Should Hospitals Practice Better Social Distancing?

Jeffrey A. SingerFederal and state officials are taking steps to effectuate a more efficient and flexible response to the coronavirus epidemic by removing regulatory obstacles to the free movement of drugs, tests, and health care practitioners. Federal and state regulations are even beinglifted on truck drivers and rail operators, to ease the transport of groceries, and other essential goods.These steps all make sense. And, as I have writtenhere, removing the barriers to the movement of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals that result from state occupational licensing laws is a smart way to facilitate the movement of medical personnel to areas of need.As a health care practitioner who sees surgical patients in the hospital and in my medical office, I worry along with my colleagues about contracting COVID-19 in the workplace. One major hospital in which I practice already has three coronavirus patients in its 45 ‐​bed intensive care unit and another nine in an isolation unit. Doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff are exposed every day to the threat of infection. If medical personnel fall victim to the virus they are taken out of the health care work force at a crucial time.When coronavirus patients are admitted to all general hospitals, the risk of infecting other patients as well as hospital personnel is a serious concern. This was a big problem encountered by hospitals in Wuhan, China, site of the initial o...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs