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Please don’t treat us as cannon-fodder

We are over 6000 frontline doctors who are pleading with @BorisJohnson to intervene to ensure all NHS staff adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) when facing the Covid-19 pandemic.

#protectthefrontline

thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/u…
Frontline doctors have been telling us for weeks that they do not feel safe at work. ICU doctors have told us have been carrying out the highest-risk procedure, putting a patient on a ventilator, with masks that expired in 2015 or even holes in.

#protectthefrontline #COVID19
Paediatricians have told us their stock of protective glasses and masks will run out in 48 hours, including in special-care baby units.

#protectthefrontline
An acute medical doctor reported the stock of masks had already run out at one trust last weekend. Frontline NHS staff told us they have resorted to buying masks and goggles from hardware stores in desperation.

#protectthefrontline
GPs have told us they feel abandoned; many have been left without any protection for weeks and do not even have simple masks to protect them if a patient comes in with symptoms of Covid-19.

#protectthefrontline
This is unacceptable. NHS staff are putting their lives on the line every day they turn up to work. Many of us will get sick. We are all too aware of the possibility that they will lose colleagues, as has happened in outbreaks around the world.

#protectthefrontline
It is therefore deeply upsetting to hear dedicated healthcare professionals say they feel like “cannon fodder”.

#protectthefrontline
NHS England has stated that the national supply of PPE has been “adequate” and any shortage is a local distribution issue. While this may be the case, it is not encouraging to see NHS England passing the buck.

#protectthefrontline
We want to see action immediately. The supply of PPE in the coming weeks must be stepped up as we see a surge in cases. If it is not, the public will be endangered and dedicated NHS staff could lose their lives.

#protectthefrontline
It is time for the prime minister @BorisJohnson to demonstrate his commitment to the NHS and protect the lives of the life-savers.

#protectthefrontline

thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/u…
Thank you to @andrewgregory who has written this article about our letter and helped us raise this crucial issue #protectthefrontline

thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/u…
Our full letter is here signed by 6300 doctors including @fgodlee @ProfNStrickland @doctor_oxford @EMManchester @sbattrawden @FFLMUK @IHPA_UK @BAPIOUK @RameshMehta15 @DrRosena @MPS_Medical @djnicholl @DancingTheMind @cgps_gp @drkimholt @DrUmeshPrabhu @drcmday
#protectthefrontline
And a huge thanks to the Sunday Times Letter Editor @stephenbleach for helping us get this letter published today and formatting 4000 signatures! thetimes.co.uk/article/letter…

#protectthefrontline
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Related threads

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Esther Choo
@choo_ek
I’ve been talking a lot about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) from the healthcare worker perspective. But think of what the lack of PPE means for a patient with #COVID19. 1/
Given the lack of PPE we are getting ingenious about distancing from patients - interviewing them in the ER thru phone calls instead of stepping in, avoiding physical exams, minimizing healthcare worker visits into rooms, minimizing family visits. 2/
(All of these are strategies we might use anyway, but are more widely and stringently used bc of the lack of PPE). The end result is that patients who present with COVID are almost immediately isolated in every way. They may not see a face except through a window for days. 3/
Read 7 tweets
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Taylor Nichols, MD
@tnicholsmd
I want to address something that seems to have been lost in discussions of "flattening the curve" that I'm not sure the public generally understands given the otherwise simplified messaging.

Flattening the curve doesn't mean "defeating the virus."'
The steepness of the curve represents the RATE of infections.

Flattening the curve means decreasing the rate of infections, but not eliminate the virus or defeat the pandemic.
If the curve represents the rate of infections, then the area under the curve represents the NUMBER of infections.

Both curves have the same area, and flattening the curve will not eliminate the infection, but spread the number of infections out over a longer period of time.
Read 22 tweets
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Mike Shellenberger
@ShellenbergerMD
Preventing millions of deaths may require 4+ waves of weeks-long social distancing for 12-18 months

Achieving well-coordinated action will require greater public trust in government

Radical transparency is the key

My latest @Quillette — please share!

quillette.com/2020/03/19/win…
The New York Times has published a COVID-19 mortality calculator, which allows readers to adjust infection rates from one to 70%, and a mortality rate from 0.1 to 3%, to estimate various forecasts of total US deaths, from 3,300 to seven million.

nytimes.com/interactive/20…
The actions we take in terms of coronavirus suppression and COVID-19 treatment will determine how many people die, and how massive of an impact our actions have on society and the economy.
Read 34 tweets
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MasksForDocs
@MasksForDocs
A quick guide to #PPE (personal protective equipment) for non-professionals. This is NOT medical advice.

PPE includes masks, face shields, hoods, respirators, gloves, etc. PPE is used to protect healthcare workers and patients from spreading and catching infectious diseases.
1/
METHODS OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION:
Different infectious diseases are transmitted in different ways:

* Direct Contact
* Indirect Contact (fomites)
* Fecal-oral Route
* Droplet Transmission
* Airborne (Aerosol) Transmission
* Vector-borne transmission (fleas, mosquitos, etc)
#PPE 2/
Methods of infectious disease transmission are NOT mutually exclusive.

Many diseases, like #SARS_COV_2, the virus causing #COVID19, spread by droplets, aerosols, indirect contact, and the fecal-oral route.

The difference between droplets & aerosols can be blurry in practice. 3/
Read 15 tweets
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#FreeMassTestingNowPH #OustDuterte
@lnah__
‼️ COVID-19 ‼️

WHERE TO DONATE?
WHO NEEDS HELP?
WHAT TO DONATE?
(A thread)

Hi! I will be putting the information/link where you can send your donations for our health workers, frontliners, local workers, and other people who are in need, under this tweet.

Thank you ✨
PAGKAIN PARA SA PINOY
Organized by @padillabela ✨

You can use your PayPal account, debit or credit card to donate.

📎 gogetfunding.com/pagkain-para-s… ImageImage
A Donation and Fundraising Campaign for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19

You can donate by purchasing “tickets” which cost 378.87 and 500.00

You can pay through credit/debit card, PayPal, GCash, and you can also donate directly via online payment.

📎 ticket2me.net/e/5678 ImageImageImageImage
Read 81 tweets
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Brad Lander
@bradlander
Doctors in NYC's hospitals, jails & shelters are calling on @NYCMayorsOffice to take far more aggressive action re #COVID19.

In the spirit of balancing the urgent need to slow the spread & support communities, @RitchieTorres & I are sharing their call:

medium.com/@bradlander/do…
As they put it, actions taken now to encourage & facilitate "enforced solidarity" will help mitigate the impact of the virus on vulnerable populations and our health system.

Their recommendations include:
-suspend classes and turn schools into community crisis centers
-stop low-level arrests
-order release for anyone in pretrial detention over 60
-postpone criminal court proceedings for those not incarcerated
-ensure medical personnel have adequate personal protective equipment.
Read 6 tweets

Trending hashtags

#OurNHS #WaitingTimes #Brexitshambles #NHS #coronavirus #COVID19 #Coronavirus #medtwitter #NHScrisis #FactsNotSpin #401solidarity #Ebola #ArronBanks #Migrants #NHSPrivatisation #frontline #stayathome #socialcare #StayHomeStaySafe #sewing #WeNeedTests #BrexitBenefit #Toryshambles #MLK #FlattenTheCurve

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