#keep masks in healthcare

[feminist-space]

"Seminario cited the recent report, “Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses,” that shows that the number of respiratory illnesses in the private health care and social assistance sector increased from 145,300 in 2021 to 199,700 cases in 2022, an increase of 37.5 percent.

...

As an industrial hygienist, Seminario was extremely critical that there were no experts in respiratory protection on the committee nor did it include engineers who developed ventilation guidelines. She believes that the HICPAC committee members are likely so opposed to respirators “because once you are into recommending respiratory protection, with that comes a full respiratory protection program from OSHA,” with penalties for violations.

An epidemiologist and consultant, Michael Olesen, echoed this, believing the changes reflect “pressure to remove liability from hospitals.” He added, “I take a very clear position that we should be having respiratory protection mandates in all healthcare settings right now.”

...

Many patients who spoke at the HICPAC meetings said they had gotten Covid-19 when they went to the hospital and that the new policies were keeping them from getting care.

Given that, Dr. Art Caplan, professor of medical ethics at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, previously told me that dropping masking requirements in hospitals is “utterly, completely, irresponsible.” Similarly, staff refusing to mask, even when a patient requests it, is a moral failure. “The first principle is, you must do what is in the best interest of your patient,” he said.

...

Several people were asked why they believe HICPAC is determined to water down protections. Consistently, respondents say, “to reduce liability.” Earlier in the pandemic, hospitals regularly tested patients and staff for Covid-19, and you could often tell where and how you became infected. Since staff are no longer masking and continue working when ill, and patients are not being tested on admission, you can no longer prove who infected you. Hospitals are the only ones who win in this scenario, absolving themselves of responsibility and liability."

[otherbombdotcom]

From the lack of care for community health, to the constant thread of eugenics, and disproportionate effect on people of color and queer people the similarities between the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the ongoing covid pandemic are eerie.

[liminalweirdo]

bit.ly/masksinhealthcare

source

[eliana-system]

The thing about me wearing a mask is that some students will come to me to complain about how they "don't understand how I can bear to wear it, it's so hard" and that they "cheated " when it was illegal not to wear them and then look flabbergasted when I actually point out that they are participating in disabled people's death. When I point out that they can't know who has a weakened immune system so they can avoid them. That Covid is a multi system infection that will impact your immune system the more you catch it.

[eptck]

i am so fucking tired of being the only person around me still wearing a mask . i’m the only one in my family who masks . i’m the only one i’ve seen in my school who masks . most of my friends don’t mask . my doctor and my physical therapists don’t mask

i’m not saying this to feel good about myself . i just feel so fucking alone . if you’re in america and you don’t wear a mask in public , i will never be able to fully trust you with my health

ESPECIALLY if you’re a leftist , and i know most of you who follow me are , i can’t believe that your activism is anything but a way to feel good about yourself if you won’t afford people the common decency of trying not to spread something that could kill them

the pandemic is not over . it was never over . it will not be over any time in the foreseeable future . you are putting people’s lives at risk

if you don’t wear a mask in public , you need to ask yourself why . why are you okay with that

[spooniestrongart]

"There is nothing more disconcerting than the sheer disregard for the immunocompromised from the very healthcare workers that treat us. They watch us struggle through infusions, infections, high pain days, cancer treatments and even our end of life. Watching them dance and shed their masks happily while we are dying is not only an insult but a mockery of our very existence. Shame on all of you. I hope you remember your empathy when you're one of us." - @spooniestrong

[nando161mando]

Who are you protecting?

https://www.reddit.com/r/HermanCainAward/

#CovidIsNotOver #COVIDisAirborne #KeepMasksInHealthCare #maskup #WearAMask #covid #covid19

[0hwonderboy]

being one of like… 6 ppl wearing a mask and the other 40 ppl not wearing one where there are literal cancer patients is fucking insane to me. healthcare has become beyond fucked up with med workers not masking.

[medsocionwheels]

If you are a healthcare worker refusing to mask, why did you enter medicine at all?

Masks belong in healthcare because Covid is not over, Covid is airborne, and patients deserve to be safe.

Calling on medical professionals to remember why you joined the profession in the first place, the oath you took to "Do No Harm", and that you CAN choose to be kind and protect your patients even if it’s not “required” by law.

I do not consent to forced infection, and I know I’m not alone in this.

Solidarity to the Covid realists, Covid cautious, still COVID-ing, Davos safe, and Davos standard folks making hard decisions to risk their lives to receive routine and necessary care—it’s bullshit that this is considered a “choice” because the only choice I’m seeing honored is the one to disregard Covid-19. We all deserve safety, and safety vs ignorant bliss is not a realistic choice when the ones choosing ignorance hold power over everyone’s safety.

Know your privilege, then check your privilege.

If you’ve participated in the great unmasking you don’t need to double down in the face of criticism.

When patients ask you to do better, I promise, it is totally okay (and respectable!!) to apologize and work harder to do better moving forward.

