US shockingly unready ... ‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus conncerns

[Denizen]

"As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector."

Medical personnel are in the front line of the coronavirus fight and they are at high-risk themselves with a number of medical personnel having died in China from coronavirus infection.

Despite the assurances of Trump and Pence, the US appears very underprepared despite having foreknowledge of the rate of spread and consequences of infection.

Equipment is short, training is short and there is no preparedness for the accommodation of large numbers of infected people. There is no plan.

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns
A northern California nurse criticizes the CDC for delays in testing after she fell ill while caring for a patient with coronavirus

Victoria Bekiempis

Fri 6 Mar 2020 10.00 GMTLast modified on Fri 6 Mar 2020 19.27 GMT

A survey by National Nurses United found that only 63% had access to N95 respirators in their units.

As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector.

Supply and staffing shortages, combined with conflicting guidance and lack of information, have created a perfect-storm situation that’s poised to perpetuate illness, they told the Guardian.

National Nurses United (NNU) released results from a survey of more than 6,500 nurses across 48 states, Washington DC, and the Virgin Islands. Less than half of nurses surveyed – 44% – said their employers provided them information on novel coronavirus and “how to recognize and respond to possible cases”.

Washington state residents frustrated over obstacles to get coronavirus tests

Just 63% of nurses surveyed had access to N95 respirators in their units, while a mere 27% had access to powered air purifying respirators.

Only 30% of survey participants said that their employers had enough personal protective equipment (PPE) stocked in the event of a quick uptick in potential coronavirus patients, while 38% didn’t know.

Sixty-five per cent of nurses in the survey said they had been trained in safely using PPE in the year prior.

During an NNU news conference Thursday, organization officials read one northern California nurse’s shocking description of her own healthcare ordeal stemming from Covid-19.

“As a nurse, I’m very concerned that not enough is being done to stop the spread of the coronavirus. I know because I am currently sick and in quarantine after caring for a patient who tested positive,” the unnamed nurse said in her statement. “I’m awaiting permission from the federal government to allow for my testing, even after my physician and county health professional ordered it.”

The nurse said that she volunteered to be on a team caring for this patient, who was known to have coronavirus.

“I did this assuming that if something happened to me, of course I, too, would be cared for,” the statement said. “Then, what was a small concern after a few days of caring for this patient, became my reality: I started getting sick.”

The nurse’s employer placed her on a 14-day self-quarantine because her symptoms matched potential coronavirus. While her doctor and local public health officials approved a test, she said, “the national [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] would not initiate testing”.

“They said they would not test me because if I were wearing the recommended protective equipment, then I wouldn’t have the coronavirus,” she said in her statement.

The nurse said that the CDC called back, claiming there was “an issue with something called the identifier number”.

“They claim they prioritize running samples by illness severity and that there are only so many to give out each day. So I have to wait in line to find out the results,” her statement said. “This is not the ticket dispenser at the deli counter; it’s a public health emergency! I am a registered nurse, and I need to know if I am positive before going back to caring for patients.”

An emergency room nurse at a private hospital in New York City’s Bronx borough told the Guardian that her department – already stretched thin from handling 300 to 400 patients daily on scant staff – was “wildly unprepared” for coronavirus. As of Thursday afternoon, this state has 22 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Hospital administrators recently restricted practitioners’ access to N95 masks, claiming it was “because of the national shortage”, this nurse said. Now, healthcare workers there have to seek a manager’s permission to obtain one of these respirators – even if someone walks into the ER who presents coronavirus concerns.

Upon being screened in the triage area, patients with concerning symptoms would be isolated. Logistically, this means that nurses’ requests for masks would come after potential exposure.

Right after access to N95 masks was curtailed, nurses would have to find the day’s supervising nurse, who would have to call a unit manager, who would then have to call the supply room for masks. At that point, somebody would have to get these masks from the supply room, and bring them to the ER, she said.

After nurses protested the onerous process, some N95 marks were placed in a locked cart on the floor, and some with the supervising nurse. But they were only size regular, which would be too big for her and some other nurses – rendering them useless, she said.

Several patients with respiratory symptoms who tested negative for common respiratory ailments – a red flag indicating that testing for coronavirus might be necessary – never got tested. One was released from the hospital, while several more wound up being treated for general respiratory symptoms, she said.

When this nurse voiced concerns to management, she claims to have been warned: “stop freaking out and stop scaring everybody”.

David Pratt, a health and safety representative at the New York State Nurses Association, said that, due to policies on the federal and local hospital level, “there is increasing concern among our members, among nurses, about the lack of preparedness of many of our facilities”.

New York state only recently received permission to conduct its own coronavirus tests, which had delayed diagnoses. In addition to supply concerns, staffing issues remain key.

Hospitals would need to dedicate one nurse and one aide to a coronavirus patient, Pratt said. “With that, you’ve really taken a couple of staff people out of the mix. Who’s making up for that?”

“It makes it much more difficult if your system is already overwhelmed,” he continued.

 

[theHawk]

"As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector."

