buzzfeednews--2020-04-10--This Man Says Inmates At His Prison Are Getting No Medical Care For Covid-19

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Over the course of a seven-day quarantine for COVID-19 , David Sell , an inmate in Wende Correctional Facility , says he received no medicine , no care , not even a change of clothes .
He said he had to plead with prison staff to clean the thermometer before taking his temperature .
“ I asked the doctor how am I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ and she was basically just like ‘ ride it out.
’ ” Sell , who is serving 43 years to life at the prison 20 miles outside of Buffalo , New York , gave a harrowing account of how the coronavirus is spreading behind bars — and how little care is available to prisoners who fall ill. “ You have one guy spitting up blood , ” he said .
“ And they still was hesitant about taking him to the hospital.
” Law students from the City University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Bard College , first recorded Sell last fall , to showcase his plea for clemency .
The students caught up with him again last Monday and recorded his experience with COVID-19 .

Over the course of a seven-day quarantine for COVID-19, David Sell, an inmate in Wende Correctional Facility, says he received no medicine, no care, not even a change of clothes. He said he had to plead with prison staff to clean the thermometer before taking his temperature. “I asked the doctor how am I going to be treated,” he said, “and she was basically just like ‘ride it out.’”
Sell, who is serving 43 years to life at the prison 20 miles outside of Buffalo, New York, gave a harrowing account of how the coronavirus is spreading behind bars — and how little care is available to prisoners who fall ill.
“You have one guy spitting up blood,” he said. “And they still was hesitant about taking him to the hospital.”
Law students from the City University of New York, along with video students at Bard College, first recorded Sell last fall, to showcase his plea for clemency. The students caught up with him again last Monday and recorded his experience with COVID-19.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-06--People On Nextdoor Are Freaking Out About Coronavirus

People on the local social media site are spreading falsehoods linking the virus to homelessness , eating meat , and not using tea tree oil as a sanitizer .
According to some people on Nextdoor , the coronavirus has spread because people aren ’ t vegan , people are homeless , they are n't taking the proper homemade supplements , and they aren ’ t sanitizing their hands with tea tree oil .
“ Good afternoon Neighbors , I ’ m not the kind of person who wants to live in fear , ” one person in Alabama wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the manmade bioweapon Corona Virus ?
Should we be stocking up like people did for the Y2K ?
” Nextdoor , which has over 27 million users and 230,000 defined neighborhoods around the world , is known for bringing the best and worst of local communities onto the internet .
At its best , it ’ s a place to share useful information and meet your neighbors .
At its worst , it ’ s a harbor for racism , scams , and petty drama .
And as the coronavirus epidemic grows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of reliable information has created the perfect environment for false or misleading information to spread on social media , especially Nextdoor .
“ We are committed to doing everything we can to help our members stay safe and have access to real-time trusted information from local health officials , ” a Nextdoor spokesperson told BuzzFeed News .
“ To date , we have : published and shared information in our newsfeed from official health authorities ( CDC , WHO ) , worked with our Public Agency partners to deliver official updates as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines on how to report misinformation on our platform.
” The spokesperson also urged users to only share verified information , and to report all instances of misinformation .
There are currently more than 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , around the world , and 14 people in the US have died .
But there ’ s currently no reliable figure about the current number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the US , since there ’ s been confusion , inconsistencies , and mismanagement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jenn Takahashi , who runs the popular Twitter and Instagram accounts Best of Nextdoor , said that while she tries to keep the content on Best of Nextdoor lighthearted , she ’ s seen several concerning posts about the coronavirus .
“ Someone is saying to buy tea tree oil if you can ’ t buy Purell , ” Takahashi said .
“ I don ’ t know if they ’ re joking or not , but someone started a doomsday prepper group.
” Takahashi said that the reaction to the coronavirus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earnest advice , conspiracy theories , and skepticism — is about what she expected .
“ I feel like Nextdoor is like any social network , ” she said .
“ Nothing really surprises me anymore .
Some people freaking out , some people think it ’ s a conspiracy .
It really is standard Nextdoor , how Nextdoor reacts to anything.
” Gary Call , chief medical officer at health care company HMS , said that the coronavirus has made people feel “ concerned and fearful of the unknown.
” But he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading on Nextdoor .
He said that there ’ s no truth to the idea that tea tree oil is a reliable replacement for hand sanitizer , and no proof that the coronavirus can spread between cats and dogs and humans .
And while some nutritional supplements can bridge gaps in a person ’ s diet , which can improve a person ’ s health and immune system , there ’ s no supplement that can prevent the virus — which currently does not have a vaccine .
“ I think every time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are fearful of , the same kinda stuff circulates , ” Call said .
“ The fear factor and hype that ’ s going on around coronavirus is probably a little bit more because people see it spreading faster than some of these things have before.
” As panic and misinformation spread about the coronavirus , some local governments have posted reliable information on Nextdoor about how people can proactively improve their hygienic practices and protect their health .
For instance , the public information officer for Brunswick County , North Carolina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness , which included CDC-recommended measures like frequently washing your hands with soap and warm water .
However , people on Nextdoor haven ’ t stopped looking for alternatives to this advice .
“ Nobody wants commonsense stuff that the experts recommend — they want to have the magical thing , ” Call said .
“ People wan na be safe and protected , so they tend to believe things that don ’ t really have much evidence but make sense to their belief system or the world .
”

According to some people on Nextdoor, the coronavirus has spread because people aren’t vegan, people are homeless, they aren't taking the proper homemade supplements, and they aren’t sanitizing their hands with tea tree oil.
“Good afternoon Neighbors, I’m not the kind of person who wants to live in fear,” one person in Alabama wrote. “With that being said, thoughts on the manmade bioweapon Corona Virus? Should we be stocking up like people did for the Y2K?”
Nextdoor, which has over 27 million users and 230,000 defined neighborhoods around the world, is known for bringing the best and worst of local communities onto the internet. At its best, it’s a place to share useful information and meet your neighbors. At its worst, it’s a harbor for racism, scams, and petty drama. And as the coronavirus epidemic grows in the United States, the lack of reliable information has created the perfect environment for false or misleading information to spread on social media, especially Nextdoor.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-06--The Coronavirus Newsletter: First Cases In Maryland, SXSW Canceled

In today 's edition of Outbreak Today : The University of Washington is closing its classrooms , South by Southwest is canceled , and how South Korea is leading the world in responding to the crisis .
There ’ s a lot we still don ’ t know about the coronavirus outbreak .
This newsletter will do its best to put everything we do know in one place each day .
We ’ re not about sensationalizing things , freaking people out , or speculating about how bad it ’ s going to get .
Do you have questions you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in touch .
And if you 're someone who is seeing the impact of this firsthand , we ’ d also love to hear from you ( you can reach out to us via one of our tip line channels ) .
And if someone forwarded this to you , you can sign up here .
And with that , here ’ s what we know as of Friday , March 6 .
Coronavirus in the US As of Thursday afternoon , there have been 260 confirmed cases and 14 deaths in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we sent this out ; you can get the latest figures from our live tracker .
Maryland reported its first coronavirus cases late last night .
Three people contracted the virus while traveling overseas : a husband and wife in their seventies and a woman in her fifties .
The three had reportedly been on a cruise ship .
Nurses are warning that their hospitals are not prepared for major outbreaks .
Of the 6,500 who took a survey by the National Nurses United union , less than half said their employer gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases and respond to them .
The University of Washington is closing all its classrooms and students will study and take exams remotely for the remainder of the winter quarter , which ends March 20 .
Washington state has been at the center of the outbreak in the US , but universities around the country may soon follow its lead , the New York Times reported .
The 2020 South by Southwest conference and festivals have been canceled .
`` This is a medical and data-driven decision , '' Austin city officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information and updates , check the CDC ’ s dedicated coronavirus site .
If you ’ re feeling sick and are worried it might be coronavirus , here ’ s a simple , step-by-step guide for what you should do .
Do you have questions about the COVID-19 outbreak ?
We ’ re happy to answer them , and we ’ re trying out a new way of keeping in touch with our readers : You can sign up here to text with BuzzFeed News editors : joinsubtext.com/buzzfeednews .
What to do if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most common questions we ’ ve been getting from readers is exactly what people should do if they feel sick and suspect it might be coronavirus .
First things first : Don ’ t panic .
Even if you are infected , which is still unlikely , most people make a full recovery and do not get seriously ill .
But because some people are especially vulnerable — particularly the elderly and those who already have serious medical conditions — it ’ s important for every single one of us to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and know how to keep each other safe .
So what should you do if you think you might have it ?
To begin with , here are the symptoms to look out for : a fever , cough , or respiratory issues such as shortness of breath .
If you have one of those symptoms , what to do next depends on a few things .
We ’ ve put together a simple flowchart to help you know which steps to take — take a look here .
Bookmark it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and again : Don ’ t panic !
How many Americans have really been tested ?
The single biggest failure in the US response to the crisis has been the slow rollout of coronavirus tests .
It ’ s still extremely hard to get tested in most states — and federal authorities are not revealing how many tests have been done .
The Atlantic contacted health departments in every state and gathered the best estimate it could find , and the number is shocking : fewer than 2,000 tests , nationwide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat fans : It ’ s the safest seat on an airplane .
You ’ ll find that and a whole bunch more pro tips in this guide to traveling during the outbreak .
Quote of the day “ The date was really bad , but that was irrelevant to coronavirus.
” — Amanda , 23 , who left a self-imposed quarantine to go on a date , in Julia Reinstein ’ s wonderful Love in a Time of Coronavirus Handshakes are canceled But what do we replace them with ?
Foot taps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re taking a poll to find out which option is the choice of the masses ; please go and vote .
With more than 1,000 votes already cast , a wave is currently in the lead , with the respectful hand-held-over-heart coming in a close second .
South Korea ’ s response to the crisis appears to be a model for the rest of the world .
It ’ s had the biggest outbreak outside of China , but has not shut down cities or imposed strict limits on movement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing program : Hundreds of thousands of people have been tested so far , Bloomberg News reported , and it ’ s getting results , with lower mortality rates and a drop in the number of new cases .
China ’ s response , while apparently effective in containing the spread of the virus , contained plenty of missteps .
“ A series of early missteps , dating back to the very first patients , were compounded by political leaders who dragged their feet to inform the public of the risks and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street Journal reported .
Peace Corps volunteers in China were evacuated in late January , but the process was very messy , reported Dan Vergano .
They were flown to a hotel in Thailand , then abruptly fired , and then many returned to the US with no self-quarantine .
You 've heard all about how important it is to wash your hands .
Wash them well , and wash them often .
And one of the tips you might have heard is to spend at least 20 seconds doing it — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be effective .
But how do you time out 20 seconds ?
Sing an entire round of `` Happy Birthday to You '' is the answer that keeps going around .
But `` Happy Birthday to You '' is a terrible song !
So via a random WeWork bathroom , and Cecile G. Tamura on Facebook , here are a few vastly superior options .

