Recruit coronavirus survivors to help health care providers?

[Bill Levinson]

I am not a health care professional and I don't know if this would work, but would there be circumstances under which people who have recovered from coronavirus be hired by hospitals to assist health care workers? The idea is that, if they are immune, they could work directly with patients (under close supervision by a licensed professional) to perform tasks that do not require specialized skills. They could also do things like move COVID-19 patients around without any danger to themselves or others (as they are immune and cannot carry the disease), handle laundry from COVID-19 patients, and so on.

The basic idea is that we do have a large pool of people (maybe tens of thousands by now) who have had the disease and have recovered from it, and are therefore known to be immune to it.

[Silver_Rik, ASN, RN]

Even basic patient care tasks require some orientation and training; but nothing a willing and physically able person can’t learn in a couple of weeks.

I think the bigger concern is we don’t know enough yet about acquired immunity to Covid-19.

[2Ask]

The patients have got to feel lonely and isolated with no visitors allowed. I could see a role for volunteers to visit and provide company and comfort. to those who want it.

I expect the hospital would want them to sign a liability release waiver.

[toomuchbaloney]

To echo Silver_Rik, we don't yet know enough about the immunity achieved with illness or infection. Keep your fingers crossed!