Corona Virus Update, 5/10, Happy Mother’s Day

Please meet Vance Wayne Mowrey. A Mother’s Day gift to Anna and family. Anna is one of our office professionals at AFT CT. Congratulations also to Grandpa Bob, who is one of our Field Reps. 

It has been 64 days since the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Connecticut. We are 10 days from a partial re-opening. 
1242 patients are hospitalized, down 59 from yesterday
2,967 CT residents have died, 35 today.

This question came in after yesterday's update. 
“When we say “up 58 today” should we be worried?  I am. How many nurses sit on the reopening task force?”

To clarify, the “up 58 today” meant that a total of 58 people had died in these 24 hours of Covid. (As compared to 35 today) Over the last 30 days we are averaging  87 deaths/day in CT. (Compared to 79 deaths from flu this season-total)
So, yes, it’s very bad, but it’s actually trending downward. 

How many nurses sit on the re-opening task force? None as far as we know. We have expressed our concern about the lack of frontline workers on the task force. We believe the forces of the people doing the work would be valuable. Everyone should express these concerns to the governor and legislators. We know what will happen if re-opening isn’t done right.

This is a message from DR Z. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WjT6WcPdBk

Some info from Kelly:

Please share this survey with your members

Participation needed in national HC worker survey. We continue collaborating with GWU’s Milken School of Public Health, this time on a Health Care Worker COVID-19 Survey. David Michaels, PhD, MPH, OSHA head during the Obama administration and an epidemiologist at George Washington University, is leading an this effort. The web-based survey fills a critical gap in data collection on healthcare worker infections and deaths. The Health Care Worker COVID-19 Survey is open to all healthcare workers who have been exposed to or infected by the COVID-19 virus. Deaths can be recorded as well. The announcement of the study is here. We encourage you to send the link to all of your members. AFT Nurses and Health Professionals will receive recognition in the final report for our participation and support of this important study. Please contact us if you have any questions.   

Find HHS funding provider grant recipients. HHS has released a list of providers that have received "general" COVID funding grants from HHS . This funding is separate from targeted and rural grants (which provider level data has not yet been provided):https://data.cdc.gov/Administrative/HRSA-Provider-Relief-Fund-General-Allocation/kh8y-3es6 

PPE: 

Please share PPE video on social media:

Frontline workers deserve safe workplaces especially during a pandemic. That's why AFT is making an unprecedented investment in PPE for workers across the country. #GetMePPE https://youtu.be/dYq-vrnTZ6A

It's been almost two months since Trump claimed to be ordering #PPE "by the millions" (3/14). But AFT actually did it. We'll be distributing #N95masks, surgical masks and face shields to AFT's frontline workers who need them most.#GetMePPE https://youtu.be/dYq-vrnTZ6A

"This country’s healthcare providers are marching headfirst into the breach of an unprecedented and terrifying global health crisis. And today, our union is coming together to do our part to help them.” - @rweingarten #GetMePPEhttps://youtu.be/dYq-vrnTZ6A

To help with PPE
https://www.aft.org/covid19-ppe-fund?link_id=1&can_id=ac7d76848130de511e58535ea7ab03f5&source=email-our-donations-can-get-nurses-ppe&email_referrer=email_798607&email_subject=our-donations-can-get-workers-ppe

Intercept piece on shortages:

An infuriating Intercept piece, detailing how the administration was put on notice of a looming PPE shortage: https://theintercept.com/2020/05/07/coronavirus-whistleblower-hhs-n95-ppe/

Thank you for all you do. Wishing all of you a happy Nurses Week- and a Happy Mother’s Day to those who are moms.

Kelly

Kelly D. Trautner

Director | Health Issues


Be well,
John