What to do if you think you have coronavirus
One of the most common questions we’ve been getting from readers is exactly what people should do if they feel sick and suspect it might be coronavirus.
First things first: Don’t panic. Even if you are infected, which is still unlikely, most people make a full recovery and do not get seriously ill. But because some people are especially vulnerable — particularly the elderly and those who already have serious medical conditions — it’s important for every single one of us to pay attention, be good citizens and neighbors, and know how to keep each other safe.
So what should you do if you think you might have it? To begin with, here are the symptoms to look out for: a fever, cough, or respiratory issues such as shortness of breath.
If you have one of those symptoms, what to do next depends on a few things. We’ve put together a simple flowchart to help you know which steps to take — take a look here. Bookmark it, pass it around to friends and family, and again: Don’t panic!
What we’re reading
How many Americans have really been tested?
The single biggest failure in the US response to the crisis has been the slow rollout of coronavirus tests. It’s still extremely hard to get tested in most states — and federal authorities are not revealing how many tests have been done. The Atlantic contacted health departments in every state and gathered the best estimate it could find, and the number is shocking: fewer than 2,000 tests, nationwide.
Tip of the day
Rejoice, window seat fans: It’s the safest seat on an airplane. You’ll find that and a whole bunch more pro tips in this guide to traveling during the outbreak.
Quote of the day
“The date was really bad, but that was irrelevant to coronavirus.”
— Amanda, 23, who left a self-imposed quarantine to go on a date, in Julia Reinstein’s wonderful Love in a Time of Coronavirus
Handshakes are canceled
But what do we replace them with? Foot taps? Disco hip-bumps? Military-style salutes? We’re taking a poll to find out which option is the choice of the masses; please go and vote. With more than 1,000 votes already cast, a wave is currently in the lead, with the respectful hand-held-over-heart coming in a close second.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-06--A Man Unfurled A Nazi Flag And Shouted Anti-Jewish Slurs At A Bernie Sanders Rally

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign rally at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on March 5 in Phoenix .
PHOENIX — A man waving a Nazi flag and shouting “ Heil Hitler ” was kicked out of a rally for Bernie Sanders on Thursday , a shocking incident targeting the man running to be the first Jewish president .
The flag , styled professionally in the actual designs of Nazi Germany , hung prominently over a banister at the 7,000-person Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the start of Sanders ’ speech .
The person stationed himself in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Sanders was speaking .
The man was shouting anti-Jewish slurs at Sanders and performing the Nazi salute , said Ron Mack , 40 , an attendee at the rally who was sitting nearby .
“ He never put his arm down , ” Mack said .
“ Everybody was in disbelief.
” Security removed the man from the event several seconds after he unfurled the flag .
Mack , who spoke to BuzzFeed News the day after the rally , followed him outside to make sure he was removed , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an incident that was captured on video .
On Friday morning , taking questions at the Phoenix airport , Sanders told reporters that he was “ shocked ” to learn about the flag from his staff .
“ I speak not only as a Jewish American — I think I can speak for the families of some 400,000 American troops who died fighting Nazism , fighting fascism — that it is horrific , '' he said .
“ It is beyond disgusting to see that , in the United States of America , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emblem of Hitler and Nazism.
” Sanders said that he has seen plenty of protesters at his events over the years — many of them Trump supporters — “ but this was something different , ” he said , describing the swastika as “ unspeakable ” and the “ most detestable symbol in modern history.
” On Friday afternoon , in a tweet , Biden wrote of the display at the Friday rally , `` I do n't care who you 're supporting , attacks like this against a man who could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond the pale . ''
The Anti-Defamation League identified the man as Robert Sterkeson , a white supremacist who has `` harassed a range of Jewish and Muslim organizations and events , '' often posting the stunts on YouTube .
Sanders appeared to hear the commotion , turning to his right to look to the stands , but the flag had already been taken down .
Aides told him about the incident after the rally .
Multiple protesters caused disruptions at the rally , including one who unfurled a “ TRUMP ” banner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread on Instagram and Twitter .

PHOENIX — A man waving a Nazi flag and shouting “Heil Hitler” was kicked out of a rally for Bernie Sanders on Thursday, a shocking incident targeting the man running to be the first Jewish president.
The flag, styled professionally in the actual designs of Nazi Germany, hung prominently over a banister at the 7,000-person Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the start of Sanders’ speech. The person stationed himself in the upper deck of the arena, behind where Sanders was speaking.
The man was shouting anti-Jewish slurs at Sanders and performing the Nazi salute, said Ron Mack, 40, an attendee at the rally who was sitting nearby. “He never put his arm down,” Mack said. “Everybody was in disbelief.”
Security removed the man from the event several seconds after he unfurled the flag. Mack, who spoke to BuzzFeed News the day after the rally, followed him outside to make sure he was removed, and the man shouted racial slurs at him, an incident that was captured on video.
On Friday morning, taking questions at the Phoenix airport, Sanders told reporters that he was “shocked” to learn about the flag from his staff.
“I speak not only as a Jewish American — I think I can speak for the families of some 400,000 American troops who died fighting Nazism, fighting fascism — that it is horrific," he said. “It is beyond disgusting to see that, in the United States of America, there are people who would show the emblem of Hitler and Nazism.”
Sanders said that he has seen plenty of protesters at his events over the years — many of them Trump supporters — “but this was something different,” he said, describing the swastika as “unspeakable” and the “most detestable symbol in modern history.”
On Friday afternoon, in a tweet, Biden wrote of the display at the Friday rally, "I don't care who you're supporting, attacks like this against a man who could be the first Jewish president are disgusting and beyond the pale."
The Anti-Defamation League identified the man as Robert Sterkeson, a white supremacist who has "harassed a range of Jewish and Muslim organizations and events," often posting the stunts on YouTube.
Sanders appeared to hear the commotion, turning to his right to look to the stands, but the flag had already been taken down. Aides told him about the incident after the rally.
Multiple protesters caused disruptions at the rally, including one who unfurled a “TRUMP” banner.
Video and pictures of the incident spread on Instagram and Twitter.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-04--Day By Day: Inside A Domestic Violence Shelter In The Coronavirus Era