Medical personnel are in the front line of the coronavirus fight and they are at high-risk themselves with a number of medical personnel having died in China from coronavirus infection.

Despite the assurances of Trump and Pence, the US appears very underprepared despite having foreknowledge of the rate of spread and consequences of infection.

Equipment is short, training is short and there is no preparedness for the accommodation of large numbers of infected people. There is no plan.

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns
A northern California nurse criticizes the CDC for delays in testing after she fell ill while caring for a patient with coronavirus

Victoria Bekiempis

Fri 6 Mar 2020 10.00 GMTLast modified on Fri 6 Mar 2020 19.27 GMT

A survey by National Nurses United found that only 63% had access to N95 respirators in their units.

As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector.

Supply and staffing shortages, combined with conflicting guidance and lack of information, have created a perfect-storm situation that’s poised to perpetuate illness, they told the Guardian.

National Nurses United (NNU) released results from a survey of more than 6,500 nurses across 48 states, Washington DC, and the Virgin Islands. Less than half of nurses surveyed – 44% – said their employers provided them information on novel coronavirus and “how to recognize and respond to possible cases”.

Washington state residents frustrated over obstacles to get coronavirus tests

Just 63% of nurses surveyed had access to N95 respirators in their units, while a mere 27% had access to powered air purifying respirators.

Only 30% of survey participants said that their employers had enough personal protective equipment (PPE) stocked in the event of a quick uptick in potential coronavirus patients, while 38% didn’t know.

Sixty-five per cent of nurses in the survey said they had been trained in safely using PPE in the year prior.

During an NNU news conference Thursday, organization officials read one northern California nurse’s shocking description of her own healthcare ordeal stemming from Covid-19.

“As a nurse, I’m very concerned that not enough is being done to stop the spread of the coronavirus. I know because I am currently sick and in quarantine after caring for a patient who tested positive,” the unnamed nurse said in her statement. “I’m awaiting permission from the federal government to allow for my testing, even after my physician and county health professional ordered it.”

The nurse said that she volunteered to be on a team caring for this patient, who was known to have coronavirus.

“I did this assuming that if something happened to me, of course I, too, would be cared for,” the statement said. “Then, what was a small concern after a few days of caring for this patient, became my reality: I started getting sick.”

The nurse’s employer placed her on a 14-day self-quarantine because her symptoms matched potential coronavirus. While her doctor and local public health officials approved a test, she said, “the national [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] would not initiate testing”.

“They said they would not test me because if I were wearing the recommended protective equipment, then I wouldn’t have the coronavirus,” she said in her statement.

The nurse said that the CDC called back, claiming there was “an issue with something called the identifier number”.

“They claim they prioritize running samples by illness severity and that there are only so many to give out each day. So I have to wait in line to find out the results,” her statement said. “This is not the ticket dispenser at the deli counter; it’s a public health emergency! I am a registered nurse, and I need to know if I am positive before going back to caring for patients.”

An emergency room nurse at a private hospital in New York City’s Bronx borough told the Guardian that her department – already stretched thin from handling 300 to 400 patients daily on scant staff – was “wildly unprepared” for coronavirus. As of Thursday afternoon, this state has 22 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Hospital administrators recently restricted practitioners’ access to N95 masks, claiming it was “because of the national shortage”, this nurse said. Now, healthcare workers there have to seek a manager’s permission to obtain one of these respirators – even if someone walks into the ER who presents coronavirus concerns.

Upon being screened in the triage area, patients with concerning symptoms would be isolated. Logistically, this means that nurses’ requests for masks would come after potential exposure.

Right after access to N95 masks was curtailed, nurses would have to find the day’s supervising nurse, who would have to call a unit manager, who would then have to call the supply room for masks. At that point, somebody would have to get these masks from the supply room, and bring them to the ER, she said.

After nurses protested the onerous process, some N95 marks were placed in a locked cart on the floor, and some with the supervising nurse. But they were only size regular, which would be too big for her and some other nurses – rendering them useless, she said.

Several patients with respiratory symptoms who tested negative for common respiratory ailments – a red flag indicating that testing for coronavirus might be necessary – never got tested. One was released from the hospital, while several more wound up being treated for general respiratory symptoms, she said.

When this nurse voiced concerns to management, she claims to have been warned: “stop freaking out and stop scaring everybody”.

David Pratt, a health and safety representative at the New York State Nurses Association, said that, due to policies on the federal and local hospital level, “there is increasing concern among our members, among nurses, about the lack of preparedness of many of our facilities”.

New York state only recently received permission to conduct its own coronavirus tests, which had delayed diagnoses. In addition to supply concerns, staffing issues remain key.

Hospitals would need to dedicate one nurse and one aide to a coronavirus patient, Pratt said. “With that, you’ve really taken a couple of staff people out of the mix. Who’s making up for that?”

“It makes it much more difficult if your system is already overwhelmed,” he continued.

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

 

[Denizen]

"As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector."

Medical personnel are in the front line of the coronavirus fight and they are at high-risk themselves with a number of medical personnel having died in China from coronavirus infection.

