Nurses suspended for refusing to treat coronavirus patients without N95 masks
Nurse Mike Gulick was meticulous about not bringing the novel coronavirus home to his wife and their 2-year-old daughter. He’d stop at a hotel after work just to take a shower. He’d wash his clothes in Lysol disinfectant. They did a tremendous amount of handwashing.
But at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, Gulick and his colleagues worried that caring for infected patients without first being able to don an N95 respirator mask was risky. The N95 mask filters out 95 percent of all airborne particles, including ones too tiny to be blocked by regular masks. But administrators at his hospital said they weren’t necessary and didn’t provide them, he said.
His wife, also a nurse, not only wore an N95 mask, but covered it with a second air-purifying respirator while she cared for COVID-19 patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center across town in Los Angeles.
Then, last week, a nurse on Gulick’s ward tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. The next day doctors doing rounds on their ward asked the nurses why they weren’t wearing N95 masks, Gulick said, and told them they should have better protection.
For Gulick, that was it. He and a handful of nurses told their managers they wouldn’t enter COVID-19 patient rooms without N95 masks. The hospital suspended them, according to the National Nurses Union, which represents them. Ten nurses are now being paid but not allowed to return to work pending an investigation from human resources, the union said.
They are among hundreds of doctors, nurses and other health care workers across the country who say they’ve been asked to work without adequate protection. Some have taken part in protests or lodged formal complaints. Others are buying — or even making — their own supplies.
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention don’t require N95 masks for COVID-19 caregivers, but many hospitals are opting for the added protection because the infection has proven to be extremely contagious. The CDC said Wednesday at least 9,200 health care workers have been infected.
Saint John’s said in a statement that as of Tuesday it’s providing N95 masks to all nurses caring for COVID-19 patients and those awaiting test results. The statement said the hospital had increased its supply and was disinfecting masks daily.
“It’s no secret there is a national shortage,” said the statement. The hospital would not comment on the suspended nurses.
Angela Gatdula, a Saint John’s nurse who fell ill with COVID-19, said she asked hospital managers why doctors were wearing N95s but nurses weren’t. She says they told her that the CDC said surgical masks were enough to keep her safe.
Then she was hit with a dry cough, severe body aches and joint pain.
“When I got the phone call that I was positive I got really scared,” she said.
She’s now recovering and plans to return to work next week.
“The next nurse that gets this might not be lucky. They might require hospitalization. They might die,” she said.
As COVID-19 cases soared in March, the U.S. was hit with a critical shortage of medical supplies including N95s, which are mostly made in China. In response, the CDC lowered its standard for health care workers’ protective gear, recommending they use bandannas if they run out of the masks.
Some exasperated health care workers have complained to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“I … fear retribution for being a whistleblower and plead to please keep me anonymous,” wrote a Tennessee medical worker, who complained staffers were not allowed to wear their own masks if they weren’t directly treating COVID-19 patients.
In Oregon, a March 26 complaint warned that masks were not being provided to nurses working with suspected COVID-19 patients. Another Oregon complaint alleged nurses “are told that wearing a mask will result in disciplinary action.”
One New Jersey nurse who asked not to be named out of fear of retribution, said she was looking for a new job after complaining to OSHA.
“Do I regret filing the complaint? No, at least not yet,” she said. “I know it was the right thing to do.”
Some are taking to the streets.
On Wednesday, nurse unions in New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania scheduled actions at their hospitals and posted on social media using hashtag “PPEoverProfit.”
Nurses at Kaiser Permanente’s Fresno Medical Center in central California demanded more protective supplies at a protest during their shift change Tuesday. The hospital, like many in the U.S., requires nurses to use one N95 mask per day, which has raised concerns about bringing the infection from one patient to the next.
Ten nurses from the facility have tested positive with COVID-19, Kaiser said. Three have been admitted to the hospital and one is in critical care, protest organizers said.
Wade Nogy, a Kaiser senior vice president, denied union claims that nurses have been unnecessarily exposed.
“Kaiser Permanente has years of experience managing highly infectious diseases, and we are safely treating patients who have been infected with this virus, while protecting other patients, members and employees,” Nogy said.