The pandemic has stretched this New Mexico domestic violence shelter down to its last dollar .
Its executive director and staff are doing all they can to keep the doors open amid a spike in people needing services .
The executive director of New Mexico ’ s largest domestic violence shelter hadn ’ t yet had his first meeting of the day , but he was already in the middle of a crisis .
Henry Brutus , who has run La Casa since 2018 , checked his budget , the surge in people seeking services , and then , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date .
It was only the first day of the month , but the shelter had already spent the last of its funds .
But before he could deal with that crisis , the distressed faces of his employees started popping across his screen as they logged on for the staff ’ s first coronavirus-era Zoom meeting .
With tired eyes and shaky voices , everyone had the same question : What about our jobs ?
His employees were worried about layoffs , even as their jobs had just become much harder .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in abusive relationships in greater peril , according to Katie Ray-Jones , CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline .
“ This is stressful for everyone , but especially for survivors.
” At La Casa , the number of clients seeking a place to stay had spiked 75 % since the coronavirus outbreak had confined people to their homes .
But the state ’ s new social distancing mandate required shelters to cut their capacity in half .
Funding from private and public sources , meanwhile , had dried up .
La @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being on the brink .
The main shelter in Las Cruces , New Mexico , sits on the brink of Texas to its east and Mexico , to its south .
It ’ s also on the brink of the rural-urban divide , serving Las Cruces , a city of 100,000 people , and Anthony , New Mexico , a map dot of 9,300 .
Many of Anthony ’ s residents are agricultural workers , and 45 % of them live below the poverty line .
Nearly half of the people in town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brutus looked at the worried faces of his staffers on that first meeting of the day , he needed to bring them back from yet another brink if they were — once again — to do more with less .
The 48-year-old Brutus , bald and with a thick black beard , came to La Casa after a career in hospital management .
When he was looking for a new challenge , friends told him about the job at the shelter .
He came to the shelter with no experience in domestic violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If men are the culprits most of the time , ” he says , “ why are n't men coming up with solutions to the problem or at least at the table making decisions or helping make decisions ?
” At La Casa , he brought his hospital management expertise and love of five-year projections and turned the sputtering nonprofit into a thriving enterprise .
But nothing had prepared him for how to weather a pandemic .
As the Zoom meeting started , Brutus ’ s workers began , one by one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to do their jobs during the pandemic : I have a 2-year-old at home who makes it impossible to call our clients and check up on them , one said .
I don ’ t have access to the internet to telecommute , said another .
Others , like the employees who were abuse survivors turned single mothers , worried aloud about layoffs .
La Casa ’ s human resources specialist , Vicki Lusk , jumped in with the details about how the shelter might tap into federal funding from the CARES @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep more of the shelter ’ s 46 full-time and 2 part-time workers on payroll .
Brutus suggested some employees could pick up donations that needed to be organized and cataloged .
Some of the donations , like costume jewelry , would go in gift baskets to help people them through what Brutus said is “ often the lowest moment of their lives.
” No sooner had the meeting ended when another staffer reached out .
There was a new online review of the shelter .
And it wasn ’ t good .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country , two weeks from giving birth , said La Casa had denied her request to stay there .
Brutus started calling staffers and asking what had happened .
He found out she hadn ’ t been abused .
Technically , then , she wasn ’ t Brutus ’ s responsibility .
But he still wanted to help her .
He reached her on the phone to suggest an alternate plan .
She refused , and Brutus hung up , defeated .
He wondered aloud about whether he could have found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if it hadn ’ t been for COVID-19 , he could have met her in person , picked up the phone alongside her to call other service providers , or even taken her there himself .
Brutus thought about her for days , but there were other pressing tasks .
The shelter ran a Batterer ’ s Intervention Program — a service that works with abusers to equip them with tools to address their anger and frustration in constructive ways .
La Casa ’ s supportive services director , Pat Acosta , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program online for those with internet access .
She also drafted a series of worksheets that would be a workaround for those without .
Brutus felt like the effort was paying off when Acosta got a call from one abuser who reported using the breathing techniques she had taught him to diffuse a tense situation .
Another reported he ’ d moved away from his partner to protect her .
Then Brutus called hotels and motels around Las Cruces .
Shelter staffers were reporting a surge of calls from young mothers aged 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newborn babies .
When La Casa ran out of beds , Brutus worked to find vacancies in hotels , which allow more social distancing .
But spending on hotels took its toll on his already tattered $ 2 million budget : $ 70 per room per night on top of the expense of feeding and transporting their guests to necessary appointments .
When he called one hotel manager , he said she said she didn ’ t want anyone who had COVID-19 .
“ We don ’ t screen people in or out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After a day of more calls and more requests for help , a quiet acceptance started to sink in .
He ’ d prided himself on all those five-year plans .
All those long-range forecasts .
The virus and the accompanying financial collapse had forced him to accept the advice that many of his own staffers had doled out to their clientele : Sometimes the key is to just get through the day .
By the middle of that afternoon , Brutus said , “ I just wanted the day to start over.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , his phone rang .
An employee with New Mexico ’ s Children , Youth , and Families Department was on the line , telling Brutus that it had additional funding for La Casa — just enough to get it to the end of April .
As May begins , Brutus must start the whole process of keeping the shelter going all over again .

The executive director of New Mexico’s largest domestic violence shelter hadn’t yet had his first meeting of the day, but he was already in the middle of a crisis. Henry Brutus, who has run La Casa since 2018, checked his budget, the surge in people seeking services, and then, to be certain, the day’s date. It was only the first day of the month, but the shelter had already spent the last of its funds.
But before he could deal with that crisis, the distressed faces of his employees started popping across his screen as they logged on for the staff’s first coronavirus-era Zoom meeting. With tired eyes and shaky voices, everyone had the same question: What about our jobs?
His employees were worried about layoffs, even as their jobs had just become much harder. Stay-at-home orders across the globe have left people in abusive relationships in greater peril, according to Katie Ray-Jones, CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. “This is stressful for everyone, but especially for survivors.” At La Casa, the number of clients seeking a place to stay had spiked 75% since the coronavirus outbreak had confined people to their homes. But the state’s new social distancing mandate required shelters to cut their capacity in half. Funding from private and public sources, meanwhile, had dried up.
La Casa and its staff are used to being on the brink. The main shelter in Las Cruces, New Mexico, sits on the brink of Texas to its east and Mexico, to its south. It’s also on the brink of the rural-urban divide, serving Las Cruces, a city of 100,000 people, and Anthony, New Mexico, a map dot of 9,300. Many of Anthony’s residents are agricultural workers, and 45% of them live below the poverty line. Nearly half of the people in town do not have internet access.
As Brutus looked at the worried faces of his staffers on that first meeting of the day, he needed to bring them back from yet another brink if they were — once again — to do more with less.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-20--She's A Widow At Just 31. She Has A Message For You About The Coronavirus.

`` Why is it that other people just find their person and be happy , but mine is taken from me so soon ? ''
It was a blustery January day in 2018 when Lew Berry got down on one knee in the parking lot of the bowling alley in Fishers , Indiana , where he and Brianna Berry had gone on their first date a year and a half earlier .
Brianna didn ’ t believe it was really happening at first .
Since they ’ d moved in together a few months prior , Lew had had some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , getting down on one knee a few times just as a prank .
What Brianna didn ’ t know was he ’ d already bought a ring and was just waiting for the perfect moment .
And there , outside the bowling alley where they ’ d begun their love story , that moment finally came .
“ He said ... that first handshake changed his life , and he never knew he could be this happy , ” Brianna , 31 , told BuzzFeed News .
“ And he asked me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met for the first time in August 2016 at that very same bowling alley .
They ’ d first connected on the dating site Plenty of Fish , months before Brianna was planning to relocate south from northern Indiana , and went on their first date after she ’ d moved there .
“ We went bowling because he didn ’ t want to go to a movie , because he wanted to talk to me , and dinner was too formal , ” she said .
“ It was just instant chemistry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy to talk to and so funny — he could just make anyone laugh.
” She added , “ At the end of that date , he asked if he could kiss me .
He was just a gentleman in every way .
We both described it later as the best kiss we ’ ve ever had.
” Their relationship sped forward after that .
They cooked for each other and went on a date to the zoo and started spending more time together than they did apart .
Eventually , they got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a house together .
And in November 2018 , they married .
“ That still is the best day of my life , and it was his too , ” she said .
“ You just look at our wedding pictures and you can just tell how much we love each other.
” But Brianna can ’ t bear to look at the pictures now .
Not since April 6 , when Lew died of the coronavirus at age 37 .
Brianna has been left struggling to come to terms with the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for less than two years , and she ’ s at a loss to understand how a virus that leaves many unscathed could kill the love of her life .
“ It ’ s still hard to believe sometimes — because it ’ s not like he was an old man , ” she said .
“ It doesn ’ t make sense why some people die and some don ’ t. ” “ Why am I still here and he ’ s dead ?
” she asked .
“ Why am I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic hit , Brianna said she and Lew took every precaution not to get sick , particularly since they both had asthma .
They socially distanced .
They washed their hands .
They wiped down all the surfaces in their home .
But still , over the last weekend of March , Lew developed a cough , shortness of breath , and a fever .
The following Tuesday , March 31 , his symptoms had become so severe the pair went to a hospital , where he tested positive for COVID-19 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was going to be on a vent , so we FaceTimed , ” she said .
“ He told me everything was going to be okay , he was going to fight , and that I was the best thing to ever happen to him , and the years with me were the happiest of his life .
“ He told me to be strong , and I told him I loved him and I can ’ t lose him .
And we stayed on FaceTime together until they were going to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband was being intubated , Brianna still didn ’ t imagine that would be the last time they spoke .
“ Never in a million years did I think he wasn ’ t going to make it , ” she said .
Then came the waiting .
Brianna waited as the doctors treated Lew , which she described as an emotional roller coaster — hope , then despair .
One day , his fever went down , and she thought he was out of the woods .
But then it climbed back up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors told Brianna her husband was going to die .
Due to the hospital ’ s regulations meant to prevent the spread of the virus , she wasn ’ t allowed to come in and be with him .
“ Every night in the hospital , I would have them put me on speakerphone , and I ’ d sing to him and talk to him and tell him how much I loved him , ” she said .
Around 1:30 a.m. on April 6 came the call she ’ d been dreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was under quarantine , ” she said of the moment .
“ I just remember falling on the floor and screaming.
” Lew was a project manager for a family-owned construction company , which he started working for when he was just 15 .
The company ’ s owner , Todd Lewis , 55 , told BuzzFeed News he had been in need of some strong workers , and when he ran into the young Lew and some friends on the street , he offered them jobs .
Lew started working for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to be a skilled worker and grew close to Lewis and his family over the years .
In recent years , the two men coached a youth football team together .
“ We treated him as one our own , and he became one of our own , ” Lewis said .
Months into Lew and Brianna ’ s relationship , he invited her to Lewis ’ s Thanksgiving dinner .
Lewis laughed , remembering that Lew had been so excited to finally introduce his girlfriend to him that he 'd showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was missing for Lew , and he found Bri , and that filled that hole for him , ” Lewis said .
“ He became a lot happier .
She made him very , very happy.
” Despite being the one to deliver Lew ’ s eulogy at a funeral attended by just six people , Lewis is still in shock .
He hasn ’ t yet been able to grieve the death of his longtime friend .
“ Lew had been such a big mountain of a guy that I just never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , ” Lewis said .
As part of the eulogy , Lewis read out a list of memories that Brianna had written about her relationship with Lew .
“ I had been journaling my memories because I ’ m afraid I ’ ll forget them , ” Brianna said , “ because I feel like we didn ’ t get enough of them , so I don ’ t want to forget the ones that we did get.
” Because of social distancing guidelines and fears that she may be carrying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as she processes her grief .
Her mother is staying with her , and she has videochatted with people , but Brianna said she feels so alone and does not know what her life will look like from here .
“ I feel like I ’ ve been robbed of my life with him , ” she said .
“ It ’ s like , why is it that other people just find their person and be happy , but mine is taken from me so soon ?
We never even really got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have children or not .
”

