Healthcare Workers and COVID

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Anchor lead: What can we do about the rate of COVID-19 among healthcare workers? Elizabeth Tracey reports

CDC data on Sars-CoV2 infection among healthcare workers is sobering, with many thousands either sick or quarantined so unable to provide care. And since a large swath of both physicians and nurses are over 60 years of age and many more are being asked to come out of retirement, this is even more concerning since this population is at high risk for infection. Patricia Davidson, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, says targeted refreshers may help.

Davidson: When we talk about taking on and off a gown, N95 masks, much of this is adopting a specialized technique. Probably the majority of the healthcare workforce, knowledge and understanding and teaching of donning and doffing and other infection control principles go back to the time they were in medical school or nursing school. It’s not just putting on the gown, taking off the gown can represent just as much risk as being in the room with an infected patient.  :30

At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.