A prominent group of academics is pressing the Biden administration to move faster and take stronger action to protect high-risk workers from airborne exposure to the coronavirus, urging enforceable standards to help safeguard risky workplaces including health care, food processing and prisons. The researchers say that even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]
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South Africa’s health care workers eager for first vaccines
After testing thousands of people for coronavirus, South African nurse Asnath Masango says she can’t wait to get vaccinated. “So many people, I test them and within days they have passed away,” said Masango. “I want protection.” C.J. Umunnakwe, a virologist running a lab that has performed more than 40,000 virus tests, says he “wholeheartedly […]
Community Health Workers, Often Overlooked, Bring Trust to the Pandemic Fight
For 11 months, Cheryl Garfield, a community health worker in West Philadelphia, has been a navigator of pandemic loss and hardship. She makes calls to people who are isolated in their homes, people who are sick and afraid and people who can’t afford their rent or can’t get an appointment with a doctor. The conversations […]
Hospitals scramble to prioritize which workers are first for COVID-19 shots
If there’s such a thing as a date with destiny, it’s marked on Dr. Taison Bell’s calendar. At noon Tuesday, Bell, a critical care physician, is scheduled to be one of the first health care workers at the University of Virginia Health System to roll up his sleeve for a shot to ward off the […]
Customer behavior is driving pandemic distress for grocery store workers, report finds
Holiday shopping season is ramping up while COVID-19 cases are rising nationwide, presenting increased risk for essential retail workers—not just physically but mentally. A new report by University of Arizona researchers finds that 20% of Arizona grocery store workers surveyed have experienced severe levels of mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the major […]
24.4 percent of UK health care workers positive for SARS-CoV-2
(HealthDay)—The overall prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies is 24.4 percent in a cohort of asymptomatic health care workers, according to a study published online Sept. 11 in Thorax. Adrian Shields, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., from the University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted […]
PPE unmasked: why health-care workers in Australia are inadequately protected against coronavirus
In Victoria, more than 1,100 health-care workers have now been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Some 11% of active cases are workers in the health-care sector. Health-care workers are reported to be among those fighting for life in Victorian intensive care units. While we don’t know what proportion of the Victorian health-care […]
Bill Introduced to Protect Farm Animals, Food Workers and Consumers During COVID-19
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA continues to put animals, workers and consumers at greater risk by allowing slaughterhouses to speed up slaughter lines. Faster line speeds mean more suffering for animals and heightened safety risks for food workers and our food supply. U.S. Reps. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and […]
Food Companies Helping Farm Animals and Frontline Workers
Amid the stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be hard to know how to effectively support the causes we care about. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to help from home—including by thanking and supporting businesses that are actively contributing to the effort to fight COVID-19. We are proud […]
Reopening could require thousands more public health workers
Before Washington state lifts its stay-at-home order, public health workers in Seattle’s King County want to be ready to douse any new sparks of infection. That task, they say, requires at least 20 more investigators to call people who test positive for the coronavirus, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine. Without the […]