It was a blustery January day in 2018 when Lew Berry got down on one knee in the parking lot of the bowling alley in Fishers, Indiana, where he and Brianna Berry had gone on their first date a year and a half earlier.
Brianna didn’t believe it was really happening at first. Since they’d moved in together a few months prior, Lew had had some fun building up to the big moment, getting down on one knee a few times just as a prank. What Brianna didn’t know was he’d already bought a ring and was just waiting for the perfect moment. And there, outside the bowling alley where they’d begun their love story, that moment finally came.
“He said ... that first handshake changed his life, and he never knew he could be this happy,” Brianna, 31, told BuzzFeed News. “And he asked me to marry him.”
Brianna and Lew met for the first time in August 2016 at that very same bowling alley. They’d first connected on the dating site Plenty of Fish, months before Brianna was planning to relocate south from northern Indiana, and went on their first date after she’d moved there.
“We went bowling because he didn’t want to go to a movie, because he wanted to talk to me, and dinner was too formal,” she said. “It was just instant chemistry, instant connection. He was very easy to talk to and so funny — he could just make anyone laugh.”
She added, “At the end of that date, he asked if he could kiss me. He was just a gentleman in every way. We both described it later as the best kiss we’ve ever had.”


buzzfeednews--2020-04-22--Scientists Are Calling For Vaccine Experiments That Would Deliberately Infect People With The Novel

Scientists Are Calling For Vaccine Experiments That Would Deliberately Infect People With The Novel Coronavirus

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
As the world waits anywhere from 18 months to years for the first effective coronavirus vaccine , some lawmakers , scientists , and bioethicists are calling for a radical push to speed up the process — deliberately infecting volunteers with the virus .
On Tuesday , vaccine expert Stanley Plotkin of the University of Pennsylvania and bioethicist Arthur Caplan of New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge studies ” of a coronavirus vaccine in the journal Vaccine .
That followed a bipartisan group of nearly three dozen members of the House of Representatives on Monday calling on the FDA to consider such trials .
“ Every week of delay in the deployment of a vaccine to the seven billion humans on Earth will cost thousands of lives , ” said the letter , spearheaded by Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois , a scientist , and Rep. Donna Shalala of Florida , a former HHS chief .
“ In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks may be taken , ” they wrote , “ potentially by challenge trials that involve deliberately infecting volunteers who have received candidate vaccines or placebos.
” “ Normally , deliberately giving someone an infection that is potentially lethal would be unacceptable , ” Caplan told BuzzFeed News .
“ But in extreme times , like a plague , you might look to extreme measures.
” The approach is unusual — but not unprecedented .
Still , some scientists argue that it may be too drastic of a measure given the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Wednesday , there have been more than 2.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nearly 180,000 deaths worldwide .
More than 70 novel coronavirus vaccines are now in development , according to the World Health Organization .
A March Journal of Infection report estimated that about 70 % of the US population , more than 220 million people , would need to recover and gain some immunity to the virus or get vaccinated for the country to have “ herd immunity ” to future outbreaks .
Some biotech industry observers suggest that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until 2023 or 2024 for a novel coronavirus vaccine to reach enough people to blunt the spread of COVID-19 .
On Wednesday , FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said on CBS This Morning that the agency ’ s expectation is a vaccine will become available in March of 2021 , “ but we are really trying to accelerate the efforts.
” NIAID Director Anthony Fauci told BuzzFeed News in February that if everything went “ perfect , ” starting to distribute a vaccine widely would take at least 18 months , a delivery date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , vaccines require safety studies conducted in lab animals , followed by three phases of progressively larger and longer experiments on people , first to prove the vaccines are safe and then to prove that they are effective at preventing infection .
Four vaccines are currently undergoing “ Phase 1 ” safety trials in small numbers of human volunteers , and one “ Phase 2 ” trial involving 500 volunteers is underway in Beijing .
If the vaccines prove safe and effective in these trials , they would move on to Phase 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around six months .
Those trials require giving one group of volunteers the vaccine and another group a placebo , then waiting for the months to elapse to see how many catch the disease and how many don ’ t , and then comparing between the two groups to figure out the efficacy of the vaccine .
If the Phase 3 trials proved successful , the vaccines would be allowed for widespread public use , but would require more time to manufacture and distribute the billions of doses needed .
A March Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eyal of the Center for Population-Level Bioethics at Rutgers University proposed collapsing this time frame by running small “ challenge trials ” in people alongside the Phase 3 one .
Essentially small groups of volunteers at low risk of dying of the disease , healthy 20- to 45-year-olds perhaps already in dangerous occupations , would be divided into two groups .
One group would receive a candidate vaccine and one would get a placebo shot .
They would then be exposed to increasingly large doses of the coronavirus until most of the patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t have symptoms more severe than a typical case for their age group .
“ Intense immunological monitoring ” would look for any signs of dangerous side effects seen in past SARS coronavirus vaccine tests , where a mistargeted vaccine caused “ immunopathology ” in lab mice actually made the disease more deadly .
Not only would the results point to whether a vaccine works , but they would tell researchers what amount of virus exposure is needed to trigger an infection , a still undetermined data point amid debates about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily life .
“ There are plenty of young people who want to help , ” Caplan said .
“ The key thing is that they have to be fully informed about the risk , and their consent should be managed by someone completely — completely — independent of the people running the experiment.
” The separate ethics board could tell volunteers , `` ‘ Look , we will give you a medical exemption to get out of this if you really don ’ t want to do it , ’ '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coercion or pressure to volunteer .
A “ Covid Challenge ” website noted by researchers such as Marc Lipsitch of Harvard ’ s T.H .
Chan School of Public Health has been established to enlist challenge trial volunteers .
Plotkin and Caplan ’ s study design would limit volunteers to healthy 18- to 29-year-olds , noting a 0.3 % death rate among patients that age in China , and start by first exposing people who had recovered from past infections to the virus .
That could potentially help answer questions about how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those who recover , another unknown .
Europe is also weighing whether to undertake challenge trials , Pieter Neels of Belgium ’ s University of Namur and chair of the International Alliance for Biological Standardization ’ s human vaccine committee , told BuzzFeed News .
“ The problem is that with COVID-19 , a huge knowledge is lacking , ” he said by email , unlike other diseases where challenge trials are used , like malaria , cholera , or influenza .
There are two commercial companies in Europe that would like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : hVivo in the United Kingdom and SGS in Belgium .
Not everyone in medicine thinks that deliberately infecting people with a little-understood and deadly disease with no cure is a great idea : “ Where you ’ re going to give somebody a virus on purpose , you really want to understand the disease so that you know that what you ’ re doing is a reasonable risk , ” Matthew Memoli of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told Science magazine in March .
People have died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roche , a 24-year-old lab technician at Johns Hopkins , died after volunteering for an asthma treatment experiment .
The sheer logistics of setting up an ethical challenge trial is another reason for caution , vaccine expert Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine , told BuzzFeed News .
It would require evaluating different virus doses to determine what qualifies as a minimal dose , standardizing the “ challenge ” virus and how it would be delivered , ensuring volunteers received the newest antiviral treatment , and many other considerations absent in standard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create a model for human challenge trials of a parasite vaccine .
“ While I ’ m sure these timelines can be accelerated , it still won ’ t be easy to do this very quickly , ” said Hotez , “ It doesn ’ t mean we shouldn ’ t do it , it would certainly help down the line , but I don ’ t see how it happens very fast .
”

