After two exposures while examining COVID-19 patients, Lakshmi found herself sitting in an office with an infectious disease specialist.
"It's different than any other clinical visit," Lakshmi says of COVID-19 testing. "More than anything, I felt terrible. Because I know if my test was positive, people would have to work for me in the hospital for a few weeks," she says of her thoughts on getting tested. "Doctors are stretched thin as it is."
After recounting the COVID-19 testing process, Lakshmi discusses the emotional effect her work is having on her parents and how other colleagues are dealing with their families while treating contagious patients.
"They have had a lot of anxiety about the fact that their daughter is a healthcare worker and taking care of COVID patients."
Towards the end of the episode, Lakshmi shares an interesting observation about broader healthcare patterns: Hospitals around the country are reporting a drop in the number of urgent cardiac cases.