We are 20 days since our first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Connecticut.
We now have 1012 laboratory-confirmed cases. Up from 875 yesterday.
125 have been hospitalized.
21 have died.
Portion of the Statement from the AFL-CIO Executive Board
The 55 unions representing 12.5 million union members who make up the AFL-CIO—including workers on the front lines—are working nonstop to empower and protect people in harm’s way.
This is a statement from the Afl-CIO Executive Board.
Current guidance from the federal government—in particular for workers in the transportation and health care sectors—is inadequate, and protective guidance must be developed for all at-risk workers and made public on a priority basis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must strengthen, rather than weaken, existing guidance or protocols. Particularly, CDC must reverse its change that now permits health care workers to rely on surgical masks instead of protective N95 respirators or a greater level of protection when caring for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
The Connecticut AFL-CIO Executive Committee
had a call with Senator Blumenthal today. This is what we told him:
The biggest problem for our healthcare workers is the shortage of and 95 respirators. In Spain, 5400 healthcare workers have contracted CORVID 19 and 30 have died. As we increase beds and vents in an effort to try to get 2 to 3 times the capacity we have now we can’t afford to lose any healthcare workers and have infected healthcare workers spread the virus to other patients their families in the community.
There are two issues.
One is the shortage of PPE. We need to pull from the strategic reserves and we need to increase production like they did during World War II.
The second issue is that the CDC guidance has been relaxed, not due to infection control science, but do rather to projected supply. The CDC breaks the strategies into three classifications, conventional, contingency, and crisis. Danbury and UConn Farmington are using and 95’s for any positive Covid patients or patients they are trying to rule out.
At our other hospitals N95s are being rationed and we are having to use surgical mask which according to the national Institute of health study will not protect the workers. Hospitals are justifying this by using the CDC crisis capacity guidelines.
This, even though when we asked for an inventory and supply chain information from Backus Hospital, they said they had a four week supply and A reliable supply chain.
What I would like to ask is that you do anything you can to pressure hospitals to allow the healthcare workers to use N95’s for positive and rule out Covid patients, even if they have to use the same N95 for an entire shift.
Something they are willing to do and something that would keep them, their patients, their families, and their community safer.
Senator Blumenthal promised to push the hospitals.
Representative Joe Courtney
of Connecticut’s 2nd Congressional District, which represents Eastern Connecticut said on his telephone town hall tonight that PPE is a priority and N95s in particular because this is an “airborne pathogen.” Joe reminded people that he is married to an APRN so this is near and dear to his heart. It was good to hear those words.
UHP
UCONN Health has come to us with an alternate staffing plan, Essentially moving everyone to 12 hour shifts and adding on call for everyone.
We've not said no but we need to Bargain the impact. They are talking about taking RN's not doing pt care, in salaried positions and them moving them into Hourly jobs, Some 4-5 salary grades higher than a staff nurse. there is so much to look at, when we said we would be delivering a demand to bargain letter they were shocked.
In a conversation with the CEO, He says we have enough PPE for 6-8 weeks of "current use". We will be giving an FOI request for weekly updates for PPE stockpile as this is a safety issue.
AFT asked if we had a nurse who could be on a virtual town hall with VP Biden tomorrow and call in to ask a question. They wanted a bedside nurse and we have a UHP member who stepped forward.
The VNA of SE CT has presented a proposed MOU.
Good evening Mary, in response to safety issues and concerns brought forth by AFT Local 5119 the VNA has responded that “the decisions were sent down from YALE” (or words to that effect). The policies created by YALE include items that are mandatory subjects of bargaining. A previous request to bargain has gone unanswered, therefore this local union is initiating bargaining by submitting the attached proposal. Given the health and safety concerns of gathering people together, this union is initiating this bargaining process to be done electronically using a combination of email and telephone communications.
It is the goal of this union to reach a fair and equitable agreement that meets the needs of the employer while also allowing the employees to feel confident that they can report to work; fully trained with sufficient safety gear to provide the proper care and service to their patients. To continue safely performing their work these employees must be provided the required safety PPE, be properly trained, have written (agreed upon) policies and procedures to know that their safety and the safety of the patients is not being placed at risk.
Given the seriousness of this situation and the increasing threat of confirmed positive COVID-19 patients the urgency of this cannot be emphasized enough. The Executive Board of AFT Local 5119 and I will use every effort available and make every possible attempt to respond to questions you or your counsel may have as promptly as possible.