Amy Arlund, a critical care nurse at the facility, said that before the pandemic, following infection control protocols they’re currently using would have been grounds for disciplinary action.
“And now it’s like they’ve thrown all those standards out the window as if they never existed,” Arlund said. “It’s beyond me.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/04/16/nurses-suspended-for-refusing-to-treat-patients-without-n95-masks/
Photo Credit: Lizabeth Baker Wade via AP
Stimulus checks are being spent on dildos, tigers, guns and stripper poles
Americans began receiving the first batch of coronavirus relief funds this week, and now many are taking to social media to brag about the assortment of purchases — both strange and savvy — they’ve already made with them.
While many are using the emergency cash to pay bills for necessities and living expenses, others are putting the money toward wild splurges.
Among the more trivial items people have reportedly used the extra bucks on is an inflatable dinosaur costume — although the buyer argues the $35 getup was totally worth it. “I actually have good use for it plus look at that price! I shoulda bought 2,” the proud dino suit owner tweets.
“F - - k it I’m buying a stripper pole with my stimulus check. We have to invest in our future,” tweets a future exotic dancer.
Some are jokingly planning to team up, so they can use their economic impact payments to buy a baby tiger. “Hear me out — Who wants to combine their stimulus checks with me, and we can buy a tiger,” writes one likely fan of “Tiger King.”
It’s hard to argue a canopied bed is ever essential, but one mom bought a princess-themed one for her kid. The same argument goes for a woman who used her check to buy a high-end sex toy, although she concedes she bought the stimulator only after paying off a credit card.
One hobbyist “burning through” their stimulus check indulged in paintball equipment, while another caved and bought a pricey pair of Yeezy shoes. At least one entire stimulus check, and possibly additional cash, went towards buying a Bird One e-scooter, which retails for $1,299.
Others are considering purchasing personalized insight from celebrities. “Thinking about buying myself a cameo from Big Ed with this stimulus check,” writes a fan of reality show star Ed Brown.
Another early check recipient spent her cash on a “warm and cozy” coat which, while arguably an essential buy, might be out of season.
Some opted for much more practical decisions, choosing pragmatism over indulgences.
One woman has already spent her entire check on her electric bill, car payment and a credit card bill, with enough leftover to buy tank tops and a bidet. “And just like that, it’s gone,” she tweets. Another woman treated herself to two Walmart stuffed animals after paying her water and electric bills.
Media worker Ryan Cole put his check towards paying off Sallie Mae like a boss. “Put that #Stimuluscheck to good use,” he tweets with a screenshot of his payment confirmation.
One woman chose to put part of her check back into the stock market and some in her savings for a savvy investment.
After joking she’d spent her money on a house, a good Samaritan revealed she and her boyfriend had actually both donated their checks to Feeding America.
Others are still in the planning stages for what they’ll do with the money.
“Looking forward to using my #Stimuluscheck to purchase another AR-15 and some 30rd mags,” writes one gun-lover.
For those without direct deposit, checks may not arrive until mid-August or later. You can check the status of yours and even speed up getting the dough, but be sure not to fall for these scams.
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Trump’s Failed Coronavirus Response
Some people believe Trump is doing a great job . Let me tell you something These trump fans are living in a fantasy.
Amazon fires three critics of warehouse conditions in pandemic
(Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc said on Tuesday it had fired three critics of the company’s pandemic response for workplace violations, dismissals that drew sharp words from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and a labor coalition.
The company on Friday fired two user experience designers, Maren Costa and Emily Cunningham, for what it called repeated violations of internal policies, without specifying which ones.
The two workers, who gained prominence for pushing the company to do more on climate change, had recently made public statements questioning Amazon’s pandemic safety measures and pledging to match donations of up to $500 to support staff at risk of getting the virus.
The e-commerce giant also said it dismissed Bashir Mohamed, a warehouse worker in Minnesota, for inappropriate language and behavior. Mohamed told Reuters he had been warning colleagues about the virus and calling on management to increase cleaning; Amazon has been “tripling down on deep cleaning,” it has said in recent statements.