Despite the assurances of Trump and Pence, the US appears very underprepared despite having foreknowledge of the rate of spread and consequences of infection.

Equipment is short, training is short and there is no preparedness for the accommodation of large numbers of infected people. There is no plan.

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns
A northern California nurse criticizes the CDC for delays in testing after she fell ill while caring for a patient with coronavirus

Victoria Bekiempis

Fri 6 Mar 2020 10.00 GMTLast modified on Fri 6 Mar 2020 19.27 GMT

A survey by National Nurses United found that only 63% had access to N95 respirators in their units.

As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector.

Supply and staffing shortages, combined with conflicting guidance and lack of information, have created a perfect-storm situation that’s poised to perpetuate illness, they told the Guardian.

National Nurses United (NNU) released results from a survey of more than 6,500 nurses across 48 states, Washington DC, and the Virgin Islands. Less than half of nurses surveyed – 44% – said their employers provided them information on novel coronavirus and “how to recognize and respond to possible cases”.

Washington state residents frustrated over obstacles to get coronavirus tests

Just 63% of nurses surveyed had access to N95 respirators in their units, while a mere 27% had access to powered air purifying respirators.

Only 30% of survey participants said that their employers had enough personal protective equipment (PPE) stocked in the event of a quick uptick in potential coronavirus patients, while 38% didn’t know.

Sixty-five per cent of nurses in the survey said they had been trained in safely using PPE in the year prior.

During an NNU news conference Thursday, organization officials read one northern California nurse’s shocking description of her own healthcare ordeal stemming from Covid-19.

“As a nurse, I’m very concerned that not enough is being done to stop the spread of the coronavirus. I know because I am currently sick and in quarantine after caring for a patient who tested positive,” the unnamed nurse said in her statement. “I’m awaiting permission from the federal government to allow for my testing, even after my physician and county health professional ordered it.”

The nurse said that she volunteered to be on a team caring for this patient, who was known to have coronavirus.

“I did this assuming that if something happened to me, of course I, too, would be cared for,” the statement said. “Then, what was a small concern after a few days of caring for this patient, became my reality: I started getting sick.”

The nurse’s employer placed her on a 14-day self-quarantine because her symptoms matched potential coronavirus. While her doctor and local public health officials approved a test, she said, “the national [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] would not initiate testing”.

“They said they would not test me because if I were wearing the recommended protective equipment, then I wouldn’t have the coronavirus,” she said in her statement.

The nurse said that the CDC called back, claiming there was “an issue with something called the identifier number”.

“They claim they prioritize running samples by illness severity and that there are only so many to give out each day. So I have to wait in line to find out the results,” her statement said. “This is not the ticket dispenser at the deli counter; it’s a public health emergency! I am a registered nurse, and I need to know if I am positive before going back to caring for patients.”

An emergency room nurse at a private hospital in New York City’s Bronx borough told the Guardian that her department – already stretched thin from handling 300 to 400 patients daily on scant staff – was “wildly unprepared” for coronavirus. As of Thursday afternoon, this state has 22 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Hospital administrators recently restricted practitioners’ access to N95 masks, claiming it was “because of the national shortage”, this nurse said. Now, healthcare workers there have to seek a manager’s permission to obtain one of these respirators – even if someone walks into the ER who presents coronavirus concerns.

Upon being screened in the triage area, patients with concerning symptoms would be isolated. Logistically, this means that nurses’ requests for masks would come after potential exposure.

Right after access to N95 masks was curtailed, nurses would have to find the day’s supervising nurse, who would have to call a unit manager, who would then have to call the supply room for masks. At that point, somebody would have to get these masks from the supply room, and bring them to the ER, she said.

After nurses protested the onerous process, some N95 marks were placed in a locked cart on the floor, and some with the supervising nurse. But they were only size regular, which would be too big for her and some other nurses – rendering them useless, she said.

Several patients with respiratory symptoms who tested negative for common respiratory ailments – a red flag indicating that testing for coronavirus might be necessary – never got tested. One was released from the hospital, while several more wound up being treated for general respiratory symptoms, she said.

When this nurse voiced concerns to management, she claims to have been warned: “stop freaking out and stop scaring everybody”.

David Pratt, a health and safety representative at the New York State Nurses Association, said that, due to policies on the federal and local hospital level, “there is increasing concern among our members, among nurses, about the lack of preparedness of many of our facilities”.

New York state only recently received permission to conduct its own coronavirus tests, which had delayed diagnoses. In addition to supply concerns, staffing issues remain key.

Hospitals would need to dedicate one nurse and one aide to a coronavirus patient, Pratt said. “With that, you’ve really taken a couple of staff people out of the mix. Who’s making up for that?”

“It makes it much more difficult if your system is already overwhelmed,” he continued.

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

They are not combatting the virus with ignorance and lies like Dopey Donald Trump is.

 

[jc456]

"As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector."

Medical personnel are in the front line of the coronavirus fight and they are at high-risk themselves with a number of medical personnel having died in China from coronavirus infection.

