CORONA From the, sort of, front lines...

[NoMoreLibs]

Just want to put this out there separately for now. Figggre it'll be combined with the other thread eventually.

As I've stated in the main thread, I work in a hospital setting. We have an incident command team watching over this thing. They seem to be ramping up our defenses daily.

Keep in mind, I'm deep into flyover country. While not impossible to get it here, shit happens.

Today we got our email (3 today) blast's about what we're doing. What they did today clued me into how serious they've become.

We are a hospital the requires every swinging dick, even those without, to get a flu shot. From the CEO to the part-time night janitor. If you have a very limited number of allowed excuses (religion, shockingly for us, isn't one of them) you sign the waiver and don a mask until about April or so.

Today they suspended the mask requirement for flu shot exempt employee's and asked that if you're exempt to please turn in any extra masks you have. WTF!! This is YUGE!! Especially for us. They're also keeping an eye on most other PPE as inventory's are starting to be affected.

We're now restricting staff from isolation rooms. Not students, etc. BIG DOT here.

Used to be you'd see mask boxes all over, not now, they're under direct supervision of distribution.

We don't have a case in our state that I'm aware of and we don't have an international airport near by but with connections, etc that don't mean squat.

That's what's going on in an actual hospital here in the boonies of the US. As I've stated before, we're a level 1 for just about everything around here and the dumping point for any beer virus cases that crop up. They still haven't addressed what they're going to do with non-clinical and non-essential employees when (if???) this shit hits here. I'm one of those non's so I'm concerned, I'm not paid to take a needle or bug so I don't think risking my life is worth what I do or need to be here for.

As things escalate here, I'll keep posting.

 

[NoMoreLibs]

I will say, I think the virus thing is a bit over-hyped, but I err on the side of caution.

I'd rather stay highly informed and lowly affected than vise-versa.

 

[4RIVERS]

I've been told by an employee that one of our local hospitals have also pulled in any available masks from departments to be handed out as needed. It doesn't matter that the employee is on the front line of meeting patients and has to ask about symptoms as the patients arrive, they aren't classified as required for them. The hospital thinks these people are expendable, IMHO.

If the hospitals had prepped sufficiently, instead of paying huge sums to provide specials lunches for the Dr's, maybe they wouldn't be in this supply situation.

 

[Zahra]

Just want to put this out there separately for now. Figggre it'll be combined with the other thread eventually.

As I've stated in the main thread, I work in a hospital setting. We have an incident command team watching over this thing. They seem to be ramping up our defenses daily.

Keep in mind, I'm deep into flyover country. While not impossible to get it here, shit happens.

Today we got our email (3 today) blast's about what we're doing. What they did today clued me into how serious they've become.

We are a hospital the requires every swinging dick, even those without, to get a flu shot. From the CEO to the part-time night janitor. If you have a very limited number of allowed excuses (religion, shockingly for us, isn't one of them) you sign the waiver and don a mask until about April or so.

Today they suspended the mask requirement for flu shot exempt employee's and asked that if you're exempt to please turn in any extra masks you have. WTF!! This is YUGE!! Especially for us. They're also keeping an eye on most other PPE as inventory's are starting to be affected.

We're now restricting staff from isolation rooms. Not students, etc. BIG DOT here.

Used to be you'd see mask boxes all over, not now, they're under direct supervision of distribution.

We don't have a case in our state that I'm aware of and we don't have an international airport near by but with connections, etc that don't mean squat.

That's what's going on in an actual hospital here in the boonies of the US. As I've stated before, we're a level 1 for just about everything around here and the dumping point for any beer virus cases that crop up. They still haven't addressed what they're going to do with non-clinical and non-essential employees when (if???) this shit hits here. I'm one of those non's so I'm concerned, I'm not paid to take a needle or bug so I don't think risking my life is worth what I do or need to be here for.

As things escalate here, I'll keep posting.

It's globalization coming home to bite us in the tush my dear. The country is critically short on ALL PPE - masks, gloves, you name it, it's ALL got to be conserved because most of it was coming from China.

Did your facility go over the latest greatest ideas the CDC has come out with about getting the most use out of stuff on hand now?

CDC guidance for “Strategies for Optimizing N95 Respirators” here; with subpages for conventional, contingency and crisis capacity to deal with N95 shortages.