Screening process at Backus starting
Your temperature will be taken and if you have a 100-degree temperature or above, you will be asked to call the Clinical Command Center at 860.972.8100 for further evaluation. HHC Clinical Command Center will offer priority service to HHC colleagues from 7 am to 7 pm, seven days a week. While the center answers calls around the clock, if you call from 7 am to 7 pm, your call will be quickly routed to an expert who can provide HHC-specific information about COVID-19 exposure, symptoms testing, return to work protocols and more.
Your temperature will be taken and if you have a 100-degree temperature or above, you will be asked to call the Clinical Command Center at 860.972.8100 for further evaluation. HHC Clinical Command Center will offer priority service to HHC colleagues from 7 am to 7 pm, seven days a week. While the center answers calls around the clock, if you call from 7 am to 7 pm, your call will be quickly routed to an expert who can provide HHC-specific information about COVID-19 exposure, symptoms testing, return to work protocols and more.
Backus Nurses had 3 telephone town halls to update members and will do the same next Wednesday, 4/2, at 8:00, 4:00, and 8:00.
The website for collecting PPE donations is up and live. Check it out and let us know what you think. https://www.suppliesforhealthcareheroes.org/
This article is from Europe. In Spain 40,000 have tested positive. 5400 healthcare workers have become positive. 14% of all cases.
30 healthcare workers have died.
Think about that.
The reason is believed to be a lack of PPE. Some Madrid hospitals have told employees not to speak out. (Sound familiar?)
Some resources from Kelly (AFT NHP)
We are finding and creating resources and want to share them in a way that is useful for you. Many thanks to Sara Markle for assembling this information. The topics addressed in this update include:
- A PPE burn rate calculator
- Extended and Re-use of N95s
- Decontamination of N95s
- Homemade PPE
- Quality of expired national stockpile respirators
- PPE Burn Rate Calculator
NIOSH just created a PPE Burn Rate Calculator to help employers forecast how long their supply will last. We recommend you give this to the employers.
(attached and link here https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/burn-calculator.html )
- Extended N95 Use and Re-Use
Thank you to HPAE for sharing this easy-to-use factsheet based on NIOSH guidance on extended use and re-use document
(attached and linked here https://www.hpae.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/HPAE-Pandemic-Planning-Guide.pdf )
- Decontamination of N95s
a. NIOSH will soon release guidance on decontamination methods. We expect to see this guidance any day and will send it out as soon as we see it.
b. Stanford University post—includes some decontamination information and info on homemade PPE
This post has some information different methods for decontaminating N95s. The methodology is not as rigorous as what NIOSH employs.
c. University of Nebraska Med report on using UV germicidal irradiation, email me for this at Jbrady@aftct.org
- Creation of homemade PPE
a. YouTube video—how to make an elastomeric respirator using an anesthesia mask and Inline ventilator bacterial/viral filter (or similar filter)/Boston Children’s Hospital
b. Using 3-d technology to print faceshields
c. Stanford University post—non-rigorous evaluation of homemade PPE and some decontamination information
- NIOSH Report on quality of expired respirators in the national strategic stockpile in warehouses around the country
NIOSH found that 98% of the airpurifying respirators tested from ten stockpile facilities and manufactured between 2003-2013 maintained their inhalation and exhalation resistance and filtration performance in accordance with NIOSH performance standards. Report is here https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/ppecase/pdfs/PPE-CASE-Aggregated-Stockpile-Study-03252020-508.pdf
We became aware that members are being put out of work because they may have had an exposure or symptoms and may not be reaching out to their Locals. They may be told that they have to use their own PTO or sick time. PLEASE reach out to your members and have them notify you if this happens. They may be eligible for workers compensation or paid administrative leave. Reach out to your filed rep or to me and lets see what we can do about this, either through our lawyers or by shaming them.
Jan, I and the divisional VPs have a call with the governor’s office and DPH tomorrow. We will bring this and the PPE issue to them and we will reach out to our political and news friends. The claim is that maybe they didn’t pick it up at work. That may be true, but it’s more likely that they did.
It’s not right.
You and our healthcare members truly are hero’s.
You should be treated that way
Jan suggested that I start sharing my updates on my blog so more can have access. They will be at: http://backusunited-john.blogspot.com/
Be safe my friends.
John
John Brady RN
Vice President
AFT Connecticut
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