Despite the assurances of Trump and Pence, the US appears very underprepared despite having foreknowledge of the rate of spread and consequences of infection.

Equipment is short, training is short and there is no preparedness for the accommodation of large numbers of infected people. There is no plan.

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns
A northern California nurse criticizes the CDC for delays in testing after she fell ill while caring for a patient with coronavirus

Victoria Bekiempis

Fri 6 Mar 2020 10.00 GMTLast modified on Fri 6 Mar 2020 19.27 GMT

A survey by National Nurses United found that only 63% had access to N95 respirators in their units.

As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector.

Supply and staffing shortages, combined with conflicting guidance and lack of information, have created a perfect-storm situation that’s poised to perpetuate illness, they told the Guardian.

National Nurses United (NNU) released results from a survey of more than 6,500 nurses across 48 states, Washington DC, and the Virgin Islands. Less than half of nurses surveyed – 44% – said their employers provided them information on novel coronavirus and “how to recognize and respond to possible cases”.

Washington state residents frustrated over obstacles to get coronavirus tests

Just 63% of nurses surveyed had access to N95 respirators in their units, while a mere 27% had access to powered air purifying respirators.

Only 30% of survey participants said that their employers had enough personal protective equipment (PPE) stocked in the event of a quick uptick in potential coronavirus patients, while 38% didn’t know.

Sixty-five per cent of nurses in the survey said they had been trained in safely using PPE in the year prior.

During an NNU news conference Thursday, organization officials read one northern California nurse’s shocking description of her own healthcare ordeal stemming from Covid-19.

“As a nurse, I’m very concerned that not enough is being done to stop the spread of the coronavirus. I know because I am currently sick and in quarantine after caring for a patient who tested positive,” the unnamed nurse said in her statement. “I’m awaiting permission from the federal government to allow for my testing, even after my physician and county health professional ordered it.”

The nurse said that she volunteered to be on a team caring for this patient, who was known to have coronavirus.

“I did this assuming that if something happened to me, of course I, too, would be cared for,” the statement said. “Then, what was a small concern after a few days of caring for this patient, became my reality: I started getting sick.”

The nurse’s employer placed her on a 14-day self-quarantine because her symptoms matched potential coronavirus. While her doctor and local public health officials approved a test, she said, “the national [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] would not initiate testing”.

“They said they would not test me because if I were wearing the recommended protective equipment, then I wouldn’t have the coronavirus,” she said in her statement.

The nurse said that the CDC called back, claiming there was “an issue with something called the identifier number”.

“They claim they prioritize running samples by illness severity and that there are only so many to give out each day. So I have to wait in line to find out the results,” her statement said. “This is not the ticket dispenser at the deli counter; it’s a public health emergency! I am a registered nurse, and I need to know if I am positive before going back to caring for patients.”

An emergency room nurse at a private hospital in New York City’s Bronx borough told the Guardian that her department – already stretched thin from handling 300 to 400 patients daily on scant staff – was “wildly unprepared” for coronavirus. As of Thursday afternoon, this state has 22 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Hospital administrators recently restricted practitioners’ access to N95 masks, claiming it was “because of the national shortage”, this nurse said. Now, healthcare workers there have to seek a manager’s permission to obtain one of these respirators – even if someone walks into the ER who presents coronavirus concerns.

Upon being screened in the triage area, patients with concerning symptoms would be isolated. Logistically, this means that nurses’ requests for masks would come after potential exposure.

Right after access to N95 masks was curtailed, nurses would have to find the day’s supervising nurse, who would have to call a unit manager, who would then have to call the supply room for masks. At that point, somebody would have to get these masks from the supply room, and bring them to the ER, she said.

After nurses protested the onerous process, some N95 marks were placed in a locked cart on the floor, and some with the supervising nurse. But they were only size regular, which would be too big for her and some other nurses – rendering them useless, she said.

Several patients with respiratory symptoms who tested negative for common respiratory ailments – a red flag indicating that testing for coronavirus might be necessary – never got tested. One was released from the hospital, while several more wound up being treated for general respiratory symptoms, she said.

When this nurse voiced concerns to management, she claims to have been warned: “stop freaking out and stop scaring everybody”.

David Pratt, a health and safety representative at the New York State Nurses Association, said that, due to policies on the federal and local hospital level, “there is increasing concern among our members, among nurses, about the lack of preparedness of many of our facilities”.

New York state only recently received permission to conduct its own coronavirus tests, which had delayed diagnoses. In addition to supply concerns, staffing issues remain key.

Hospitals would need to dedicate one nurse and one aide to a coronavirus patient, Pratt said. “With that, you’ve really taken a couple of staff people out of the mix. Who’s making up for that?”

“It makes it much more difficult if your system is already overwhelmed,” he continued.