Contingency capacity includes administrative controls such as reducing hospital length of stays for Covid-2019 patients; PPE contingency measures include using N95 respirators beyond their shelf life for training and fit testing, extended use and re-use of N95 respirators. They provide additional guidance on re-use of N95 respirators here. CDC defines “extended” and “re-use” or respirators as follows:

“Extended use refers to the practice of wearing the same N95 respirator for repeated close contact encounters with several patients, without removing the respirator between patient encounters.”

“Reuse refers to the practice of using the same N95 respirator for multiple encounters with patients but removing it (‘doffing’) after each encounter. The respirator is stored in between encounters to be put on again (‘donned’) prior to the next encounter with a patient. “

CDC also provides this guidance document re: risks of extended and reuse of respirators here.

 

[NoMoreLibs]

I'm in a pseudo-management position so I'm in on meetings with other mangers, directors, doc's, etc.

Shortages are nothing new, for several of our critical meds we're ALWAYS under a 'critical shortage' footing. And of course, there's only one place in the world that makes it and they're out of EUROPE. We order as needed and it's all very JIT (some of that due to the frailness of the meds though).

Meds and supply's, even after this latest virus has blown over, I'm going to stock to the ceiling. We're semi-OK now but we could use more. Get your stuff and stack it like ammo; DEEP.

 

[NoMoreLibs]

Hit some big box home improvement stores for supply's this morning. Even the $60 good masks are gone.

 

[NoMoreLibs]

Yup, in our daily emails they're referencing the snot out of the CDC.

 

[Dennis Olson]

If I thought masks would help, I’d get some.

 

[WalknTrot]

My guess? Partially it's to keep people from stealing them for personal/home use.

Been sorta chuckling about the TP shortage scare being reported in areas. Expect businesses to begin guarding/limiting the TP in their public restrooms...people are gonna start helping themselves to that, too.

 

[NoMoreLibs]

Just got 3 boxes of ~6mil nitrile gloves on order for $23 delivered. They're a secondary brand I use but my main brand has pushed prices up to $25 a box for me (I have 2XL hands so they're not cheap).

 

[NoMoreLibs]

What in the hell is this?

 

[summerthyme]

What in the hell is this?

View attachment 185115

Locking the barn door after the horse left... or, more accurately, filling the haymow after the horse starved to death (or maybe while the poor beast is starving in its stall!)

Morons.

Summerthyme

 

[Dozdoats]

Near as I can tell we are all pretty much on the front lines with this thing. Those working in health care are definitely more exposed of course. I'm just as happy not to be working an ambulance any more as a volunteer EMT … but those in my community both paid and volunteer who still do it have my admiration and gratitude.

 

[Ragnarok]

Near as I can tell we are all pretty much on the front lines with this thing. Those working in health care are definitely more exposed of course. I'm just as happy not to be working an ambulance any more as a volunteer EMT … but those in my community both paid and volunteer who still do it have my admiration and gratitude.

I am so thankful that I am no longer running the security department at a super regional mall that had an average of 10 million visitors a year!!!

I used to catch all of the crud... Couldn't pay me enough to do that job, right now.

 

[Hfcomms]

I will say, I think the virus thing is a bit over-hyped, but I err on the side of caution.

I'd rather stay highly informed and lowly affected than vise-versa.

Good way to look at it. We all have opinions and we are all wrong from time to time. Better to be prepared ‘just in case’ things go south. Your hospital is taking it seriously and obvious that they know they are short on PPE and likely told they won’t get nearly as much as they ordered.

 

[Hfcomms]

If I thought masks would help, I’d get some.

Probably too late now. And they do help. Quite a bit actually for a N95 grade or higher. IF you get rid of facial hair, IF you fit test and seal your mask and IF you know how to put it on and take it off without contaminating yourself in the process. Obviously not talking about surgical gauze masks but I’m fine with people wearing them for psychological comfort. And if they are hacking their lungs off at least they aren’t spraying you. If the masks didn’t help the government wouldn’t tell you not to buy them because medical care givers need them.

 

[Dennis Olson]

N95 masks are the same paper crap that all the rest of them are. Do I need to post a pic? They’re worthless. There’s no “fit”. You’re talking like they’re gas masks. THEY'RE NOT.

Here:

 

[Krayola]

Obviously not talking about surgical gauze masks but I’m fine with people wearing them for psychological comfort. And if they are hacking their lungs off at least they aren’t spraying you.

Hfcomms,

I know that surgical masks are not supposed to keep you from breating in the virus but I keep hearing that it will help an infected person not to spread it around to others.

If that is true....then I wish TPTB would encourage wide spread use of surgical masks for everyone, even telling people to buy or sew the reusable cloth ones. If you walk into a public place and 100% of the people there are wearing surgical masks, wouldn't that drastically cut down your chances of catching it because everyone is wearing some type of mask? And the cloth ones are washable, or you can just run a hot iron over them. Am I wrong in this thinking?

 

[Dennis Olson]

I wish TPTB would encourage wide spread use of surgical masks for everyone, even telling people to buy or sew the reusable cloth ones. If you walk into a public place and 100% of the people there are wearing surgical masks

Um, really? 350 million people? Each person would also need spares too. So BILLIONS of masks? Yeah, that’s gonna work. Methinks you should find a nice cave someplace and go there for a few years. Obviously the world is too scary to live in.

 

[amazon]

Our system is communicating about this as well. They want us to stay home with fever, cough SOB ect. People should not go directly to the clinic if they have those symptoms, but call first so the team can prepare and limit exposure to others. (That's for seeing your PCP.) There are masks at every office which people are encouraged to use. That said, I got another email today saying if you have sanitizer, masks at your desk/workspace secure it before you leave as there have been reports of theft. So far, no mention of shortages. Every one is required to get flu vax as well at our system, from the subcontracted flunkie to the CEO. No mention, so far, that those who declined or had an exemption being allowed to stop donning the surgical mask. They are also seeking to downplay fears and closely referencing the CDC which is to be expected. IMO, there isn't any reason to be afraid. All we can do is be alert and see how it plays out. It's a fluid situation with a novel virus like this. Really it's the same precautions my family was already taking to avoid the flu.

 

[SmithJ]

N95 masks are the same paper crap that all the rest of them are. Do I need to post a pic? They’re worthless. There’s no “fit”. You’re talking like they’re gas masks. THEY'RE NOT.

Here:

View attachment 185145

Wrong about fit, most (probably all) hospitals do fit testing on n95 masks for each employee that will be issued them every time they change brands. Its required by OSHA.

Qualitative Fit Testing Protocol:
The Qualitative Fit Testing protocol consists of two parts: a Threshold Check and a Fit Test. The Threshold Check determines the subject’s ability to taste a weak solution of the challenge agent. The Fit Test uses the full strength solution to verify that the wearer can achieve an acceptable facial fit with the respirator. A medical evaluation to assess the ability to wear a respirator should be conducted prior to fit testing or respirator use.

Also wrong about filter, its not "paper crap":
The filters are made of fine strands of plastic blown onto a screen. This creates a complex netting. Manufacturers then take these filters of fine plastic fibers and form them into masks,.

The netting creates a physical barrier, catching particles as they try to fly through. The N95 and P100 respirators can catch particles as small as 0.3 microns wide — particles far too small for the eye to see.

Additionally, many of these masks also use static electricity. An electric charge from the fibers attracts the particles like magnets.

 

[Dennis Olson]

You should probably do some reading on what health officials are saying publicly about the efficacy of N95 masks for protecting against Corona.

 

[fish hook]

It's globalization coming home to bite us in the tush my dear. The country is critically short on ALL PPE - masks, gloves, you name it, it's ALL got to be conserved because most of it was coming from China.

Did your facility go over the latest greatest ideas the CDC has come out with about getting the most use out of stuff on hand now?

CDC guidance for “Strategies for Optimizing N95 Respirators” here; with subpages for conventional, contingency and crisis capacity to deal with N95 shortages.

Contingency capacity includes administrative controls such as reducing hospital length of stays for Covid-2019 patients; PPE contingency measures include using N95 respirators beyond their shelf life for training and fit testing, extended use and re-use of N95 respirators. They provide additional guidance on re-use of N95 respirators here. CDC defines “extended” and “re-use” or respirators as follows:

“Extended use refers to the practice of wearing the same N95 respirator for repeated close contact encounters with several patients, without removing the respirator between patient encounters.”

“Reuse refers to the practice of using the same N95 respirator for multiple encounters with patients but removing it (‘doffing’) after each encounter. The respirator is stored in between encounters to be put on again (‘donned’) prior to the next encounter with a patient. “

CDC also provides this guidance document re: risks of extended and reuse of respirators here.

No reguard for taking the virus,or other things from patient to patient.They knew better than that at the turn of the century,(1900).Looks like medicine is going back to the dark ages.Will it be leaches next?When this thing gets rolling avoid the hospital like the plague.No,really,like the plague.

 

[SmithJ]

You should probably do some reading on what health officials are saying publicly about the efficacy of N95 masks for protecting against Corona.

I'm well aware of the usefulness and weaknesses of N95 masks. I'm confident they will work as intended. If properly fitted, they will dramatically decrease the amount of virus or any other particulate that you could breath in. That's what they are made for.

They will not, however, protect you from exposure through your eyes, or from contamination when improperly removing the mask. They are not a magic wand. They are also not worthless paper crap.

Public health officials discourage their use because there are none available.

 

[Hfcomms]

You should probably do some reading on what health officials are saying publicly about the efficacy of N95 masks for protecting against Corona.

Read the specs on NIOSH N95 masks. The health officials don’t want the general public to have them as they are desperately short on what they need. If they didn’t work then the doctors and nurses treating the patients would have no need for them. There are different types of N95 rated masks. The one you posted and then there is the type with an exhalation valve in the center. The nosepiece has an aluminum bar to help fit your facial profile and the straps pull it tight over your face but you have to be trained how to fit them.

They are not entirely able to prevent any bacteria or virus from coming thru but properly fitted and worn will prevent 95% from coming thru therefore the N95 rating. A step up is a military mask with combat filters or a positive pressure PAPR type respirator. It has been determined that by preventing 95% of biologicals from penetrating the mask media is sufficient from preventing most infections. Again if properly fitted and used.

 

[1-12020]

What in the hell is this?

View attachment 185115

I thought the masks didn't really work all that well and that we ( average citizen) don't need to acquire them.
They must work for healthcare personnel and whoever else they are ordering 500 million for.

 

[Dennis Olson]

Public health officials discourage their use because there are none available.

No, they’ve been panning them for a couple months, long before there was a shortage. But feel free to believe as you choose.

 

[Dennis Olson]

I thought the masks didn't really work all that well and that we ( average citizen) don't need to acquire them.
They must work for healthcare personnel and whoever else they are ordering 500 million for.

Or - healthcare people are directly exposed to sick people every workday.

Nah, that couldn’t be it....

 

[Jeep]

I'm glad I have retired from the medical field and not exposed in a hospital setting to acutely ill patients.

 

[Murt]

I used to work at a hospital very near Hartsfield/Jackson airport (yes I am glad that I no longer work there)
we were fit tested every year for the N-95 mask---we would don the mask and were then exposed to some type of agent with a unique odor---if you could smell it the mask had an improper fit
I can only imagine the hoops they are trying to jump through with this crap
If you go to the trouble and expense to get the gear please learn how to use it because even some the healthcare industry don't use things properly

 

[naturallysweet]

The government doesn't want people freaking out, because they can't BUY any masks. Chinese went global in their search to find masks to send home for family, or to resell. Preppers bought some extra. There simply aren't any left.
People riot when they can't get what they want . Best for the steeple to think that washing their hands cured everything.

 

[Virtualco]

Just want to put this out there separately for now. Figggre it'll be combined with the other thread eventually.

As I've stated in the main thread, I work in a hospital setting. We have an incident command team watching over this thing. They seem to be ramping up our defenses daily.

Keep in mind, I'm deep into flyover country. While not impossible to get it here, shit happens.

Today we got our email (3 today) blast's about what we're doing. What they did today clued me into how serious they've become.

We are a hospital the requires every swinging dick, even those without, to get a flu shot. From the CEO to the part-time night janitor. If you have a very limited number of allowed excuses (religion, shockingly for us, isn't one of them) you sign the waiver and don a mask until about April or so.

Today they suspended the mask requirement for flu shot exempt employee's and asked that if you're exempt to please turn in any extra masks you have. WTF!! This is YUGE!! Especially for us. They're also keeping an eye on most other PPE as inventory's are starting to be affected.

We're now restricting staff from isolation rooms. Not students, etc. BIG DOT here.

Used to be you'd see mask boxes all over, not now, they're under direct supervision of distribution.

We don't have a case in our state that I'm aware of and we don't have an international airport near by but with connections, etc that don't mean squat.

That's what's going on in an actual hospital here in the boonies of the US. As I've stated before, we're a level 1 for just about everything around here and the dumping point for any beer virus cases that crop up. They still haven't addressed what they're going to do with non-clinical and non-essential employees when (if???) this shit hits here. I'm one of those non's so I'm concerned, I'm not paid to take a needle or bug so I don't think risking my life is worth what I do or need to be here for.

