Thanks for the well wishes. Still waiting to hear back if her patients tested positive. Charge nurse called this AM to tell her that they still haven't heard anything. That nurse is also self-isolating
when not at work.
My following comments are directed towards to those in general who blame those who have prepared (hoarders) - no necessarily you specifically...
Yes, of course she is using our supply. Fortunately the administrators are not only allowing HCWs to wear them, they are requiring everyone to wear them - including their own personal stock if they have them. As you pointed out, there are administrators who are threatening to FIRE HCWs for wearing masks outside of affected patients' rooms. They want to prevent panic and conserve masks (which makes no sense, as taking off a mask and reusing it contributes to cross-contamination). Of course, these administrators who are putting HCW's lives at risk, are conveniently working from home due to the risk. It is infuriating.
This was from a private doctor group on FB this morning:
View attachment 57914
As far as hoarding, I could not disagree any more strongly. People who are paying attention and prepare for themselves and their family - people who have ignored the patently false CDC propaganda that n95 masks don't work and in some cases are harmful - are to be commended for being attentive enough to take action. Exactly what hospital administrators (and .gov) SHOULD have been doing.
The fact that the public was better at perceiving the threat than those charged with watching for it, is not their fault. I understand the frustration of HCWs who now do not have enough PPE to protect themselves. And if noble, selfless members of the public want to donate their personal stash, then they should. But to shame them, guilt them into donating it, simply transfers blame to the wrong party.
You probably saw this news story:
The company said the masks were offered for sale “in error” at some stores in Washington State, which has been a hot spot for the coronavirus pandemic.
www.nytimes.com
Here, Target managed to source a bunch of N95 masks. They put them on the market for people to buy them. Once social media found out about it, Target was shamed into pulling the masks and donating them to WA state hospitals. Commendable by them to take the loss, but is it right? Hell no. What should happen?
The hospitals should BUY the masks from Target - using the personal/department funds of those who dropped the ball. You think the hospitals won't charge the patients for the masks?
Whoever the buyer is at Target is doing a better job forecasting needs than the people at the hospital who's purpose it is to do just that. They failed at their job, and now they're demanding that the rest of us surrender our goods?
Look, I get it. HCWs are caught in the middle. They have administrators that clearly dropped the ball - who are now putting their workers at risk. It's easy to blame the assholes who stocked up. But that anger is misplaced.
In early February, when my wife mentioned the virus to other fellow docs at the hospital - they were all dismissive. She wasn't. I wasn't. We prepared. And now we're the assholes? Uh-uh...
That said, if someone bought 5000 N95 masks with the purpose of reselling them for a profit, I could see that there is something very unethical about that practice. But, arguably, if someone does offer up 5000 masks for an insane price,
at least they are available. This gets into the whole price-gouging, price-controls debate similar to what happens with gas and plywood when a hurricane is approaching. I staunchly against anti-gouging laws, because I think raising prices necessarily increases supply (from people willing to take greater risk and expense to get items to where they're needed). But granted, when the whole world is having a shortage, and .gov is subsidizing the cost to convert factories into mask making machines, supply/demand rules evaporate.