As the world waits anywhere from 18 months to years for the first effective coronavirus vaccine, some lawmakers, scientists, and bioethicists are calling for a radical push to speed up the process — deliberately infecting volunteers with the virus.
On Tuesday, vaccine expert Stanley Plotkin of the University of Pennsylvania and bioethicist Arthur Caplan of New York University released an outline for these “challenge studies” of a coronavirus vaccine in the journal Vaccine. That followed a bipartisan group of nearly three dozen members of the House of Representatives on Monday calling on the FDA to consider such trials.
“Every week of delay in the deployment of a vaccine to the seven billion humans on Earth will cost thousands of lives,” said the letter, spearheaded by Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois, a scientist, and Rep. Donna Shalala of Florida, a former HHS chief. “In the case of accelerated human trials, justifiable risks may be taken,” they wrote, “potentially by challenge trials that involve deliberately infecting volunteers who have received candidate vaccines or placebos.”
“Normally, deliberately giving someone an infection that is potentially lethal would be unacceptable,” Caplan told BuzzFeed News. “But in extreme times, like a plague, you might look to extreme measures.”
The approach is unusual — but not unprecedented. Still, some scientists argue that it may be too drastic of a measure given the number of unknowns with the new coronavirus.
As of Wednesday, there have been more than 2.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nearly 180,000 deaths worldwide. More than 70 novel coronavirus vaccines are now in development, according to the World Health Organization. A March Journal of Infection report estimated that about 70% of the US population, more than 220 million people, would need to recover and gain some immunity to the virus or get vaccinated for the country to have “herd immunity” to future outbreaks.
Some biotech industry observers suggest that past vaccine development times could mean waiting until 2023 or 2024 for a novel coronavirus vaccine to reach enough people to blunt the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said on CBS This Morning that the agency’s expectation is a vaccine will become available in March of 2021, “but we are really trying to accelerate the efforts.” NIAID Director Anthony Fauci told BuzzFeed News in February that if everything went “perfect,” starting to distribute a vaccine widely would take at least 18 months, a delivery date more like August of 2021.
Normally, vaccines require safety studies conducted in lab animals, followed by three phases of progressively larger and longer experiments on people, first to prove the vaccines are safe and then to prove that they are effective at preventing infection. Four vaccines are currently undergoing “Phase 1” safety trials in small numbers of human volunteers, and one “Phase 2” trial involving 500 volunteers is underway in Beijing.
If the vaccines prove safe and effective in these trials, they would move on to Phase 3 trials involving thousands of volunteers studied for around six months. Those trials require giving one group of volunteers the vaccine and another group a placebo, then waiting for the months to elapse to see how many catch the disease and how many don’t, and then comparing between the two groups to figure out the efficacy of the vaccine.
If the Phase 3 trials proved successful, the vaccines would be allowed for widespread public use, but would require more time to manufacture and distribute the billions of doses needed.
A March Journal of Infectious Diseases report led by Nir Eyal of the Center for Population-Level Bioethics at Rutgers University proposed collapsing this time frame by running small “challenge trials” in people alongside the Phase 3 one. Essentially small groups of volunteers at low risk of dying of the disease, healthy 20- to 45-year-olds perhaps already in dangerous occupations, would be divided into two groups. One group would receive a candidate vaccine and one would get a placebo shot. They would then be exposed to increasingly large doses of the coronavirus until most of the patients in the placebo group were infected but didn’t have symptoms more severe than a typical case for their age group. “Intense immunological monitoring” would look for any signs of dangerous side effects seen in past SARS coronavirus vaccine tests, where a mistargeted vaccine caused “immunopathology” in lab mice and actually made the disease more deadly.
Not only would the results point to whether a vaccine works, but they would tell researchers what amount of virus exposure is needed to trigger an infection, a still undetermined data point amid debates about masks and PPE needs in hospitals and daily life.
“There are plenty of young people who want to help,” Caplan said. “The key thing is that they have to be fully informed about the risk, and their consent should be managed by someone completely — completely — independent of the people running the experiment.” The separate ethics board could tell volunteers, "‘Look, we will give you a medical exemption to get out of this if you really don’t want to do it,’" said Caplan, to eliminate the risks of coercion or pressure to volunteer.
A “Covid Challenge” website noted by researchers such as Marc Lipsitch of Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health has been established to enlist challenge trial volunteers.
Plotkin and Caplan’s study design would limit volunteers to healthy 18- to 29-year-olds, noting a 0.3% death rate among patients that age in China, and start by first exposing people who had recovered from past infections to the virus. That could potentially help answer questions about how much protection antibodies from a past infection give to those who recover, another unknown.
Europe is also weighing whether to undertake challenge trials, Pieter Neels of Belgium’s University of Namur and chair of the International Alliance for Biological Standardization’s human vaccine committee, told BuzzFeed News. “The problem is that with COVID-19, a huge knowledge is lacking,” he said by email, unlike other diseases where challenge trials are used, like malaria, cholera, or influenza. There are two commercial companies in Europe that would like to perform challenge trials, he noted: hVivo in the United Kingdom and SGS in Belgium.
Not everyone in medicine thinks that deliberately infecting people with a little-understood and deadly disease with no cure is a great idea: “Where you’re going to give somebody a virus on purpose, you really want to understand the disease so that you know that what you’re doing is a reasonable risk,” Matthew Memoli of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told Science magazine in March.
People have died in challenge experiments. In 2001, Ellen Roche, a 24-year-old lab technician at Johns Hopkins, died after volunteering for an asthma treatment experiment.
The sheer logistics of setting up an ethical challenge trial is another reason for caution, vaccine expert Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine, told BuzzFeed News. It would require evaluating different virus doses to determine what qualifies as a minimal dose, standardizing the “challenge” virus and how it would be delivered, ensuring volunteers received the newest antiviral treatment, and many other considerations absent in standard trials. His own team took years to create a model for human challenge trials of a parasite vaccine.
“While I’m sure these timelines can be accelerated, it still won’t be easy to do this very quickly,” said Hotez, “It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it, it would certainly help down the line, but I don’t see how it happens very fast.”


buzzfeednews--2020-03-28--The Coronavirus Outbreak Has Workers Who Care For The Elderly "Terrified"