As things escalate here, I'll keep posting.

Hi NoMoreLibs, I am also a 'non' that volunteers at an acute care 300 bed hospital in SW FL.

I have only worked two 4-hour shifts since becoming a volunteer. I am helping stock the supply rooms on all the patient floors . Last shift I help stock the emergency department and about held my breathe for my whole four hour shift.

My wife has a disease which between that and the meds she's on, has NO immune system to speak of.

I told her I would not be going back to volunteer as my wife's safety and mine (63 yrs old) have to be my first priority.

I will also be quitting the wellness center at the hospital also. I enjoy going to the gym but...

I am young for a volunteer and my question also is what and when are they going to make a decision about all the other volunteers who are actually quite older than I am.

Also the n95 masks and such are also strictly watched and logged out to whatever department needs them.

Thanks for bringing this topic up.

PANIC EARLY - PANIC OFTEN

 

[Dennis Olson]

Best for the steeple to think that washing their hands cured everything.

Your autocorrect is showing...

 

[WalknTrot]

In my experience and talking to the guys who had to fit test us at work every 6 months, they are a joke. Basically , everybody lies, and everybody breaks protocol, even if the danged N95's DO fit right. Fit tests = an excercise in checking off boxes. People unconsciously adjust them so they can breath, which pretty much means, so you can breath around them.

The alternative is wearing a PAPR, which nobody ever wants to wear, except...umm..guess what? People who actually had bad allergies to what we were working with or if we were working with something that was a serious threat. THEN we were serious about avoidance...and always wore the REAL protection... a PAPR.

 

[freemen]

Lot of talk about masks. Recent study published in JAMA shows simple surgical mask (with loops around ears or ties) works as good as N95. Suggests there is some flu prevention for health care workers wearing a mask, of course they are in close contact with symptomatic patients. Some surgical masks have a built in face shield that would be ideal to prevent eye contamination.

Surgical Mask vs N95 Respirator for Preventing Influenza Among Health Care Workers

Context Data about the effectiveness of the surgical mask compared with the N95 respirator for protecting health care workers against influenza are sparse. Given the likelihood that N95 respirators will be in short supply during a pandemic and not available in many countries, knowing the...

jamanetwork.com

 

[Zahra]

Washington state sent an urgent request for more masks & PPE from the Federal Gov'ts National Stockpile, but they received just half of the of the 233,280 N95 respirators, 200,000 surgical procedure masks, 60,000 disposal gowns and 5,000 protective eye shields they requested.

Heard on one news show this afternoon that they're getting all they can get hold of from veterinary offices, construction companies, and any other source they can find them at - and they've instructed staff to put the masks on patients instead of wearing them themselves.

How many doctors & nurses in China & other places have been getting infected?? Here we are at the early stages of this outbreak here and we're already in these dire straights! I'm sure New York & California & everywhere else is equally short of supplies needed for this.

 

[SmithJ]

Washington state sent an urgent request for more masks & PPE from the Federal Gov'ts National Stockpile, but they received just half of the of the 233,280 N95 respirators, 200,000 surgical procedure masks, 60,000 disposal gowns and 5,000 protective eye shields they requested.

Heard on one news show this afternoon that they're getting all they can get hold of from veterinary offices, construction companies, and any other source they can find them at - and they've instructed staff to put the masks on patients instead of wearing them themselves.

How many doctors & nurses in China & other places have been getting infected?? Here we are at the early stages of this outbreak here and we're already in these dire straights! I'm sure New York & California & everywhere else is equally short of supplies needed for this.

Odd, I heard somewhere that masks don’t work. I wonder why they want them......

 

[Ragnarok]

You should probably do some reading on what health officials are saying publicly about the efficacy of N95 masks for protecting against Corona.

They are saying it, NOW!

But all you have to do is look at what was said in the past...

So, what changed?

 

[China Connection]

I have said right from the start that masks are useless in protecting one's self from a virus. The very best units have hours of protection before being useless. The cost makes them useless for those on average wages.

If you have the flu but they would cut down a lot of on what comes out of your mouth in spit from going into the air and infecting others.

 

[Ragnarok]

See above post... They were fine for healthcare professionals for decades...

What changed?

Oh...

The availability...