COVID-19: Dangerous Conspiracy Theories In Government

[Cal RN, BSN, RN]

In a time of crisis, a pandemic, one would hope for all the support you can get. If you have not heard, the President of the United States is putting claims out there that hospitals are hoarding ventilators and requesting equipment that is not needed.

Trump blames hospitals for mask and ventilator shortages

Trump Accuses Hospitals of Hoarding Ventilators

1. This is a pandemic. Hospitals will need more equipment than usual because we are dealing with a virus that no one has immunity too.

2. Hospitals are struggling with the supply and demand of PPE. The proper use of PPE states not to reuse masks or any other protective equipment when going from patient to patient. Yes you can reuse a N95 for the whole shift, but not over and over again. This causes the spread of infection.

Everyday the healthcare team puts their lives at risk to save others. The lack of PPE means the team is going in without the proper protection. This means we can spread it to our families and the public. This is like sending a police officer to fight crime without his gun and bullet proof vest. This is like sending a firefighter to save people without his/her respirator and fire equipment.

For those people who are saying this is what nurses and doctors signed up for. The hospital staff are not complaining about taking care of COVID-19 patients, they are being thrown in the trenches without proper PPE due to a lack of supplies.

There are no masks left in L.A. County’s emergency stockpile

“We are desperate”: Trump’s inaction has created a crisis with protective medical gear

Republican Politician Deanna Lorraine is making it her duty to “expose” hospitals because she does not believe in the “war zone” happening INSIDE of hospitals. I say that because obviously she is only allowed to film outside hospitals. She has created the hashtag #filmyourhospital because she does not believe what is going on inside of them.

Coronavirus deniers take aim at hospitals as pandemic grows

1. There is a no visitor policy. Why? To save lives and to stop the spread. What does this mean for the patient? If they code and do not make it, they die alone.

2. There are now designated COVID units. What does this mean? Hospitals are working in crisis mode, preparing for the influx of patients. Patients are fighting for their lives.

3. There is nothing going on OUTSIDE and in the waiting rooms. Parking lots and waiting rooms are empty because there are no visitors allowed. Patients and staff are not located in the areas. She cannot even begin to understand what it means to be in a war zone in healthcare if you are not in it.

4. This is of a California Hospital. Fortunately, what is happening in New York has not happened here. New York is more densely populated. I’m not saying what is happening cannot happen here, of course it can, but it hit New York hard and fast.

5. She is encouraging non-essential commuting in a time of “shelter in place” order.

When we have politicians who think this way, it puts the public in danger. They have such a large following and if people really believe what they are saying, then the politicians are putting the public’s lives at risk. This is a danger to public health.

While not a conspiracy theory, the government is asking retired nurses and doctors for their help. As noble as it may be of them to come out of retirement, they are in the high risk group of people told to stay home. They have done their time and need to enjoy the fruits of their labor. They are risking their lives coming out of retirement.

This is a time everyone needs support. It is dangerous to the public health to report that the Coronavirus Pandemic is a hoax, hospitals are hoarding ventilators, and hospitals are not “telling the truth”.

Stay home. Stay Safe. Save lives.

[GoodNP]

I've seen these posts on Twitter, and I agree, you can't tell what's going on inside the hospital based on an empty parking lot.

The thing is, even here on this forum, there are many nurses reporting low census, no hours, etc. My nurse friends in NY and FL tell me the news reports are not the reality they are experiencing. In my area, hospitals are indeed empty with staff being furloughed or laid off.

No doubt I will be excoriated by some members of this forum for daring to think these things aloud...

[Cal RN, BSN, RN]

Oh that maybe so in other parts of America. I live in LA county. So far we have 3 designated COVID units. Our ICU is filling up fast with COVID. And we are looking to expand to more parts of the hospital for COVID patients. I know in my hospital the doctors are trying to discharge as many patients as they need too so the COVID patients don’t infect the current patients.