I am a former resident of Rockford, Illinois, which is not far from where you have your medical practice. About 40 years ago, I was trained as a Nurses Aide in one of the Rockford, Illinois hospitals. I actually have worked in two of them as a Nurses Aide, Unit Secretary, and I worked on many floors including a general healthcare floor, in the OR (Operating Room) as an OR Tech, in the ER (Emergency Room Tech), where I was responsible for admissions. At the ER I worked at, it was a trauma center. My desk was right below the radio for incoming ambulances and helicopters.
I learned to work in both Isolation and Reverse Isolation situations.
I later worked at another Illinois Hospital where I worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
I am sure I do not need to tell you how important it was to use the proper care - handwashing elbows to fingers, under the nails, back then, if I recall correctly, with Betadine Scrub brushes. In the NICU, I would change out of the uniform that I came in to the hospital in a dressing room outside of the NICU. I was given clean scrubs to wear when I worked in that environment. If I had to leave to go anywhere else in the hospital, I wore a surgical gown over those scrubs. And again, when I reentered, that hand washing I believe was a 5 minute scrub.
I later moved to California where I also worked in hospitals. My goal was to become an RN. I later earned a BS in Health Education. I started my MPH, but I was unable to finish it for a number of reasons.
I am now a Public Health Advocate - I advocate for healthcare for free in my community. I comment on hazardous waste sites, and other things of concern that I consider a public health risk.
Please understand that at that time, people were being told to use bandanas and home made masks which we now realize did very little to stop the virus from penetrating them.
I was an early proponent of respirators with valves. I believe that they still have their place in healthcare if the employee is confident that they are not carrying COVID - 19 or another virus that could escape the valve. I wear them at times because it is easier to breathe with them on. In a healthcare setting such as a doctor's office, I will put a second mask over that one with the valve.
The public as you know were unable to access N95s in the beginning of the pandemic which is why I supported the R95s and P95s with valves. Later I would get what I believed to be good quality KN95s.
Today, I am one of those people that fall into the category of the most vulnerable. I appreciate your stance on this issue.
I also wrote this article early in the pandemic: "Don’t Make the Same Mistake I Did: Use a Barrier!":
I would be interested if you read my article, and if you read the first comment on it, by a physician, what your comments are regarding the transmission of COVID - 19 from contact.
At the time that I wrote this article, one of my physicians also told me that he cleaned his food when he brought it home from the store just as I do today. I did that because of research related to how long COVID - 19 could last on surfaces.
Thank you for being an Advocate for all of us! Respectfully, Chris Rowe
This is the way.
Dear Dr. Sundling,
I am a former resident of Rockford, Illinois, which is not far from where you have your medical practice. About 40 years ago, I was trained as a Nurses Aide in one of the Rockford, Illinois hospitals. I actually have worked in two of them as a Nurses Aide, Unit Secretary, and I worked on many floors including a general healthcare floor, in the OR (Operating Room) as an OR Tech, in the ER (Emergency Room Tech), where I was responsible for admissions. At the ER I worked at, it was a trauma center. My desk was right below the radio for incoming ambulances and helicopters.
I learned to work in both Isolation and Reverse Isolation situations.
I later worked at another Illinois Hospital where I worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
I am sure I do not need to tell you how important it was to use the proper care - handwashing elbows to fingers, under the nails, back then, if I recall correctly, with Betadine Scrub brushes. In the NICU, I would change out of the uniform that I came in to the hospital in a dressing room outside of the NICU. I was given clean scrubs to wear when I worked in that environment. If I had to leave to go anywhere else in the hospital, I wore a surgical gown over those scrubs. And again, when I reentered, that hand washing I believe was a 5 minute scrub.
I later moved to California where I also worked in hospitals. My goal was to become an RN. I later earned a BS in Health Education. I started my MPH, but I was unable to finish it for a number of reasons.
I am now a Public Health Advocate - I advocate for healthcare for free in my community. I comment on hazardous waste sites, and other things of concern that I consider a public health risk.
I wrote this article for CityWatchLA in March 2020: "The Mask Debate in the Time of Coronavirus – Will Masks Give us a False Sense of Security?": https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/cw/los-angeles/19577-the-mask-debate-in-the-time-of-coronavirus-will-masks-give-us-a-false-sense-of-security
Please understand that at that time, people were being told to use bandanas and home made masks which we now realize did very little to stop the virus from penetrating them.
I was an early proponent of respirators with valves. I believe that they still have their place in healthcare if the employee is confident that they are not carrying COVID - 19 or another virus that could escape the valve. I wear them at times because it is easier to breathe with them on. In a healthcare setting such as a doctor's office, I will put a second mask over that one with the valve.
The public as you know were unable to access N95s in the beginning of the pandemic which is why I supported the R95s and P95s with valves. Later I would get what I believed to be good quality KN95s.
Today, I am one of those people that fall into the category of the most vulnerable. I appreciate your stance on this issue.
I also wrote this article early in the pandemic: "Don’t Make the Same Mistake I Did: Use a Barrier!":
https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/cw/los-angeles/19470-don-t-make-the-same-mistake-i-did-use-a-barrier
I would be interested if you read my article, and if you read the first comment on it, by a physician, what your comments are regarding the transmission of COVID - 19 from contact.
At the time that I wrote this article, one of my physicians also told me that he cleaned his food when he brought it home from the store just as I do today. I did that because of research related to how long COVID - 19 could last on surfaces.
Thank you for being an Advocate for all of us! Respectfully, Chris Rowe