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

They are not combatting the virus with ignorance and lies like Dopey Donald Trump is.

can't make it up

 

[toobfreak]

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

Why even dignify this moonbat garbagehead with questions? USA unprepared compared to Europe? The USA is 33X the size of Italy. Italy has 12,462 cases and 827 deaths. By that measure, we ought to have 411,000 cases and 27,000 deaths. Instead, we have only 1300 cases and 38 deaths. These pinheads cannot put down their bullshit anti-America ranting and come together even in a time of national strife.

They said Trump isn't doing enough, now Trump suspends EU travel for a month among many other things. I can't wait for them to now start claiming Trump is wrecking the world economy.

 

[Denizen]

"As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector."

Medical personnel are in the front line of the coronavirus fight and they are at high-risk themselves with a number of medical personnel having died in China from coronavirus infection.

Despite the assurances of Trump and Pence, the US appears very underprepared despite having foreknowledge of the rate of spread and consequences of infection.

Equipment is short, training is short and there is no preparedness for the accommodation of large numbers of infected people. There is no plan.

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns
A northern California nurse criticizes the CDC for delays in testing after she fell ill while caring for a patient with coronavirus

Victoria Bekiempis

Fri 6 Mar 2020 10.00 GMTLast modified on Fri 6 Mar 2020 19.27 GMT

A survey by National Nurses United found that only 63% had access to N95 respirators in their units.

As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector.

Supply and staffing shortages, combined with conflicting guidance and lack of information, have created a perfect-storm situation that’s poised to perpetuate illness, they told the Guardian.

National Nurses United (NNU) released results from a survey of more than 6,500 nurses across 48 states, Washington DC, and the Virgin Islands. Less than half of nurses surveyed – 44% – said their employers provided them information on novel coronavirus and “how to recognize and respond to possible cases”.

Washington state residents frustrated over obstacles to get coronavirus tests

Just 63% of nurses surveyed had access to N95 respirators in their units, while a mere 27% had access to powered air purifying respirators.

Only 30% of survey participants said that their employers had enough personal protective equipment (PPE) stocked in the event of a quick uptick in potential coronavirus patients, while 38% didn’t know.

Sixty-five per cent of nurses in the survey said they had been trained in safely using PPE in the year prior.

During an NNU news conference Thursday, organization officials read one northern California nurse’s shocking description of her own healthcare ordeal stemming from Covid-19.

“As a nurse, I’m very concerned that not enough is being done to stop the spread of the coronavirus. I know because I am currently sick and in quarantine after caring for a patient who tested positive,” the unnamed nurse said in her statement. “I’m awaiting permission from the federal government to allow for my testing, even after my physician and county health professional ordered it.”

The nurse said that she volunteered to be on a team caring for this patient, who was known to have coronavirus.

“I did this assuming that if something happened to me, of course I, too, would be cared for,” the statement said. “Then, what was a small concern after a few days of caring for this patient, became my reality: I started getting sick.”

The nurse’s employer placed her on a 14-day self-quarantine because her symptoms matched potential coronavirus. While her doctor and local public health officials approved a test, she said, “the national [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] would not initiate testing”.

“They said they would not test me because if I were wearing the recommended protective equipment, then I wouldn’t have the coronavirus,” she said in her statement.

The nurse said that the CDC called back, claiming there was “an issue with something called the identifier number”.

“They claim they prioritize running samples by illness severity and that there are only so many to give out each day. So I have to wait in line to find out the results,” her statement said. “This is not the ticket dispenser at the deli counter; it’s a public health emergency! I am a registered nurse, and I need to know if I am positive before going back to caring for patients.”

An emergency room nurse at a private hospital in New York City’s Bronx borough told the Guardian that her department – already stretched thin from handling 300 to 400 patients daily on scant staff – was “wildly unprepared” for coronavirus. As of Thursday afternoon, this state has 22 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Hospital administrators recently restricted practitioners’ access to N95 masks, claiming it was “because of the national shortage”, this nurse said. Now, healthcare workers there have to seek a manager’s permission to obtain one of these respirators – even if someone walks into the ER who presents coronavirus concerns.

Upon being screened in the triage area, patients with concerning symptoms would be isolated. Logistically, this means that nurses’ requests for masks would come after potential exposure.

Right after access to N95 masks was curtailed, nurses would have to find the day’s supervising nurse, who would have to call a unit manager, who would then have to call the supply room for masks. At that point, somebody would have to get these masks from the supply room, and bring them to the ER, she said.

After nurses protested the onerous process, some N95 marks were placed in a locked cart on the floor, and some with the supervising nurse. But they were only size regular, which would be too big for her and some other nurses – rendering them useless, she said.

Several patients with respiratory symptoms who tested negative for common respiratory ailments – a red flag indicating that testing for coronavirus might be necessary – never got tested. One was released from the hospital, while several more wound up being treated for general respiratory symptoms, she said.

When this nurse voiced concerns to management, she claims to have been warned: “stop freaking out and stop scaring everybody”.

David Pratt, a health and safety representative at the New York State Nurses Association, said that, due to policies on the federal and local hospital level, “there is increasing concern among our members, among nurses, about the lack of preparedness of many of our facilities”.

