The chief of essential treatment at a Baltimore healthcare facility who helped handle the “sickest” clients, together with for the duration of the pandemic, died Saturday of the coronavirus.
Dr. Joseph Costa, 56, was the intensive care unit chief at Mercy Professional medical Middle in downtown Baltimore. The hospital confirmed his death in a assertion posted to Facebook on Sunday.
“He devoted his lifetime and vocation to caring for the sickest people,” Sister Helen Amos, chair of the hospital’s board of trustees, and David Maine, president and CEO, claimed in a joint statement. “When the worldwide pandemic arrived down upon us, Joe selflessly continued his perform on the entrance lines — deeply dedicated to serving our individuals and our Town all through this time of excellent need to have.”
“His memory will stay on as an instance to us all,” the medical center stated.
Costa had labored for Mercy for 23 a long time, becoming main of important care in 2005. He is survived by his spouse of 28 yrs, David Hart.
“I retain imagining, ‘Now there is a person much less ICU medical professional to care for pandemic sufferers in Baltimore,’” Hart informed The Baltimore Sunlight.
1 of Costa’s professional medical faculty classmates, Dr. Amy Zimmerman, told NBC Baltimore affiliate WBAL that his tragic dying should provide as a reminder of the seriousness of the pandemic.
“This is serious. This was a 56-12 months-outdated healthier gentleman. He knew how to be mindful. He realized how to just take superior treatment of himself, and he nevertheless passed away from this ailment,” she mentioned. “This could materialize to any one.”
Maryland has experienced extra than 85,000 instances of the coronavirus and pretty much 3,500 fatalities, in accordance to NBC News’ tally. The numbers of new circumstances had been commencing to dip in June, but have been growing once far more in July, Maryland Overall health Section figures show.
Costa is between in excess of 850 wellbeing treatment staff in the U.S. who have died of COVID-19, according to a joint tally by Kaiser Health News and The Guardian.
