U.S. workers without protective gear assisted coronavirus evacuees, HHS whistleblower says
Source: Washington Post
Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services sent more than a dozen workers to receive the first Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, without proper training for infection control or appropriate protective gear, according to a whistleblower complaint.
The workers did not show symptoms of infection and were not tested for the virus, according to lawyers for the whistleblower, who is a senior HHS official based in Washington who oversees workers at the Administration for Children and Families, a unit within HHS.
The whistleblower is seeking federal protection because she alleges she was unfairly and improperly reassigned after raising concerns about the safety of these workers to HHS officials, including those within the office of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. She was told Feb. 19 that if she does not accept the new position in 15 days, which is March 5, she would be terminated.
The whistleblower has decades of experience in the field, received two HHS department awards from Azar last year, and has received the highest performance evaluations, her lawyers said.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/27/us-workers-without-protective-gear-assisted-coronavirus-evacuees-hhs-whistleblower-says/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
LiberalArkie
(15,729 posts)rzemanfl
(29,570 posts)Last edited Thu Feb 27, 2020, 06:10 PM - Edit history (1)
MontanaMama
(23,337 posts)How embarrassing.
iluvtennis
(19,876 posts)dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)mahatmakanejeeves
(57,621 posts)SunSeeker
(51,726 posts)SunSeeker
(51,726 posts)There is no doubt in my mind others in Northern California were infected. That woman can't be the only one.
turbinetree
(24,720 posts)SunSeeker
(51,726 posts)We simple were not ready for this.
Warpy
(111,359 posts)People apparently start shedding virus before they show any symptoms. Some might not show symptoms at all, or blow them off as something else.
nitpicker
(7,153 posts)Warpy
(111,359 posts)If this is spreading the way I think it is, it could have been on money or anything else an exposed person who isn't feverish but has a little tickle in his throat could have touched. Apparently people who aren't yet showing the full symptoms are contagious.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)MyOwnPeace
(16,940 posts)We'll know who that whistleblower is in no time - and then we'll find out who is a real American!