New York state only recently received permission to conduct its own coronavirus tests, which had delayed diagnoses. In addition to supply concerns, staffing issues remain key.

Hospitals would need to dedicate one nurse and one aide to a coronavirus patient, Pratt said. “With that, you’ve really taken a couple of staff people out of the mix. Who’s making up for that?”

“It makes it much more difficult if your system is already overwhelmed,” he continued.

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

They are not combatting the virus with ignorance and lies like Dopey Donald Trump is.

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

 

[jc456]

"As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector."

Medical personnel are in the front line of the coronavirus fight and they are at high-risk themselves with a number of medical personnel having died in China from coronavirus infection.

Despite the assurances of Trump and Pence, the US appears very underprepared despite having foreknowledge of the rate of spread and consequences of infection.

Equipment is short, training is short and there is no preparedness for the accommodation of large numbers of infected people. There is no plan.

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns
A northern California nurse criticizes the CDC for delays in testing after she fell ill while caring for a patient with coronavirus

Victoria Bekiempis

Fri 6 Mar 2020 10.00 GMTLast modified on Fri 6 Mar 2020 19.27 GMT

A survey by National Nurses United found that only 63% had access to N95 respirators in their units.

As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector.

Supply and staffing shortages, combined with conflicting guidance and lack of information, have created a perfect-storm situation that’s poised to perpetuate illness, they told the Guardian.

National Nurses United (NNU) released results from a survey of more than 6,500 nurses across 48 states, Washington DC, and the Virgin Islands. Less than half of nurses surveyed – 44% – said their employers provided them information on novel coronavirus and “how to recognize and respond to possible cases”.

Washington state residents frustrated over obstacles to get coronavirus tests

Just 63% of nurses surveyed had access to N95 respirators in their units, while a mere 27% had access to powered air purifying respirators.

Only 30% of survey participants said that their employers had enough personal protective equipment (PPE) stocked in the event of a quick uptick in potential coronavirus patients, while 38% didn’t know.

Sixty-five per cent of nurses in the survey said they had been trained in safely using PPE in the year prior.

During an NNU news conference Thursday, organization officials read one northern California nurse’s shocking description of her own healthcare ordeal stemming from Covid-19.

“As a nurse, I’m very concerned that not enough is being done to stop the spread of the coronavirus. I know because I am currently sick and in quarantine after caring for a patient who tested positive,” the unnamed nurse said in her statement. “I’m awaiting permission from the federal government to allow for my testing, even after my physician and county health professional ordered it.”

The nurse said that she volunteered to be on a team caring for this patient, who was known to have coronavirus.

“I did this assuming that if something happened to me, of course I, too, would be cared for,” the statement said. “Then, what was a small concern after a few days of caring for this patient, became my reality: I started getting sick.”

The nurse’s employer placed her on a 14-day self-quarantine because her symptoms matched potential coronavirus. While her doctor and local public health officials approved a test, she said, “the national [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] would not initiate testing”.

“They said they would not test me because if I were wearing the recommended protective equipment, then I wouldn’t have the coronavirus,” she said in her statement.

The nurse said that the CDC called back, claiming there was “an issue with something called the identifier number”.

“They claim they prioritize running samples by illness severity and that there are only so many to give out each day. So I have to wait in line to find out the results,” her statement said. “This is not the ticket dispenser at the deli counter; it’s a public health emergency! I am a registered nurse, and I need to know if I am positive before going back to caring for patients.”

An emergency room nurse at a private hospital in New York City’s Bronx borough told the Guardian that her department – already stretched thin from handling 300 to 400 patients daily on scant staff – was “wildly unprepared” for coronavirus. As of Thursday afternoon, this state has 22 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Hospital administrators recently restricted practitioners’ access to N95 masks, claiming it was “because of the national shortage”, this nurse said. Now, healthcare workers there have to seek a manager’s permission to obtain one of these respirators – even if someone walks into the ER who presents coronavirus concerns.

Upon being screened in the triage area, patients with concerning symptoms would be isolated. Logistically, this means that nurses’ requests for masks would come after potential exposure.

Right after access to N95 masks was curtailed, nurses would have to find the day’s supervising nurse, who would have to call a unit manager, who would then have to call the supply room for masks. At that point, somebody would have to get these masks from the supply room, and bring them to the ER, she said.

After nurses protested the onerous process, some N95 marks were placed in a locked cart on the floor, and some with the supervising nurse. But they were only size regular, which would be too big for her and some other nurses – rendering them useless, she said.

Several patients with respiratory symptoms who tested negative for common respiratory ailments – a red flag indicating that testing for coronavirus might be necessary – never got tested. One was released from the hospital, while several more wound up being treated for general respiratory symptoms, she said.

When this nurse voiced concerns to management, she claims to have been warned: “stop freaking out and stop scaring everybody”.

David Pratt, a health and safety representative at the New York State Nurses Association, said that, due to policies on the federal and local hospital level, “there is increasing concern among our members, among nurses, about the lack of preparedness of many of our facilities”.

New York state only recently received permission to conduct its own coronavirus tests, which had delayed diagnoses. In addition to supply concerns, staffing issues remain key.

