Important thread by Dr. @MKnoll_MD. I work w/ a lot of trainees & care deeply about their wellbeing, as I think they’d attest. The thing I think we’ve lost sight of is that NO HCW, regardless of age/stage/health should be seeing pts w/o proper PPE. None. Tweet 1/x #COVID19 https://twitter.com/mknoll_md/status/1247242920148729856

Tweet 2/X: I worry deeply about any case being made for why one group is more appropriate to risk. That’s an ethical minefield. Who do we favor? Attdgs (older, more likely to have health issues, more likely to die?)? Residents (vulnerable as @MKnoll_MD described,but lower risk)?

Tweet 3/X: As soon as we engage in this debate, we accept #GetMePPE as “just how it is”. That’s dangerous. No dr consented to risk of death. Drs will show up despite poor PPE. In this #COVID19 poll, of 82 actual votes, 78% come out of duty to pts & 16% out of duty to colleagues.

Tweet 4/X: If you actually have ADEQUATE PPE & rigorous #infectioncontrol, it is possible to have not only no HCW #COVID19, but no occupationally-acquired #SARSCoV2 at all. An Italian hospital proved it: https://twitter.com/tmprowell/status/1245637517728047104?s=21

Tweet 5/X: There has been an unprecedented call made by 45 medical societies of 800K MD members stating unequivocally that #COVID19 PPE is not optional & that there is to be no retribution for anyone speaking out if it is lacking.

https://twitter.com/atulgupta_md/status/1245811611719401472?s=21 https://twitter.com/atulgupta_md/status/1245811611719401472

Tweet 6/X: So everyone cheered...& then kept right on working, many of those ppl in hospitals they know are placing both staff & pts at risk w/ #GetMePPE inadequacies. It’s easy to say “what else can we do?” To this I say, the cannot function w/o HCWs during #COVID19. Period.

Tweet 7/X: You know if you see pts w/o PPE, you place yourself at high risk of infxn & you: 1) end up out of the pool of HCW x wks min (hurting drs & pts) 2) keep working (hurting pts) or 3) quit (hurting pts). If all drs threatened to walk out briefly, PPE would come. #COVID19

Tweet 8/X: If you think you do less harm by soldiering on in working conditions that you know harm you & your colleagues (w/o whom zero pt care occurs), as well as pts directly & indirectly, I respectfully disagree. Call Congress (202) 224-3121 every day. Make noise. #COVID19