CBS2 KCAL9 Doctor Contracts COVID-19 While Treating Scores of Infected Patients Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 15 September 2020 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles CBS2 KCAL9 Doctor Contracts COVID-19 While Treating Scores of Infected Patients Oren Friedman, MD, recovered from COVID-19 and then volunteered at a New York hospital during the height of the pandemic. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. CBS2/KCAL9 recently featured Cedars-Sinai pulmonary critical care specialist Oren Friedman, MD, in its "STEAM Series," a feature that highlights local people who are making a difference using science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. In mid-March, after working for one week in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Cedars-Sinai, Friedman began experiencing early symptoms of a novel coronavirus infection. He quickly isolated himself and later tested positive for the illness. While in quarantine, Friedman kept in touch with his former colleagues at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, which was then the epicenter of the pandemic. The hospital, where he had trained and worked prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, was overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, and Friedman wanted to help. As soon as he recovered, Friedman volunteered to treat patients at NewYork-Presbyterian. "The New York experience was like taking years of understanding the disease and packing it into a month of time," Friedman told CBS2/KCAL9. "Where you learn so much about the patterns because you simply have the volume to be able to illustrate even the rarer patterns." Friedman told CBS2/KCAL9 that he relied most heavily on science and mathematics of the STEAM disciplines while treating patients with COVID-19. He added that any students who might be struggling with these subjects are not alone. "Science and math is hard," said Friedman. "Many of us as physicians struggled with our math classes in high school, and chemistry classes in college. But there is so much more that goes into being a good doctor." Friedman stressed the importance of making a personal connection. "I've at times let my patient's families know I too have had COVID-19," Friedman told CBS2/KCAL9. "I tell them I will do my best and will try everything to see if I can get their loved one to pull through." Click here to watch the complete story from CBS2/KCAL9. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Contact Laura Coverson laura.coverson@cshs.org Share this release CBS2 KCAL9 Doctor Contracts COVID-19 While Treating Scores of Infected Patients Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home