From the Washington Post:
Brown-Richardson is one of more than a dozen nurses in New York, the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak, who detailed their experiences on the front lines in affidavits corroborating three lawsuits filed Monday against the state health department and two area hospitals. The complaints, which were lodged by New York’s largest nurses union, allege that inadequate protective equipment, among other failures, contributed to “compromising the health and safety of the nurses,” according to a news release from the union.
Several nurses alleged that they were told to use one N95 mask per week, and were given paper bags in which to store their masks and no sanitation instructions, according to court documents. Others, like Brown-Richardson, say they were not provided with certain protective equipment despite numerous requests.
“We were instructed that we could only wear a surgical mask, which is not adequate protection against COVID-19, if the patient presented with a cough,” Brown-Richardson wrote in her affidavit. “Otherwise we were prohibited from wearing a surgical mask because management believed that doing so could alarm patients.”
Meanwhile, [union president] Burger said the ability to bring change lies in the hands of the Trump administration and Congress. In addition to seeking federal funding, National Nurses United is calling on President Trump to use the Defense Production Act to produce supplies such as protective gear and testing kits, according to the news release. In recent weeks, Trump has used the act to increase the production of ventilators and other medical equipment, The Post reported.
“Every time I talk to nurses it’s like they have never felt so disrespected and ignored,” she said. “They give firemen what they need to go into a burning building. They give policemen bulletproof vests and guns and tasers and tear gas. What do we get? A bandanna or a scarf.”
I get the narrative that this is Trump’s fault, but that’s not how it works in court.
There is going to be a discovery phase and a court will have to address things like Obama’s mask drawdown during H1N1, the lack of preparation by governors, and how manufacturing works. Trump did invoke the DPA but that doesn’t make masks available tomorrow. Production ramp-ups and distribution takes times.
We are going to learn a lot and I have a feeling most fingers will point to state and local officials, most of whom are Democrats.
I don’t think this lawsuit will come to the conclusion these nurses had when they filed it.
Discovery will be fun.