Dr. Hugh Cassiere is the director of critical care services at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset, N.Y. He’s been a doctor for 24 years and says he’s used to treating “the sickest of sick patients.” “This was surreal ... in terms of the sheer number of critically ill patients, and every single patient was sick beyond belief,” Cassiere told Yahoo News. From a medical perspective, Cassiere said, learning that the use of steroids — specifically dexamethasone — early on in patients with low oxygen levels is of paramount importance.