spanish flu and Mers

“We have known for many years that a virus like this could happen," he says.

He is not certain when a vaccine will be developed, but says clinical trials at Stanford and other places could prove successful.

At the same time, treatments such as remdesivir, tocilizumab and convalescent serum also hold potential.

The key to winning the fight, Dr Al Zaki says, is co-ordination between doctors across the globe and the public adhering to restrictions to stop the spread of the virus.

The Manhattan skyline rises over the Borough of Brooklyn on March 31, 2020 in New York. AFP

A shopper and cashier wear protective equipment at the checkout station at Pat's Farms grocery store in Merrick, New York. AFP

Paramedics push a gurney with a patient to Brooklyn Hospital Centre Emergency Room in the Brooklyn borough of New York. AFP

A New York Police officer stands guard in an almost empty Times Square during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease. Reuters

A mounted police officer rides though a mostly deserted Times Square during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in the Manhattan. Reuters

A man wears personal protective equipment as he walks on First Avenue, during the coronavirus disease outbreak in New York City. Reuters

A New York City Police officer takes a selfie while in the middle of the street in an almost empty Times Square. Reuters

The US Navy hospital ship carrying 1,000 hospital beds moves past the Statue of Liberty as it arrives in New York. AFP

A medical worker walks out of a coronavirus testing tent at Brooklyn Hospital Centre in New York City. AFP

A worker cleans along the Las Vegas Strip devoid of the usual crowds as casinos and other business are shuttered due to the coronavirus outbreak. AP

Members of the US Army Corps of Engineer Research Development Centre’s Directorate of Public Works construct two temporary hospital room prototypes in Vicksburg. The Vicksburg Post via AP

Carol Talkington helps Terri Bonasso tape a notice on the emergency room door following a vigil at the closing of the Fairmont Regional Medical Centre in Fairmont. Times-West Virginian via AP

A motel sign is lit along a quiet Sunset Boulevard at dusk amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 31, 2020 in Los Angeles. AFP

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks during a virtual press briefing on March 25, 2020. Bloomberg

Although the UAE has been repatriating its citizens from the US, he says he will not be leaving his mission at Stanford.

“As hard as it is being separated from family and from my country, I am reminded every day I go to work of how fortunate I am to have my health and be able to help people,” Dr Al Zaki says.

Dr Ajlan Al Zaki is an Internal Medicine Resident at Stanford University Hospital. These are his views and may not necessarily represent the views of his institution.