Chris Firlit, Surgeon
Chris Firlit – a PGY6 Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery Chief Resident in Detroit, Michigan (presumed) – passed away on 5 April, 2020, after suffering from COVID-19. Chris was 32 years old.
He experienced a fever before his chief fellow drove him to Providence Hospital in Southfield, where he died of suspected COVID-19, Dr. Rafael L. Barretto, director of medical education, wrote in a message obtained by The News.
While it is not immediately clear whether Firlit's exposure came at work, Baretto's note underscored rising tensions about the increasing use of residents — physicians who are training in their specialty — in medical areas that are not their specialty during this crisis.
"As we continue to ramp up using our re...
