Coronavirus Update

Significant changes have occurred this week as the number of cases in the USA and globally continues to rise.  On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic.  Also, on Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released interim recommendations for personal protective equipment that includes a recommendation for areas where there is a shortage of N95 masks (a medical face mask can provide appropriate protection during patient care). In response, ANA's official statement called on the CDC to provide a more definitive statement about the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) so that nurses can be confident in this guidance that a medical mask, along with the other required droplet Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), is appropriate to provide patient care for known COVID-19 cases.  To read more, click here.