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
On the days Sally is not with her , the agencies she works for deploy her across the city — a few hours with a patient in Brooklyn , a few hours with a patient in Queens , people she will likely never see again .
Most home health aides sign up with multiple agencies and take clients wherever they can get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wage .
“ We really feel under threat .
We do n't feel safe , ” said Sally , 35 , who is originally from Tajikistan and has been working as a home health aide in New York for nearly four years .
She currently has one regular patient , a woman in her nineties living in Queens who has dementia and doesn ’ t understand that she is living in the midst of a global pandemic .
Home health aides across the city , state , and country say they have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak grows exponentially each day .
Many say they have heard little to nothing from the agencies they work for , and have been given none of the basic things needed to try to keep themselves , and their at-risk patients , safe — including gloves , masks , and hand sanitizer .
Every day , they fan out across New York — hundreds of thousands of home health aides entering the houses and apartments of the city ’ s most vulnerable , people who are old , infirm , and unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is impossible for them ; how can it not be when your job is to change a person ’ s clothes , roll them on their sides , and make sure they are getting bathed and fed ?
“ Home care has been completely missing from all of the directives on the prioritization of supplies , ” said Roger Noyes , spokesperson for HCA-NYS .
“ We ’ ve been raising this appeal repeatedly through every level of government.
” There are nearly 400,000 home health and personal care aides in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75 % of them work in New York City , according to the Home Care Association of New York State ( HCA-NYS ) .
A recent survey by the group found that 68 % of agencies working in the state “ do not have access to adequate personal protective equipment in their COVID-19 response.
” They also found that nearly 50 % of all agencies reported instances where patients or family were refusing entry to home health aides over coronavirus fears .
That means aides don ’ t get paid .
And while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the ethics of continuing to pay other service providers , like nannies and cleaners , it has not really extended to home health aides , who continue to work in the dark , like so much when the elderly are involved .
“ Honestly , I feel terrified — it ’ s scary what ’ s going on around us , ” said Sally , who , like other workers who spoke to BuzzFeed News , asked not to use their full names for fear of professional repercussions .
“ I travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see my clients and , on the subway , you see fewer and fewer people like there was some sort of apocalypse.
” “ The patients need us to come , they need us to work , and they give us nothing , ” Sally said .
“ I buy everything myself — I buy gloves , I buy sanitizer.
” In the early days of the crisis , she found a set of 50 masks for $ 100 , which she bought herself , someone who makes just over $ 12 an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her daily pay on a taxi , so she can avoid taking the subway .
The agencies reimburse her for none of that , nor do they provide health insurance .
“ The directives are coming from the city , and that ’ s where the epicenter is — in the city the directives say priority supplies should be really reserved for hospitals , EMS , dialysis centers , nursing homes .
Home care is just not even in the queue .
Just to actually be mentioned in that directive , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of instances where home health aides , many of whom are immigrants and/or people of color , have been stopped on their commutes by police enforcing New York ’ s shelter-in-place order , who have not recognized their agency ID as proof that they are essential workers , even though they are listed as such .
“ Another thing we ’ re asking the local government is just to communicate out that home health care is under the governor ’ s order as an essential service , explicitly mentioned and to honor those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It falls under the invisibility of our sector in the directives that are happening in a crisis like this.
” In New York , the issue has fallen victim to the endless tussle between the city and state .
New York ’ s home health aides are “ on the front lines of our healthcare system ” and Gov .
Andrew Cuomo is “ committed to providing them with the supplies and equipment they need , ” Gary Holmes , spokesperson for the state ’ s department of health , said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care agencies are experiencing supply shortages , most urgently in New York City , but they should know help is on the way , as the Governor just announced the five boroughs will receive 169,000 N-95 masks , 430,850 surgical masks , 176,750 gloves , 72,561 gowns and 39,364 face shields , on top of the one million N95 masks the State already sent to New York City.
” While the current guidance from the CDC suggests that masks are not necessary for healthy people to avoid contracting the virus , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about whether those guidelines should change , especially for people who are still out and working closely with others .
Patrick Gallahue , a spokesperson for the city ’ s health department , said New York City ’ s health care system “ is facing a severe shortage of masks , gloves , and other key supplies that are needed to protect healthcare workers treating critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection in our hospitals ” and warned that “ local hospitals may run out of critical supplies within weeks at the current rate.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensuring the availability of protective equipment for health care workers working with patients with severe COVID-19 illness at this time , ” he said .
Home health aides , moving around the city and coming into close contact with those believed to be most vulnerable to the coronavirus , argue they are also on the front lines .
They don ’ t have it easy in the best of times , as hourly wage earners who are often provided few or no benefits to do grueling work .
In New York City , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no one else .
It can feel like solitary work , depending on the health of the patient .
And they do it all behind closed doors .
Jobina , who has worked as a home health aide in the city for nearly 14 years , said she was drawn to the job because “ the elderly need help.
” Now , she said , “ I fear for my life.
” “ How are we protected , how are we assured that we are not gon na contract [ the coronavirus ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said her agency provides gloves but no masks and little guidance beyond “ wash your hands before and after your shift.
” She lives in the Bronx , and her sole client is there — a 45-minute bus ride away that fills her with stress every time .
Some home health aides faulted their agencies for failing to recognize the impact of the virus early on .
“ They should ’ ve prepared everything earlier , ” said one woman , who works in Brooklyn and Queens and asked not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fired .
The main agency she worked with , BNV Homecare , only sent out its first guidance on March 18 , well into the crisis , announcing how employees could pick up gloves ( but not masks ) .
A second notice , sent two days later , informed employees that the main office had closed .
She has taken it upon herself to figure out how to keep herself , and her clients , safe during the crisis .
“ I wash my hands more often , disinfect all my outer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wash the floors more often than I usually do , wash my hands really often , ” she said .
“ Everyone is saying ‘ Sit home and do n't go out.
’ It seems to me in such cases they should pay for our car rides , give us gloves and masks .
There are n't masks anywhere ; there are n't enough gloves.
” BNV did not respond to a request for comment .
The issue is most acute in New York , which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 46,000 known people infected with the virus , 549 of whom have died as of Saturday morning .
But it extends around the country .
“ They do n't really look out for their caregivers in the way that I feel that they should , you know .
I feel like we 're doing as much as we can for other people , and the least that they can do is try to make things a little easier for us , ” said Zoriah , 24 , who is originally from Brooklyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where she lives with her husband and 17-month-old daughter .
As it looked like the novel coronavirus was taking hold in the US , she reached out to her manager at Americare Home Solutions , asking if the agency would provide gloves and masks .
“ She said she would get back to me , but she never did.
” The company only sent an email to its employees on March 16 , outlining the basic guidance that had already become second nature to everyone around the country : Wash your hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face .
Zoriah , who makes $ 11 an hour , said she took it to mean that the company was telling her : “ You ’ re still on your own.
” Jamie Shea , the director of Americare Home Solutions , said , “ We ’ ve had a lot of trouble , obviously , getting a lot of that stuff.
” He said the company ’ s order for masks was on backfill , and just two-thirds of their order of 150 bottles of hand sanitizer was delivered on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep up with it and make sure that our caregivers know what the risks are , ” he said .
“ All we ’ ve been doing for the last two weeks is asking for donations .
Anybody that has it , we ’ re willing to take it and use it for our clients and caregivers.
” He did not have an answer for why they did not begin to prepare sooner .
Last week , Zoriah ’ s main client died — an 87-year-old man who had respiratory issues for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and within a week he was dead .
It was the first time she had lost a patient , and she was there when it happened .
The company gave her no time to grieve .
She spoke to the agencies that employ health care workers around the country .
“ I really want them to know that their caregivers — they do everything that they can to help these clients every day .
And it makes our jobs so much easier if we had an agency that stands behind us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot easier by providing us with simple things like gloves or fake masks or hand sanitizer , for that matter , ” she said .
“ It 's a tough job , and we do n't get as much credit for it as other people do — but somebody 's got to do it .
”

“The directives are coming from the city, and that’s where the epicenter is — in the city the directives say priority supplies should be really reserved for hospitals, EMS, dialysis centers, nursing homes. Home care is just not even in the queue. Just to actually be mentioned in that directive,” he said. The group has begun hearing of instances where home health aides, many of whom are immigrants and/or people of color, have been stopped on their commutes by police enforcing New York’s shelter-in-place order, who have not recognized their agency ID as proof that they are essential workers, even though they are listed as such.
“Another thing we’re asking the local government is just to communicate out that home health care is under the governor’s order as an essential service, explicitly mentioned and to honor those credentials,” Noyes said. “It falls under the invisibility of our sector in the directives that are happening in a crisis like this.”
In New York, the issue has fallen victim to the endless tussle between the city and state. New York’s home health aides are “on the front lines of our healthcare system” and Gov. Andrew Cuomo is “committed to providing them with the supplies and equipment they need,” Gary Holmes, spokesperson for the state’s department of health, said in a statement. “We know home health care agencies are experiencing supply shortages, most urgently in New York City, but they should know help is on the way, as the Governor just announced the five boroughs will receive 169,000 N-95 masks, 430,850 surgical masks, 176,750 gloves, 72,561 gowns and 39,364 face shields, on top of the one million N95 masks the State already sent to New York City.”
While the current guidance from the CDC suggests that masks are not necessary for healthy people to avoid contracting the virus, there is now increased debate in the medical community about whether those guidelines should change, especially for people who are still out and working closely with others.
Patrick Gallahue, a spokesperson for the city’s health department, said New York City’s health care system “is facing a severe shortage of masks, gloves, and other key supplies that are needed to protect healthcare workers treating critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection in our hospitals” and warned that “local hospitals may run out of critical supplies within weeks at the current rate.”
“Therefore, we must prioritize ensuring the availability of protective equipment for health care workers working with patients with severe COVID-19 illness at this time,” he said.
Home health aides, moving around the city and coming into close contact with those believed to be most vulnerable to the coronavirus, argue they are also on the front lines.
They don’t have it easy in the best of times, as hourly wage earners who are often provided few or no benefits to do grueling work. In New York City, the people they care for often have no one else. It can feel like solitary work, depending on the health of the patient. And they do it all behind closed doors.
Jobina, who has worked as a home health aide in the city for nearly 14 years, said she was drawn to the job because “the elderly need help.” Now, she said, “I fear for my life.”
“How are we protected, how are we assured that we are not gonna contract [the coronavirus] and be fine?” she asked. She said her agency provides gloves but no masks and little guidance beyond “wash your hands before and after your shift.” She lives in the Bronx, and her sole client is there — a 45-minute bus ride away that fills her with stress every time.
Some home health aides faulted their agencies for failing to recognize the impact of the virus early on. “They should’ve prepared everything earlier,” said one woman, who works in Brooklyn and Queens and asked not to be named for fear she could be fired. The main agency she worked with, BNV Homecare, only sent out its first guidance on March 18, well into the crisis, announcing how employees could pick up gloves (but not masks). A second notice, sent two days later, informed employees that the main office had closed.
She has taken it upon herself to figure out how to keep herself, and her clients, safe during the crisis. “I wash my hands more often, disinfect all my outer clothes, disinfect every hour almost, wash the floors more often than I usually do, wash my hands really often,” she said. “Everyone is saying ‘Sit home and don't go out.’ It seems to me in such cases they should pay for our car rides, give us gloves and masks. There aren't masks anywhere; there aren't enough gloves.” BNV did not respond to a request for comment.
The issue is most acute in New York, which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus in the United States, with more than 46,000 known people infected with the virus, 549 of whom have died as of Saturday morning. But it extends around the country.
“They don't really look out for their caregivers in the way that I feel that they should, you know. I feel like we're doing as much as we can for other people, and the least that they can do is try to make things a little easier for us,” said Zoriah, 24, who is originally from Brooklyn and now works in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and 17-month-old daughter.
As it looked like the novel coronavirus was taking hold in the US, she reached out to her manager at Americare Home Solutions, asking if the agency would provide gloves and masks. “She said she would get back to me, but she never did.” The company only sent an email to its employees on March 16, outlining the basic guidance that had already become second nature to everyone around the country: Wash your hands often; don’t touch your face. Zoriah, who makes $11 an hour, said she took it to mean that the company was telling her: “You’re still on your own.”
Jamie Shea, the director of Americare Home Solutions, said, “We’ve had a lot of trouble, obviously, getting a lot of that stuff.” He said the company’s order for masks was on backfill, and just two-thirds of their order of 150 bottles of hand sanitizer was delivered on Thursday. “We are doing our best to keep up with it and make sure that our caregivers know what the risks are,” he said. “All we’ve been doing for the last two weeks is asking for donations. Anybody that has it, we’re willing to take it and use it for our clients and caregivers.” He did not have an answer for why they did not begin to prepare sooner.
Last week, Zoriah’s main client died — an 87-year-old man who had respiratory issues for years. His kidneys started shutting down, and within a week he was dead. It was the first time she had lost a patient, and she was there when it happened. The company gave her no time to grieve.
She spoke to the agencies that employ health care workers around the country. “I really want them to know that their caregivers — they do everything that they can to help these clients every day. And it makes our jobs so much easier if we had an agency that stands behind us. And that they would help make everything a lot easier by providing us with simple things like gloves or fake masks or hand sanitizer, for that matter,” she said.
“It's a tough job, and we don't get as much credit for it as other people do — but somebody's got to do it.”


