Is Your Hospital Keeping COVID-19 Information from You that Could Put You at Risk?

USA Today Wants Your Input

Are you being placed at risk by hospitals not sharing vital Covid-19 information with you? Have you been alerted by your hospital if you have come in close contact with a colleague who has tested positive?

Take this poll and then return to elaborate on this topic.

Your input is important and could be added to a USA Today article on how hospitals are citing privacy rules and parsing federal and state guidance to avoid alerting nurses and other employees that they were working closely with colleagues who tested positive for COVID-19. Nurses have complained and experts say this makes hospitals COVID-19 incubators.

Names are not reported all over the building, but it is common knowledge that X number of staff in the ICU/ED are in self-isolation/tested positive. And while names aren't mentioned, for those who work on the unit it's pretty common knowledge.

Staff who came into unprotected contact with a patient or staff member (one of our own was the county's first patient, resulting in self-isolation of 14 staff) are promptly notified and sent home to self-isolate if symptom free and sent for testing if showing symptoms. Staff are also prioritized for the faster results test- the community tests take a few days, the inpatient and staff tests are back usually within the hour but guaranteed results within 4 hours.