Thread by @ASlavitt, COVID April 1 Update: Been a marathon night & day to report [...]

COVID April 1 Update: Been a marathon night & day to report on. We can solve the ventilator problem and save lives. Testing woes & hopes. And unfinished business from yesterday.

Coming in a few. Follow if interested. 1/

First I have unfinished business from last night. I worked on 20 things for the Federal government to do now.

Here they are. Ignore the terrible joke about the cherries in the middle. (But thanks for all the tips). 2/

Last night I went through detail on the first 10 points. You can link to them if you like. Then I got a call about how to get some vents moved around that had me up til 1:30 am (part working, part pacing, part tweeting). I will cover that in a bit. 2/ https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1245128936541040643?s=21

https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1245128936541040643?s=21

I want to cover points 11-20 next but first this... 3/

It is true that 10s of millions of N95 masks are leaving the country, that there are vents in all kinds of places they don’t need to be and that we could be making many more COVID-19 tests.

I have been clear where problems are both here and to the people who need to fix it.4/

I may have upset some people called “lawyers.”

My dad was a lawyer. He worked on the Americans With Disabilities Act. I have no problems with lawyers. But I’m more focused on people called “nurses” and “patients.” 5/

11. Create a national testing strategy
-Create enough tests for 2 for every symptomatic person
-Put all the supplies needed behind the labs which produce the quickest, most accurate tests
-Make uniquitous
-Pinprick antibody test
-Contact trace like S Korea
-One czar 6/

Doing a national radio interview while tweeting. We’ll see how good I am at multi-tasking. 7/

12. Restore the command and control structure for managing pandemics
-Start by restoring the infrastructure on readiness the Admin tore down
-Treat this like a military operations where equipment & trainee personnel must be moved
-Don’t require governors to navigate & compete 8/

A caller on the radio program is literally ranting right now about Obama and how I can’t be trusted. My attention is waning slightly. 9/

Everyone quoting this show hates China. Next caller said “I don’t want to attack Mr. Slavitt but...” and then quoted Glenn Beck as saying no one wanted to buy our Treasuries.

They pay no interest, but ok. 10/

Transparency
-The Public can handle the truth. Not a month later, but on time
- We don’t need chosen facts by the WH. We need a consistent dashboard of facts. 11/

Caller says there are mona of people out killing anyone who leaves their homes.

I respond as if she asked a different question. Or any question.

14. Create national volunteerism movement.
-Milions of young people without jobs
-People want to contribute not feel like victims
-Homebound, isolated need things
-Hospital workers need everything
-Call is to action
-Tutors
-Complement with UBI 13/

15. Address non-COVID health care needs:
-Hospitals were full before COVID
-Designate non-COVID hospitals
-Create national home based, telehealth system
-Ensure drug supply 4 chronic conditions, insulin, chemo, etc.
-Bring back & graduate health corps
-Mental health/addiction14/

16. New mental health infrastructure
-Effects of exposure to prolonged trauma severe
-Create & train new 500,000 licensed social worker corps
-Support front line health care workers, socially isolated
-Take steps for end stigma
-Free access for online group therapy & recovery 15/

17. Integrate DoD, VA, community health resources
-Severe COVID patients need added resources
-Significantly expand our health care capacity
-Bring overseas medical personnel & operations home
-Set up fever tents, thermometer & testing checkpoints
-Cross licensing & admitting 16/

Yes, I did mean to say that a woman said there are mobs of people killing anyone who leaves their homes.

17/

18. Suspend foreclosures, evictions, & bankruptcies
-Self-explanatory

18/

19. Meet the needs of the disability community
-Remember 12% of population, many already at risk & in poverty
-Paid family and medical leave
-Pay family care givers as personal care attendants
-Direct support for home & community based care
-Lift asset tests 19/

And, as I have publicly recommended, the next CMS Administrator needs to be someone living with a disability.

It is about time. 20/

Bucking up our safety net helps everyone— those with disabilities, kids, seniors, those out of work. People should be able to enroll in Medicaid retrospectively if they lose their jobs or can’t afford insurance. 21/

20. Give the National Academy of Sciences the lead
-In determining virus status/capability
-Ensure a robust pipeline of vaccines, therapies with supercomputing support
-Begin building manufacturing before vaccine is ready
-Preparing for the next epidemic

22/

There are many things that only the federal government can do well. A massive Marshall plan and call for togetherness with common facts will be necessary to defeat this.

If the federal government can’t or won’t, we must. I have been soending time on each item in this agenda.23/

I’m a lay person in many of these areas. I see many people with real expertise able to drive these forward. But a federal government with a clear, bold, actionable agenda would allow us to race instead of zigzag. 24/

I left a few things out. Voting from home. A concerted effort on the census. Many actions we don’t need the federal government for. And a bunch of things we need Congress for.

We have put out a set of recommendations to Congress. 25/ https://unitedstatesofcare.org/resources/united-states-care-covid-19-policy-agenda/

United States of Care COVID-19 Policy Agenda

We have spoken to states, policymakers, experts, providers, and citizens. From their advice, we are presenting a list of the most immediate needs we see surfacing now and what we expect to emerge in...

https://unitedstatesofcare.org/resources/united-states-care-covid-19-policy-agenda/

Every 2 weeks, @USofCare sends memos to each state summarizing best practices. They maintain a rapid response unit and a resource center. Every employee of the non-profit is full time on COVID response. Now it’s full time.26/

Here’s the most recent: https://unitedstatesofcare.org/covid-19/priorities-checklist-for-state-leaders/

COVID-19 Priorities Checklist for State Leaders

View this dynamic list of best practices being utilized by states across the country.

https://unitedstatesofcare.org/covid-19/priorities-checklist-for-state-leaders/

I spent half my day working on vents. I hate threads within threads, but if you didn’t see it last night, you may want to. 27/ https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1245211899865817089?s=21

https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1245211899865817089?s=21

Buried in this podcast is a discussion of what’s going on with surgical masks, those leaving the country and what needs to change. I think you will find it concerning and want to act on it. 28/ https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1245359008220839938?s=21

https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1245359008220839938?s=21

I will talk about testing tomorrow night as I think these run too long as is. Sadly I don’t think we will have our crap together until the Fall Coronavirus wave (which I will write about coming up. 29/

Thanks for all the positive feedback on #IntheBubble Ep 1. There was a lot to share. Hopefully I shared the right things in the right way. Feedback is welcome. It’s designed to listen with others if you look or to share. End/

You can follow @ASlavitt.

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