Hospitals would need to dedicate one nurse and one aide to a coronavirus patient, Pratt said. “With that, you’ve really taken a couple of staff people out of the mix. Who’s making up for that?”

“It makes it much more difficult if your system is already overwhelmed,” he continued.

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

They are not combatting the virus with ignorance and lies like Dopey Donald Trump is.

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

 

[toobfreak]

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

LIBERAL MATHEMATICS:

• The knowledge of a liberal is always inversely proportional to the square of the number of things they claim they cannot explain to you being too far over your head.

• Whenever a liberal tells you not to thank him for dispelling your ignorance, you can bet that NO ONE has ever thanked him, he's never dispelled a thing in his life, and the only ignorance is his own.

 

[Denizen]

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

Why even dignify this moonbat garbagehead with questions? USA unprepared compared to Europe? The USA is 33X the size of Italy. Italy has 12,462 cases and 827 deaths. By that measure, we ought to have 411,000 cases and 27,000 deaths. Instead, we have only 1300 cases and 38 deaths. These pinheads cannot put down their bullshit anti-America ranting and come together even in a time of national strife.

They said Trump isn't doing enough, now Trump suspends EU travel for a month among many other things. I can't wait for them to now start claiming Trump is wrecking the world economy.

Donald Trump has wrecked the world economy with his trade wars and America-first policy.

The USA could not afford another war with the state of its finances under Dopey Donald Trump.

The virus is the trigger for a recession after the trade wars torched the economy.

Dopey Donald Trump is clueless, gutless, and feckless in the face of the virus.

The current economic effects of the virus portend a recession, and a major driver will be the loss of paychecks of scores of millions of workers on top of the economic losses of businesses including sporting events.

The US might already be in a recession

... When economic historians look back, they may pick February as the peak of the expansion that began in June 2009. That would give it a longevity of 128 months, the longest in records maintained by the National Bureau of Economic Research going back to 1854.

This wouldn’t be the first time the U.S. was in a recession without knowing it. In the summer of 2008 policymakers of the Federal Reserve were still predicting decent economic growth for that year and the next—even though a recession had begun the previous December, as later determined by the business cycle dating committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research. ...

 

[Denizen]

"As the number of US coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase, healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the outbreak are finding themselves increasingly concerned over what they have described as a shocking lack of preparedness across the healthcare sector."

Medical personnel are in the front line of the coronavirus fight and they are at high-risk themselves with a number of medical personnel having died in China from coronavirus infection.

Despite the assurances of Trump and Pence, the US appears very underprepared despite having foreknowledge of the rate of spread and consequences of infection.

Equipment is short, training is short and there is no preparedness for the accommodation of large numbers of infected people. There is no plan.

‘Wildly unprepared’: survey of US nurses highlights coronavirus concerns

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

They are not combatting the virus with ignorance and lies like Dopey Donald Trump is.

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

The coronavirus has a 20x fatality rate compared to the flu and appears to be very infectious.

 

[jc456]

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

They are not combatting the virus with ignorance and lies like Dopey Donald Trump is.

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

The coronavirus has a 20x fatality rate compared to the flu and appears to be very infectious.

so? what's that mean? there is no way for you to even know any number since there aren't enough people being reported. so you're factually wrong.

Then, you're ok with the spread of the flu? gotcha. so you don't care 20,000 people died from it? I'm trying to understand your philosophy, but it fell in the toilet.

 

[Denizen]

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

LIBERAL MATHEMATICS:

• The knowledge of a liberal is always inversely proportional to the square of the number of things they claim they cannot explain to you being too far over your head.

• Whenever a liberal tells you not to thank him for dispelling your ignorance, you can bet that NO ONE has ever thanked him, he's never dispelled a thing in his life, and the only ignorance is his own.

You are evidently extremely knowledgable in ignorance by your own rant.

 

[toobfreak]

They are not combatting the virus with ignorance and lies like Dopey Donald Trump is.

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

The coronavirus has a 20x fatality rate compared to the flu and appears to be very infectious.

so? what's that mean? there is no way for you to even know any number since there aren't enough people being reported. so you're factually wrong.

Then, you're ok with the spread of the flu? gotcha. so you don't care 20,000 people died from it? I'm trying to understand your philosophy, but it fell in the toilet.

AMERICA: 300X less likely to catch Covid than if you were in Italy.

700X less likely to die from Covid than if you are in Italy.
​

Pinhead Tard conclusion: Trump is incompetent and unprepared and we need to do a better job like Europe.

 

[Denizen]

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

The coronavirus has a 20x fatality rate compared to the flu and appears to be very infectious.

so? what's that mean? there is no way for you to even know any number since there aren't enough people being reported. so you're factually wrong.

Then, you're ok with the spread of the flu? gotcha. so you don't care 20,000 people died from it? I'm trying to understand your philosophy, but it fell in the toilet.

AMERICA: 300X less likely to catch Covid than if you were in Italy.

