US Needs to Shut Down, Start Over, Do It Right

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Found at the UNITED STATES PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP

National Medical Experts calling for US to Shut Down, Start Over, Do It Right

An open letter to America’s decision makers, on behalf of health professionals across the country.

Quote

Dear decision makers,

Hit the reset button.

Of all the nations in the world, we’ve had the most deaths from COVID-19. At the sametime, we’re in the midst of “reopening our economy,” exposing more and more people tocoronavirus and watching numbers of cases -- and deaths -- skyrocket...

...Listen to the experts.

Public health professionals have made clear that even after we’ve contained the virus by staying at home, in order to reopen American cities and towns safely, we will need:

-- Enough daily testing capacity to test everyone with flu-like symptoms plus anyone they have been in close contact with over the last 2 weeks (at least 10 additional tests per symptomatic person). We currently have only 35% of the testing capacity we need to meet that threshold. The more people get sick, the more testing is required.

-- A workforce of contact tracers large enough to trace all current cases. That’s 210,000 more contact tracers than we had in April, but the number keeps going up as infections rise. Most states are far short of the number of contact tracers they need.

In addition, we need more personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep essential workers like health professionals, emergency responders, and grocery store clerks safe.

Shut it down now, and start over.

Non-essential businesses should be closed. Restaurant service should be limited to take-out. People should stay home, going out only to get food and medicine or to exercise and get fresh air. Masks should be mandatory in all situations, indoors and outdoors, where we interact with others.

We need that protocol in place until case numbers recede to a level at which we have the capacity to effectively test and trace. Then, and only then, we can try a little more opening, one small step at a time.

You should bar non-essential interstate travel. When people travel freely between states, the good numbers in one state can go bad quickly.

If you don’t take these actions, the consequences will be measured in widespread suffering and death....

Full letter:

https://uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/USP_Public-health_final-letter-shutdowns_V2.pdf

Add your nursing support, sign the letter here: https://uspirg.org/resources/usp/shut-it-down-start-over-do-it-right

[NewRN'16, ADN, RN]

31 minutes ago, NRSKarenRN said:

Found at the UNITED STATES PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP

National Medical Experts calling for US to Shut Down, Start Over, Do It Right

An open letter to America’s decision makers, on behalf of health professionals across the country.

Add your nursing support, sign the letter here: https://uspirg.org/resources/usp/shut-it-down-start-over-do-it-right

Signed, but I highly doubt our dear leader cares about any of this. Except himself and his ego.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Every little bit helps to get over this pandemic.