Their dismissals follow Amazon’s termination on March 30 of warehouse protest leader Christian Smalls on the grounds that he put others at risk by violating his paid quarantine when he joined a demonstration at Amazon’s Staten Island, New York, fulfillment center.
In statements shared with Reuters, Cunningham said she believed Amazon could play a powerful role during the crisis, but to do so, “we have to really listen to the workers who are on the front line, who don’t feel adequately protected.”
Costa said in her statement, “No company should punish their employees for showing concern for one another, especially during a pandemic!”
The world’s largest online retailer is facing intensifying scrutiny by lawmakers and unions over whether it is doing enough to protect staff from the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 1.9 million people, including workers at more than 50 of Amazon’s U.S. warehouses, according to the New York Times.
The company has been racing to update safety protocols, distribute protective gear and keep warehouses functional as it works to ship essentials to shoppers under widespread government stay-at-home orders. Small groups of employees have staged high-profile protests at several Amazon warehouses.
Mohamed, a 28-year-old Somali-American, said his boss told him not to organize other workers at the Minneapolis-area warehouse. Once he began informing colleagues of the risks they faced from the virus, he said, Amazon started targeting him.
“They didn’t like the way I was talking,” he said.
In a statement, Amazon said, “We respect the rights of employees to protest and recognize their legal right to do so; however, these rights do not provide blanket immunity against bad actions, particularly those that endanger the health, well-being or safety of their colleagues.”
Amazon said Mohamed had also violated social distancing guidelines.
A dismissal letter Mohamed shared with Reuters did not specify social distancing but focused on his declining to talk to certain team leaders starting in early March; Mohamed alleged that before that period his manager had discriminated against him.
Public pressure on Amazon mounted on Tuesday, following five Democratic U.S. Senators who wrote to Amazon’s Chief Executive Jeff Bezos last week to request an explanation about what happened with the other fired warehouse worker, Smalls.
Sanders tweeted: “Instead of firing employees who want justice, maybe Jeff Bezos – the richest man in the world – can focus on providing his workers with paid sick leave, a safe workplace, and a livable planet.”
Athena, a labor and activist coalition, called the latest dismissals “outrageous.”
Read original article here ————————————————————————–?? https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-amazon-com-warehou/amazon-fires-three-critics-of-warehouse-conditions-in-pandemic-idUSKCN21W0UI
Nebraska mall plans to reopen despite rise in coronavirus cases
A Nebraska outlet mall plans to reopen as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in the state.
The Nebraska Crossing Outlets, located about halfway between Lincoln and Omaha, announced that it aims to reopen on April 24 — when health officials predict cases to peak in the state.
Outlet owner Rod Yates said the mall would hold a “soft opening” and could serve as a test site for how businesses can best go about reopening during the pandemic.
“We’re looking at the great opportunity to set some best practices and help our retailers open their portfolios across the country,” Yates told the Omaha World-Herald.
Nebraska is among a select few states that still allow malls to remain open even if most businesses are closed because of the restrictions on gatherings.
The state had documented more than 890 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday night, alongside 20 related deaths, after recording its first patient back on March 6.
Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican, has urged residents to only shop once a week and to do so alone, though he hasn’t issued any formal restrictions beyond the state’s gathering limit.
Ricketts said the mall and other stores are free to open as long as they follow the social-distancing order.
“We didn’t ask them to close, and we didn’t ask them to open,” he said at a coronavirus news briefing.
“If companies are looking to be able to get prepared for some point down the road when those restrictions are loosened, that’s OK, but anybody who’s operating still needs to continue to follow all the guidelines.”
Local health experts sounded the alarm that the opening could undo any positive containment that has come from people staying home.
But representatives from the mall said they’re taking precautions. The mall has purchased 100 thermometers for each store to use to check employees at the start of each day. They also will install 200 plastic shields at registers to separate shoppers and workers.
Both shoppers and employees will be encouraged to wear masks and gloves.
“Anything we do is going to be very controlled,” Yates said. “We’re not going to do any mass events that attract hundreds of people. We’re going to slowly ease ourselves into the process of getting ourselves open.”
