05-19-2020, 03:23 PM
(05-19-2020, 02:35 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Of course. It's not designed to make you feel safe, it's designed make you actually safe.
Dealing with medical patients in a clinical environment calls for a higher level of containment than out in the environment. I went and saw my family physician about a week ago, regularly scheduled checkup. He, along with all of the staff, were wearing masks. Not the type that you are describing, but the standard style clinical masks. After the visit, he even took it down, while out in the hall.
You must be a lot closer to risk than they feel they are. My provider is part of the UNC healthcare system, and I'm pretty sure that they don't skirt any established guidelines or recommended precautions.
You'd be surprised. I have seen UVA healthcare workers skirting the guidelines, plenty.
Here is a good read on all of this: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-recommendations.html#adhere
Quote:Standard Precautions assume that every person is potentially infected or colonized with a pathogen that could be transmitted in the healthcare setting Elements of Standard Precautions that apply to patients with respiratory infections, including COVID-19, are summarized below. Attention should be paid to training and proper donning (putting on), doffing (taking off), and disposal of any PPE. This document does not emphasize all aspects of Standard Precautions (e.g., injection safety) that are required for all patient care; the full description is provided in the Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings.
HCP (see Section 5 for measures for non-HCP visitors) who enter the room of a patient with known or suspected COVID-19 should adhere to Standard Precautions and use a respirator (or facemask if a respirator is not available), gown, gloves, and eye protection. When available, respirators (instead of facemasks) are preferred; they should be prioritized for situations where respiratory protection is most important and the care of patients with pathogens requiring Airborne Precautions (e.g., tuberculosis, measles, varicella). Information about the recommended duration of Transmission-Based Precautions is available in the Interim Guidance for Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Disposition of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19
So here you can see the CDC's guidelines are that all patient care be conducted under the assumption that the patient is infected with COVID-19 and as such, N95 respirators are preferred, but a mask should be worn if not. Now, the problem is that supplies aren't the greatest for this stuff, so some places they may be prioritized for certain areas in the network, etc.
"A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy..." - TR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR