YNHH: COVID-19 Supplies Prioritized

On Wednesday morning, a Hamden neighbor named Carmella took her husband to a medical test within the Yale New Haven Health system and found, to her surprise, that the tester was not wearing a mask.

“They were within a foot of my husband’s face. I’m a scientist, and that doesn’t seem like best practice,” Carmella said.

Carmella was one of 15 listeners – identified only by their first names and locations – able to ask questions during a telephone town hall conducted Wednesday evening by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro.

Like most of the questioners, Carmella wanted to hear from the health professional on the line, Richard Martinello, who directs infection prevention for the Yale New Haven Hospital.

Martinello explained that YNHH is starting to prioritize its masks, per Center for Disease Control guidance, as the hospital system anticipates a spike in new COVID-19 cases that could overwhelm its resources.

“What we’ve guided our staff to do is to really carefully screen patients for the possibility of COVID when they come to our sites. I’m hoping they asked some questions to your husband,” Martinello said.

If a patient does not have any of the symptoms associated with the novel coronavirus, and has not had contact with someone diagnosed with the disease, YNHH does not want its staff to wear masks.

“The demand on both the masks and the respirators that we use to protect our staff has been enormous. Our supply is quite limited. We expect that COVID will be with us for at least the next few months and perhaps much longer than that. It’s not clear when the manufacturers will have more available to us,” Martinello said.

COVID-19 sample collectors are in a similar situation, Martinello said: available and prioritized for those with severe symptoms.

YNHH set up a drive-thru specimen collection center on Long Wharf this week. At the center, those with doctor’s orders and appointments can check whether they have any of a variety of respiratory viruses.

Some of those with symptoms and those in contact with someone with coronavirus have reported being turned away.

“The best reason to get tested is that you have symptoms – an acute onset of fever, cough, shortness of breath, body aches – and it’s getting worse over time,” Martinello said.

The test helps determine whether someone with acute symptoms needs to isolate themselves, he said. For those simply exposed to the virus but not experiencing symptoms, the test cannot predict whether they will become infected in a few days or a week.

That said, Martinello assured listeners that YNHH is working hard to run more tests and make them more available.

Martinello dispensed advice to the questioners for a variety of other situations:

• Will YNHH be available for a family member to deliver her baby in three weeks? Yes, YNHH plans to keep everything normal for pregnant mothers and is working on making sure staff have the protective equipment they need for deliveries.
• How does a healthcare worker keep their home and their family safe? Use hand sanitizer immediately after leaving your job. Wash your hands when you get home and then change into fresh clothes.
• If someone in the household contracts COVID-19, how can the rest of the family stay safe? Try to stay six feet away from the sick person. Wash your hands often. Sleep in separate bedrooms and use separate bathrooms if possible.

The phone call took place as President Donald Trump signed a bill that DeLauro supported into law. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act ensures that the COVID-19 tests are free to all patients and increases paid sick leave for many workers who currently do not have any.

DeLauro said that before the bill, tests would have cost uninsured patients $1,300 each. The bill also provides paid sick leave to the self-employed, she reassured an independent hair stylist in East Haven.

DeLauro said that the goal of the town hall was to get as much accurate information out as possible about COVID-19 and the resources available to combat it.

“This is not about alarming people. I feel that my obligation is to get you all the information you need so we can weather this storm together,” she said.