buzzfeednews--2020-03-26--This Southern County Is Blocking All Visitors — Even Part-Time Residents — During The Coronavirus Pa

This Southern County Is Blocking All Visitors — Even Part-Time Residents — During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Police check cars and pedestrians at a checkpoint at the entrance to the Village of Key Biscayne , Fla. , which has enacted similar visitor rules .
The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
As some Americans flee crowded urban centers like New York City to ride out the coronavirus pandemic , rural residents have urged them to stay away .
Now , at least a few jurisdictions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
Counties in North Carolina and Florida told BuzzFeed News they will soon set up roadblocks to barricade against visitors , unless they have evidence of a home , job , or other necessity inside the county .
The standout is Dare County , North Carolina , where officials have implemented what may be the strictest ban of its type in the nation : Police have set up roadblocks to stop visitors from entering the coastal beach haven — even people who own vacation homes there .
“ We have basically two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at checkpoints , ” Dorothy Hester , a spokesperson for Dare County , told BuzzFeed News .
Officials are granting entry permits to workers , full-time residents , and those who prove a need to enter .
But she said police have been turning away anyone trying to reach the county ’ s 25,000 empty properties used as secondary vacation homes or rentals — violators can be charged with a misdemeanor .
“ With each of those owners , you bring family , extended family , ” said Hester , who noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ban .
“ We are just not set up to sustain that , especially if we were to get some type of community spread of the coronavirus.
” One case of coronavirus had been reported in Dare County , population 35,000 , as of Wednesday evening .
With tens of thousands of vacation homes dotting the county ’ s barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean , visitors can easily outnumber the year-round residents .
“ Many of our visitors come from New York and Virginia , ” said Bobby Outten , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Outer Banks Hospital — the only hospital there — has just 20 beds and no intensive care unit .
“ In the summertime , when we have several hundred thousand people , and people cut their foot on the beach or get a fish hook in them , we can handle that , ” he said .
The county ’ s southern island is a three-hour drive to Norfolk , Virginia , which can take in seriously ill patients .
“ When you talk about coronavirus spreading here , we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transfer them , ” Outten said .
Civil liberties advocates have watched travel bans related to the coronavirus cautiously , noting that the government can have legitimate reasons to restrict access during emergencies , but in general , the orders must be temporary .
“ The constitutional right to travel is really important , and turning counties into gated communities is a dangerous precedent , ” Kristi Graunke , legal director of ACLU of North Carolina , told BuzzFeed News .
“ Not that you can ’ t restrict movement in times of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conscious of the long-term ramifications.
” The coronavirus pandemic has thrust the nation into fresh legal territory : This is the most widespread infringement on civil liberties in the country ’ s modern history , with shelter-in-place orders and shutdowns affecting hundreds of millions of Americans .
And yet , the government has rarely , if ever , had such a compelling interest to do so .
Outten compared the current travel ban to emergency measures during a hurricane .
“ When things are safe , ” he said , “ you open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot different than that.
” North Carolina emergency law extends particular power for cities and counties to shut down access during crises , without the governor ’ s or legislature ’ s approval — a useful tool for localities along the often storm-battered Atlantic Coast .
A March 17 declaration banning visitors and gatherings due to the coronavirus by the Dare County Control Group , which includes county officials and mayors of six towns , cited the “ unprecedented public health threat.
” In similar thinking , the island of North Haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ strongly encourage ” visitors to steer clear .
In heavily forested Graham County , North Carolina , three checkpoints are planned for early next week , though travelers will be allowed to pass through on at least one highway and visit their vacation homes .
County Manager Rebecca Garland told BuzzFeed News the county of 8,500 can ’ t provide medical care : “ We have no hope of having a hospital .
And so far , we have not had a confirmed case of coronavirus , but we know it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few hospitals in the Florida Keys , an archipelago connected by a single highway , police will create a checkpoint there “ by Friday morning for sure , ” according to Kristen Livengood , the spokesperson for Monroe County , Florida .
Stationed near the top of Florida ’ s island chain , officers will allow entry to residents , including people who own secondary homes , and those with work — but not visitors who are simply trying to escape the densely populated cities to the north .
“ Miami-Dade County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Livengood said .
“ They have had an explosion of cases.
” She fears those travelers could usurp medical resources in Monroe County , which had 12 cases by Thursday morning .
“ So many people are not working , and their kids are not in school , so they come to the Keys to enjoy some time off , ” she said .
“ And it ’ s not safe for anyone to be traveling at this point.
” Livengood continued : “ We speak to the hospitals and urgent care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared , but we want to make sure if we have an outbreak , our residents need the hospitals — that there are enough beds , not in addition to the visitors.
” Daniel Tilley , legal director for the ACLU of Florida , said in a statement to BuzzFeed News that governments can restrict travel during an emergency , “ but they must ensure that any travel restrictions or prohibitions are no more restrictive than necessary .
Public officials must also provide adequate notice of the restrictions and provide a hearing process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such policies a fair opportunity to explain why they should not be subjected to the policy.
” New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy on Twitter this week urged residents not to head to the Jersey Shore .
And the New York Times reported that residents of some popular tourist towns are trying to stave off city folk , saying the interlopers raid store shelves and bring “ bugs .
”

