W******i
发帖数: 2001 | 1 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/im-losing-faith-in-the-
leadership-a-doctors-story-coronavirus
I work on the infectious diseases ward of a major UK hospital. This has now
become a coronavirus ward. It’s a “red zone” – one of the most
infectious areas. We have all the patients here who have tested positive,
apart from the ones so severely ill they need intensive care. We know that
some of our patients will die.
I treat patients who are proven to have coronavirus. One week ago, I was
wearing full PPE [personal protective equipment]. That consists of a proper
FFP3 mask [offering high respiratory protection], a visor, a surgical gown,
and two pairs of gloves.
Now we’ve been told not to bother with any of that. They’ve told us “just
treat it as though it’s seasonal flu”. Now we are expected to wear just a
normal surgical mask, a pair of ordinary short gloves, and a plastic apron
that doesn’t cover all of you like a surgical gown does. I would see other
patients around the hospital in the same scrubs, and the scrubs could have
coronavirus on them.
But this advice contradicts WHO and European guidance. This guidance says to
use full PPE if you are exposed to patients with coronavirus.
I am terrified. I’m seriously considering whether I can keep working as a
doctor. I may be OK – I’m young and healthy – but I can’t bear the
thought of infecting other patients with a disease that could kill them. And
that is the risk, without proper PPE. It’s terrifying; it’s indescribable
. This is not seasonal flu. This is a new virus with greater mortality and
we know much less about it.
I cannot believe or understand why Public Health England has downgraded our
PPE advice. Why are they contradicting international advice? The evidence
that ordinary surgical masks are protective is from dealing with seasonal
flu, not this new virus. Doctors are dying in Italy and China. Young people
are dying, too.
I cannot understand what the rationale and motives are. Have they given up?
Are they just deciding to build up herd immunity by watching us die? The
government has given up, hasn’t it?
I’m losing faith in the leadership, medical as well as political. It doesn
’t look like there’s a plan. We had weeks to prepare and we are still
running out of PPE. And clearly, doctors are expendable. Why sacrifice us
when there aren’t enough of us as it is? How many of us will still be able
to work when the “right time” finally arrives? They are throwing us into
the slaughterhouse. This is what they are doing.
How can I sleep? I feel sick. They are making it impossible for me to do my
job. I’m in shock. I feel betrayed. Who is going to look after our patients
if we are ill or dead?
I cannot understand why they have stopped testing and contract tracing,
either. Hospital staff are being told we cannot be tested if our [own]
symptoms are mild. This is unbelievable. If we’re not allowed to be tested,
then how will we ever know how many other people – patients – we are
infecting? Brilliant. What a brilliant plan. |
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