An emergency room physician at East Orange (N.J.) General Hospital died April 1 from COVID-19 complications, according to a statement from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
The physician, Frank Gabrin, MD, was the first ER physician in the U.S. to die due to symptoms related to the novel coronavirus, ACEP said.
Dr. Gabrin was a New York City resident, according to USA Today. He was 60 years old and a two time cancer survivor.
"We are deeply saddened to learn that a former ACEP member and our current colleague on the frontlines — an emergency physician — has lost his fight against this virus. Emergency physicians understand that sometimes in our efforts to save your life, we may end up sacrificing our own," ACEP said.
ACEP renewed its efforts that the U.S. needs to do more to ensure physicians are equipped with the proper personal protective equipment.
"We know the risks of the job we signed up for, but we are on the frontlines in this historic war against COVID-19 with insufficient protection," ACEP said. "America can't afford for more emergency physicians and other frontline health care providers to get sick or worse due to PPE shortages."