How can we take care of them?
According to a recent study of hospitalized patients by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nurses, in particular, have been at substantial risk of contracting Covid-19 among health care staff. According to the researchers, about 6 percent of adults hospitalized from March to September were health care staff, with more than a third being either nurses or nursing assistants. Of those hospitalised staff, nearly a fifth, or 27 percent, were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 4 percent died during their hospital stay.
The researchers said that health care workers “can have severe Covid-19-associated disease, highlighting the need for continued prevention and control of infection in health care settings as well as community mitigation efforts to reduce transmission.” Front-line medical workers have complained of shortages of personal protective equipment since the beginning of the pandemic. For a while, some of the shortages have decreased, but resources have become strained.
Health care staff should be screened more regularly in order to identify and separate them so that the infection does not spread, and that protective gear stocks remain uneven, with some facilities unable to plan for a rise in cases. While more steps can be taken by staff and treatments have improved in recent months, the study demonstrated how vulnerable many people are due to existing health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure. The study found that nearly three-quarters of those hospitalized were obese, a high-risk category for death.
The majority had cared for patients directly, whether in a hospital, home or school setting. Whether the individuals contracted the virus at work or in the community could not be determined, but the research highlighted the possible risk posed by nurses serving as front-line staff because of their regular and near patient interaction, resulting in prolonged cumulative period of exposure.
Regular screening for non-communicable diseases(NCDs) and COVID-19 risk will go a long way in reducing the elevated risk for healthcare staff who are under undue risk given the current scenario. VinCense platform IoMT, mobility, cloud and analytics is the apt tech based solution for managing the health risks of these key human resources in a data-driven manner.
Watch VinCense in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYpSPgyMBLQ&t=1s
VinCense Digital Health Screening Platform (DHSP): We have incorporated Bluetooth enabled BP monitor, Glucometer and Weighing Scales and 12 lead Portable ECG units. 8 parameters can be measured in just 4 min making mass screening for NCDs affordable and efficient. Live data dashboards and NCD risk stratification analytics makes NCD management extremely simple. Moreover the same platform can be used for determining COVID-19 risk, capturing the key vitals with clinical grade accuracy in just 10 seconds making it easy to screen 60 to 90 people every hour (includes disinfection and data entry times). With this, early intervention is made possible – saving lives and livelihoods. The least we could do for the nurses who are risking their lives day in and day out.