As some Americans flee crowded urban centers like New York City to ride out the coronavirus pandemic, rural residents have urged them to stay away. Now, at least a few jurisdictions are enacting severe new rules to keep them out.
Counties in North Carolina and Florida told BuzzFeed News they will soon set up roadblocks to barricade against visitors, unless they have evidence of a home, job, or other necessity inside the county.
The standout is Dare County, North Carolina, where officials have implemented what may be the strictest ban of its type in the nation: Police have set up roadblocks to stop visitors from entering the coastal beach haven — even people who own vacation homes there.
“We have basically two roads leading in and have deputies stationed at checkpoints,” Dorothy Hester, a spokesperson for Dare County, told BuzzFeed News. Officials are granting entry permits to workers, full-time residents, and those who prove a need to enter. But she said police have been turning away anyone trying to reach the county’s 25,000 empty properties used as secondary vacation homes or rentals — violators can be charged with a misdemeanor.
“With each of those owners, you bring family, extended family,” said Hester, who noted that there’s no expiration date on the ban. “We are just not set up to sustain that, especially if we were to get some type of community spread of the coronavirus.”
One case of coronavirus had been reported in Dare County, population 35,000, as of Wednesday evening. With tens of thousands of vacation homes dotting the county’s barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean, visitors can easily outnumber the year-round residents.
“Many of our visitors come from New York and Virginia,” said Bobby Outten, the Dare County manager, who noted that Outer Banks Hospital — the only hospital there — has just 20 beds and no intensive care unit.
“In the summertime, when we have several hundred thousand people, and people cut their foot on the beach or get a fish hook in them, we can handle that,” he said. The county’s southern island is a three-hour drive to Norfolk, Virginia, which can take in seriously ill patients. “When you talk about coronavirus spreading here, we don’t have the capacity to treat them or transfer them,” Outten said.
Civil liberties advocates have watched travel bans related to the coronavirus cautiously, noting that the government can have legitimate reasons to restrict access during emergencies, but in general, the orders must be temporary.
“The constitutional right to travel is really important, and turning counties into gated communities is a dangerous precedent,” Kristi Graunke, legal director of ACLU of North Carolina, told BuzzFeed News. “Not that you can’t restrict movement in times of emergency, but you have to be conscious of the long-term ramifications.”
The coronavirus pandemic has thrust the nation into fresh legal territory: This is the most widespread infringement on civil liberties in the country’s modern history, with shelter-in-place orders and shutdowns affecting hundreds of millions of Americans. And yet, the government has rarely, if ever, had such a compelling interest to do so.
Outten compared the current travel ban to emergency measures during a hurricane. “When things are safe,” he said, “you open the county, and this is not a lot different than that.”
North Carolina emergency law extends particular power for cities and counties to shut down access during crises, without the governor’s or legislature’s approval — a useful tool for localities along the often storm-battered Atlantic Coast. A March 17 declaration banning visitors and gatherings due to the coronavirus by the Dare County Control Group, which includes county officials and mayors of six towns, cited the “unprecedented public health threat.”
In similar thinking, the island of North Haven, Maine, passed a resolution to “strongly encourage” visitors to steer clear.
In heavily forested Graham County, North Carolina, three checkpoints are planned for early next week, though travelers will be allowed to pass through on at least one highway and visit their vacation homes. County Manager Rebecca Garland told BuzzFeed News the county of 8,500 can’t provide medical care: “We have no hope of having a hospital. And so far, we have not had a confirmed case of coronavirus, but we know it’s coming.”.
While there are a few hospitals in the Florida Keys, an archipelago connected by a single highway, police will create a checkpoint there “by Friday morning for sure,” according to Kristen Livengood, the spokesperson for Monroe County, Florida.
Stationed near the top of Florida’s island chain, officers will allow entry to residents, including people who own secondary homes, and those with work — but not visitors who are simply trying to escape the densely populated cities to the north.
“Miami-Dade County and Broward County are above us,” Livengood said. “They have had an explosion of cases.”
She fears those travelers could usurp medical resources in Monroe County, which had 12 cases by Thursday morning. “So many people are not working, and their kids are not in school, so they come to the Keys to enjoy some time off,” she said. “And it’s not safe for anyone to be traveling at this point.”
Livengood continued: “We speak to the hospitals and urgent care, and everyone says they are adequately prepared, but we want to make sure if we have an outbreak, our residents need the hospitals — that there are enough beds, not in addition to the visitors.”
Daniel Tilley, legal director for the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement to BuzzFeed News that governments can restrict travel during an emergency, “but they must ensure that any travel restrictions or prohibitions are no more restrictive than necessary. Public officials must also provide adequate notice of the restrictions and provide a hearing process that allows individuals who are impacted by such policies a fair opportunity to explain why they should not be subjected to the policy.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Twitter this week urged residents not to head to the Jersey Shore. And the New York Times reported that residents of some popular tourist towns are trying to stave off city folk, saying the interlopers raid store shelves and bring “bugs.”


buzzfeednews--2020-03-29--A Nurse Shared A Harrowing Photo Of COVID-19 Victims To Show How Horrifying The Outbreak Is

Inside a truck at an ambulance bay outside a New York City hospital , March 29 .
The image taken by a nurse has been altered to blur the names of the deceased .
The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
The 38-year-old registered nurse at a Manhattan hospital was nearing the end of his shift Sunday morning when he stepped toward the building ’ s ambulance bay .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting , ready to carry away those who had died from complications of COVID-19 .
He walked up to the truck , opened the latch , and snapped a picture .
“ I took it to show to people , ” said the emergency room nurse .
“ It is the ghastly reality of what we deal with and where some of us have ended up already.
” He asked that neither he nor his hospital be identified for fear of repercussions .
BuzzFeed News altered the image to blur the names of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had sat with a patient and held her hand as she took her last breath .
Now , her body lay inside the truck .
“ I never had the patience to sit with somebody I ’ d just met until they took their last breath .
But I really liked this lady ’ s cardigan and pajamas so I decided to stay and get to know her a little , ” he said over text message .
“ Her hair was elegantly done with a sharp , meticulous clip and casually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her house clothes .
Perhaps if she ’ d covered her face with it instead , she wouldn ’ t have ended up here in the first place .
But she didn ’ t die alone.
” One of the many unique horrors of the coronavirus is that its victims are frequently forced to die alone , isolated from relatives and friends , because of its high infection rate .
The nurse ’ s patient was 71 and otherwise healthy .
He described how she gasped for air as she died .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week ago and was sent home , only to return on Saturday with shortness of breath .
She asked not to be intubated and died overnight .
As of Saturday night in New York City , 672 people are known to have died from COVID-19 since the coronavirus outbreak began , with well over 30,000 known to be infected .
Hospitals around the city are stretched to the limit , handling a constant influx of patients while running dangerously low on personal protective equipment like masks and gowns for doctors and nurses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If we are covid positive , we are expected to work for as long as we are asymptomatic .
However we can not get tested unless we are symptomatic , ” he said .
“ They don ’ t want to test us because , at the rates we are exposed , we are likely all sick and we don ’ t know it.
” “ We are rationed personal protective equipment to absurdity , ” the nurse said .
He said they were given “ one disposable mask and one disposable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that is expected to be used for five 12-hour shifts before they will be replaced.
” Gov .
Andrew Cuomo has pledged to deliver more supplies for doctors and nurses , and said his office was “ actively looking into ” whether CDC guidelines on their use were sufficient .
The nurse described a chaotic situation at his hospital , with ever-changing rules .
“ Everything changes from day to day at work , ” he said .
“ They are scrambling to figure out what to do as we go.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take off our masks at work .
Now we are being instructed to wear them at all times because so many of us are testing positive.
” Texting on Sunday morning , he said he had to go to sleep , because another long shift awaited him .
He couldn ’ t get the images of the truck out of his head .
“ Maybe as a Jew i relate it to all of the Holocaust footage because that ’ s my only point of reference for such an image of humans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ N ] ever seen something quite like it .
”

The 38-year-old registered nurse at a Manhattan hospital was nearing the end of his shift Sunday morning when he stepped toward the building’s ambulance bay.
There, a giant refrigerator truck was sitting, ready to carry away those who had died from complications of COVID-19. He walked up to the truck, opened the latch, and snapped a picture.
“I took it to show to people,” said the emergency room nurse. “It is the ghastly reality of what we deal with and where some of us have ended up already.” He asked that neither he nor his hospital be identified for fear of repercussions. BuzzFeed News altered the image to blur the names of the deceased.
Earlier Saturday night, he had sat with a patient and held her hand as she took her last breath. Now, her body lay inside the truck.
“I never had the patience to sit with somebody I’d just met until they took their last breath. But I really liked this lady’s cardigan and pajamas so I decided to stay and get to know her a little,” he said over text message. “Her hair was elegantly done with a sharp, meticulous clip and casually pulled up with a bandana that matched her house clothes. Perhaps if she’d covered her face with it instead, she wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place. But she didn’t die alone.”
One of the many unique horrors of the coronavirus is that its victims are frequently forced to die alone, isolated from relatives and friends, because of its high infection rate.
The nurse’s patient was 71 and otherwise healthy. He described how she gasped for air as she died. He said she had tested positive about a week ago and was sent home, only to return on Saturday with shortness of breath. She asked not to be intubated and died overnight.
As of Saturday night in New York City, 672 people are known to have died from COVID-19 since the coronavirus outbreak began, with well over 30,000 known to be infected. Hospitals around the city are stretched to the limit, handling a constant influx of patients while running dangerously low on personal protective equipment like masks and gowns for doctors and nurses.
The nurse described a horrific Catch-22. “If we are covid positive, we are expected to work for as long as we are asymptomatic. However we cannot get tested unless we are symptomatic,” he said. “They don’t want to test us because, at the rates we are exposed, we are likely all sick and we don’t know it.”
“We are rationed personal protective equipment to absurdity,” the nurse said. He said they were given “one disposable mask and one disposable gown that we must sign out for, that is expected to be used for five 12-hour shifts before they will be replaced.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has pledged to deliver more supplies for doctors and nurses, and said his office was “actively looking into” whether CDC guidelines on their use were sufficient. The nurse described a chaotic situation at his hospital, with ever-changing rules. “Everything changes from day to day at work,” he said. “They are scrambling to figure out what to do as we go.”
“A week ago we were instructed to take off our masks at work. Now we are being instructed to wear them at all times because so many of us are testing positive.”
Texting on Sunday morning, he said he had to go to sleep, because another long shift awaited him. He couldn’t get the images of the truck out of his head.
“Maybe as a Jew i relate it to all of the Holocaust footage because that’s my only point of reference for such an image of humans,” he said. “[N]ever seen something quite like it.”