The open-air mall features stores from Coach, Nike, Kate Spade and others.
Mall officials already pushed back its soft opening once, from a planned April 18 date, and could do so again if cases spike, according to Johanna Boston, the chief strategy officer for Nebraska Crossing.
“If tomorrow our numbers jump and we have a conversation with the governor, it could change,” she told the World-Herald.
“But right now, we’re doing what we’ve been asked to do, which is to start getting people back to work in the safest environment we can create.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/04/15/nebraska-mall-plans-to-reopen-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
US officials raised alarms about Wuhan coronaviruses lab in 2018
A lab that researches bat coronaviruses in Wuhan, China had come under scrutiny by US officials two years before the current global outbreak, a report said Thursday.
Diplomats sent two “sensitive but unclassified” cables to Washington in 2018, sounding the alarm about the Wuhan Institute of Virology and asking for assistance to help the lab tighten its safety protocols, the Washington Post reported.
“The cable was a warning shot,” a US official told the paper. “They were begging people to pay attention to what was going on.”
One of the cables warned that the lab’s work on bat coronaviruses and their potential human transmission represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic.
In recent months, the cables have recirculated inside the US government and sparked a discussion about whether the novel coronavirus could have originated at the lab or another in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, according to the report.
A senior Trump administration official said the cables support the theory that the pandemic was sparked by a lab accident in Wuhan.
“The idea that it was just a totally natural occurrence is circumstantial. The evidence it leaked from the lab is circumstantial. Right now, the ledger on the side of it leaking from the lab is packed with bullet points and there’s almost nothing on the other side,” the unnamed official told the paper.
The intelligence community has provided no evidence to confirm that the virus originated in a lab, according to The New York Times. The Chinese government claims it emerged from a fresh-food market in Wuhan.
Scientists largely agree the virus came from animals. But the newly reported cables show officials were worried about the lab’s research posing a public health risk.
“The cable tells us that there have long been concerns about the possibility of the threat to public health that came from this lab’s research, if it was not being adequately conducted and protected,” Xiao Qiang, a research scientist at the School of Information at the University of California at Berkeley, told The Post.
There are similar concerns about the nearby Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention lab, Xiao said.
No extra assistance was provided by the US government to the labs in response to the cables.
Shi Zhengli, the head of the research project at WIV, and other scientists at the lab have denied that the virus originated there. Her team was the first to publicly report on Feb. 3 that the novel coronavirus was bat-derived.
The Chinese government must be transparent and answer questions about the Wuhan labs, Xiao said.
“I don’t think it’s a conspiracy theory. I think it’s a legitimate question that needs to be investigated and answered,” he said.
“To understand exactly how this originated is critical knowledge for preventing this from happening in the future.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/04/14/us-officials-raised-alarms-about-wuhan-coronaviruses-lab-in-2018/
Photo Credit: OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP
Florida man freed from jail over coronavirus allegedly murdered someone the next day
A Florida man released from jail last month to help limit coronavirus outbreaks in county lockups was arrested again Monday — accused of murdering a man the day after his release, a report said.
Joseph Edwards Williams was facing drug charges when he and 163 other inmates — considered low level offenders — were sprung from Hillsborough County Jail on March 19, according to WFLA, citing the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities believe that Williams was the triggerman who fatally shot a man the next day in the Progress Village area, the report said.
Williams was arrested on a warrant Monday in Gibsonton.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister slammed Williams, claiming “he took advantage” of the administrative order to free inmates amid the coronavirus pandemic to “commit crimes.”
“As a result, I call on the State Attorney to prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law,” Chronister said.
Williams was arraigned via video appearance Tuesday and ordered held on a more than $250,000 bond, WFLA reported.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/04/14/florida-inmate-freed-from-jail-over-coronavirus-allegedly-murders-man/
Photo Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
The Suprising Truth About Sanitizing Your Groceries
You can always overdo something. For items I think like cans salad bottles, jars etc should be lightly disinfected with Clorox wipes but that’s it. BEFORE coronavirus I washed my tops from my condiments off with soap and water. And took the rag and wipe the outside of the jar or bottle of ketchup etc. that simple