And think about it—if you were the patient begging your doctor to protect you instead of knowingly endangering you, wouldn’t YOU want them to listen and act accordingly? If yes, treat your patients how you would like to be treated. If no…please see earlier point re: considering why you’re in medicine and pray you’re never on the receiving end of the kind of “care” (harm) you claim is fine.

[liminalweirdo]

Here is a pre-written letter you can add your name to

If you are in the US, here are some pre-written letters you can sign and send (like a petition)

if you are in California:

If you are in Oregon

and finally

When I caught Covid in December, I tested positive for two weeks.

Americans, when the guidelines get released in April, your feedback will be crucial.

Institutions do not care about your health. They don't even care about logic regarding productivity. You're not just replaceable to them--they would rather you earn them less money than you living in a way that gets you even a tiny bit closer to feeling like a different world is possible.

[feminist-space]

Please join us in sending a letter to congress via Resistbot, to maintain masking in healthcare settings.

Please text PRIKQU to 50409 and the Resistbot will take care of getting the letter sent on your behalf.

Demand Masks in Healthcare

As my representatives in Congress, I am asking you to intervene with the CDC and with all levels of the Administration in regards to Covid-19.

We MUST have N95 masks or equivalent worn by all staff with patient contact in healthcare facilities-hospitals, outpatient centers, and nursing homes.

The HICPAC advisory committee to the CDC is proposing to weaken infection control measures. They are incorrectly saying that surgical masks are as protective as N95s, cherry-picked their data, and ignored abundant evidence to the contrary.

Further, some hospitals (like MGH) are not honoring requests from patients that staff wear a mask. This would appear a violation of ADA standards for accommodation and is unconscionable, resulting in patients delaying necessary care because they risk a deadly hospital-acquired Covid infection.

Dr. Cohen like the rest of the Administration is pretending that Covid is over and is focusing on the "urgency of normal." They are pushing people to go back to unmasked offices with inadequate ventilation, when teleworking has worked very well.

On July 20, 900 experts sent a letter to Dr. Cohen asking her and HICPAC to make their processes transparent, to seek the input of a variety of stakeholders, and to listen to experts in ventilation and aerosols. See https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10482911231195898. This has fallen on deaf ears.

On 8/25, in "The Check-in with Dr. Cohen," a Q&A session, Dr. Cohen tells people to wash their hands and stresses "it's important to use all the tools we have in our toolbox to protect ourselves." Not once did she mention masks or ventilation, both critically important since we know that Covid is primarily transmitted by aerosols.

The CDC states its mission is Saving Lives, Protecting People.TM They have abdicated in meeting their responsibility.

[otherbombdotcom]

Accepting that we are all going to repeatedly contract a virus that causes cumulative vascular damage, is accepting that the most vulnerable among us will die. Layered covid mitigations, starting with wearing a high quality respirator, says no to preventable infections and "acceptable" death.

Image Description: Dark grey and red text over a grey scale background. The background is an image of an N95 respirator. The dark grey text reads, "Say NO to preventable infections". Red text offset behind the grey text reads, "Acceptable death".

[liminalweirdo]

source

tinyurl.com/hicpacprotections

click through to add your name to the open letter

[spooniestrong]

[deva-arts]

nate being the only doctor makes me wonder what he's had to do for the others before

Nate does a lot for the crew. (Also woo look at his human disguise!)

When he's not actively treating or checking on them, he's constantly working to compare studies and test data to understand how to treat his friends, seeing as they have widely different genetic makeups and could react in ways that are *catastrophically* unexpected.

He can't use human rules when working on them, which greatly complicates things when he's educated in treating humans. Sera and Vince naturally have nucleated blood cells for greater oxygen input since they're always in rigorous activity, but this is a sign of leukemia or other major deficiency in humans. How do drugs interact with their bodies? what reaction will their immune systems have? do they have an intolerance to certain chemical developments?

This is partly why Vincent underwent so much testing and experimentation- to catalogue and document an atlas for the reproduction and understanding of this hybrid Variant species, and how every facet of its anatomy works in that respect. Like a rough draft you don't care about messing up, and use only to learn from.

Sorry Vince.

It's a wonder how Nathaniel was able to successfully recompile enough information to save his friends at all. It's a lot of stress on one guy with no nurses! That goes without saying for Amon (who is a beastshifter) Sonia... (Who is a living chemical synthesis lab) The various other people who end up joining... (Who shall remain incognito)

...Yikes.

He has likely seen all of them naked at least once, due to emergencies. He's extremely professional, so it's like it never happened... But it's still never fun to have to use that kind of ER protocol on your injured friends and associates.

Everyone except for Vincent, since V never lets Nathaniel treat him for anything, even when he needs it.

Instead, everyone caught a harrowing and unwanted glimpse of Vincent when he landed back home after streaking in the rain. He now flies with his pants duct-taped on. And goggles. For the glare and the overwhelming surplus of bugs he slams into at twice the speed of a f1 car.