700X less likely to die from Covid than if you are in Italy.
​

Pinhead Tard conclusion: Trump is incompetent and unprepared and we need to do a better job like Europe.

Infections in America are progressing at the same rate as Italy's did at the same time from the first known case.

The virus has been spreading longer in Italy than in the USA.

 

[Mac-7]

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

They are not combatting the virus with ignorance and lies like Dopey Donald Trump is.

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

The coronavirus has a 20x fatality rate compared to the flu and appears to be very infectious.

You are out of step

responsible libs concede the death rate is about 1% at worst

in south korea its .7%

 

[jc456]

They are not combatting the virus with ignorance and lies like Dopey Donald Trump is.

can't make it up

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

The coronavirus has a 20x fatality rate compared to the flu and appears to be very infectious.

You are out of step

responsible libs concede the death rate is about 1% at worst

in south korea its .7%

in germany it's .1%

 

[jc456]

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

The coronavirus has a 20x fatality rate compared to the flu and appears to be very infectious.

so? what's that mean? there is no way for you to even know any number since there aren't enough people being reported. so you're factually wrong.

Then, you're ok with the spread of the flu? gotcha. so you don't care 20,000 people died from it? I'm trying to understand your philosophy, but it fell in the toilet.

AMERICA: 300X less likely to catch Covid than if you were in Italy.

700X less likely to die from Covid than if you are in Italy.
​

Pinhead Tard conclusion: Trump is incompetent and unprepared and we need to do a better job like Europe.

Infections in America are progressing at the same rate as Italy's did at the same time from the first known case.

The virus has been spreading longer in Italy than in the USA.

which numbers?

Declared Pandemic

 

[Mac-7]

And how did Commie China and Socialist Europe do?

Why even dignify this moonbat garbagehead with questions? USA unprepared compared to Europe? The USA is 33X the size of Italy. Italy has 12,462 cases and 827 deaths. By that measure, we ought to have 411,000 cases and 27,000 deaths. Instead, we have only 1300 cases and 38 deaths. These pinheads cannot put down their bullshit anti-America ranting and come together even in a time of national strife.

They said Trump isn't doing enough, now Trump suspends EU travel for a month among many other things. I can't wait for them to now start claiming Trump is wrecking the world economy.

Donald Trump has wrecked the world economy with his trade wars and America-first policy.

The USA could not afford another war with the state of its finances under Dopey Donald Trump.

The virus is the trigger for a recession after the trade wars torched the economy.

Dopey Donald Trump is clueless, gutless, and feckless in the face of the virus.

The current economic effects of the virus portend a recession, and a major driver will be the loss of paychecks of scores of millions of workers on top of the economic losses of businesses including sporting events.

The US might already be in a recession

... When economic historians look back, they may pick February as the peak of the expansion that began in June 2009. That would give it a longevity of 128 months, the longest in records maintained by the National Bureau of Economic Research going back to 1854.

This wouldn’t be the first time the U.S. was in a recession without knowing it. In the summer of 2008 policymakers of the Federal Reserve were still predicting decent economic growth for that year and the next—even though a recession had begun the previous December, as later determined by the business cycle dating committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research. ...

I agree with the idea that we are in a recession

we just dont have the data yet

but we cant shut down so much economic activity without killing the golden goose itself

 

[Mac-7]

Please don't thank me for dispelling your ignorance.

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

The coronavirus has a 20x fatality rate compared to the flu and appears to be very infectious.

so? what's that mean? there is no way for you to even know any number since there aren't enough people being reported. so you're factually wrong.

Then, you're ok with the spread of the flu? gotcha. so you don't care 20,000 people died from it? I'm trying to understand your philosophy, but it fell in the toilet.

AMERICA: 300X less likely to catch Covid than if you were in Italy.

700X less likely to die from Covid than if you are in Italy.
​

Pinhead Tard conclusion: Trump is incompetent and unprepared and we need to do a better job like Europe.

Infections in America are progressing at the same rate as Italy's did at the same time from the first known case.

The virus has been spreading longer in Italy than in the USA.

It is illogical to think that italy got the commie virus a month sooner than America

 

[jc456]

well you explain these numbers and why you weren't concerned with the flu outbreak?

Declared Pandemic

The coronavirus has a 20x fatality rate compared to the flu and appears to be very infectious.

so? what's that mean? there is no way for you to even know any number since there aren't enough people being reported. so you're factually wrong.

Then, you're ok with the spread of the flu? gotcha. so you don't care 20,000 people died from it? I'm trying to understand your philosophy, but it fell in the toilet.

AMERICA: 300X less likely to catch Covid than if you were in Italy.

700X less likely to die from Covid than if you are in Italy.
​

Pinhead Tard conclusion: Trump is incompetent and unprepared and we need to do a better job like Europe.

Infections in America are progressing at the same rate as Italy's did at the same time from the first known case.

The virus has been spreading longer in Italy than in the USA.

It is illogical to think that italy got the commie virus a month sooner than America

but it helps spin the story he's trying to push. you know one of those honest americans rooting for everyone to get it.