>>> CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS IN
NURSING HOMES AND LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES ARE ON THE RISE
AGAIN.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ANALYZED
DATA COMPILED IN 20 STATES AND
FOUND THAT NEW WEEKLY CASES
AMONG RESIDENTS ROSE NEARLY
FOUR-FOLD FROM THE END OF MAY TO
LATE OCTOBER.
AND WEEKLY CASES AMONG NURSING
HOMES STAFF COULD MORE THAN
QUADRUPLE IN THE SAME TIME
PERIOD.
THIS IS IN SPITE OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION’S PROMISE THAT IT
COULD CREATE A PROTECTIVE BUBBLE
AROUND NURSING HOMES ALLOCATING
BILLIONS AND SENDING THOUSANDS
OF RAPID TEST KITS.
THE AP IDENTIFIES AS A
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EXPERT ON
LONG-TERM CARE EXPLAINS TRYING
TO PROTECT NURSING HOME
RESIDENTS WITHOUT CONTROLLING
COMMUNITY SPREAD IS A LOSING
BATTLE.
SOMEONE HAS TO CARE FOR
VULNERABLE NURSING HOME
RESIDENTS, AND THOSE CAREGIVERS
MOVE IN AND OUT OF THE NURSING
HOME DAILY PROVIDING AN EASY
PATHWAY FOR THE VIRUS TO ENTER.
JOINING ME NOW IS DR. RYE FROM
WISCONSIN.
YOU’RE ALSO THE PRESIDENT AND
CEO OF.
.
REVIA HEALTH AND INTERNAL
MEDICINE PHYSICIAN IN WISCONSIN.
YOU’RE CURRENTLY CARING FOR
COVID-19 PATIENTS INSIDE NURSING
HOMES.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY
SPREAD AND WHY THIS ISN’T JUST
ABOUT THE CAREGIVERS GOING IN
AND BEING -- SOME PEOPLE MIGHT
THINK CARELESS WITH THEIR
PATIENTS.
IT’S -- THE STUDY FOUND IT’S NOT
THE CAREGIVERS’ FAULT IN THESE
SCENARIOS.
>> NO, IT’S REALLY NOT.
LIKE THE ARTICLE POINTED OUT,
WHEN YOU HAVE A HIGH PERCENTAGE
OF CASES IN YOUR COMMUNITY, I
LIVE IN GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN,
OUR POSITIVITY, ROLLING AVERAGE
IS 14%.
IN NEW YORK, I THINK PEOPLE GET
NERVOUS WHEN IT’S 5%.
THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH COVID IS
SPREADING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO CREATE ANY
KIND OF BUBBLE.
IT’S NOT ONLY STAFF GOING IN AND
OUT, FOOD DELIVERY, WHATEVER IT
MAY BE, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO
PURELY PROTECT NO MATTER HOW
GOOD THEY ARE ABOUT SANITIZE AND
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
EVERYBODY IN THAT BUILDING IS AT
RISK.
YOU THINK OF THE DEFINITION,
WHO’S IN THAT NURSING HOME.
ONE PERSON GETS IT, IT SPREADS
LIKE WILDFIRE.
>> I GUESS, WHAT’S THE MESSAGE
TO THE COMMUNITY?
IN ORDER TO PROTECT PARENTS AND
GRANDPARENTS, YOUR LOVED ONES IN
THESE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
>> YOU KNOW, TO TRULY PROTECT
THEM, WE NEED TO CONTROL THE
COMMUNITY SPREAD.
THERE IS NO BUBBLE HERE.
YOU CAN TEST STAFF MEMBERS AS
MUCH AS YOU WANT.
WE NEED TO CONTROL WHAT’S GOING
ON IN THE COMMUNITY TO PROTECT
OUR MOST VULNERABLE.
WE’VE SAID THAT SINCE MARCH AND
WE CONTINUE TO SAY IT TODAY.
THIS ISN’T ALWAYS ABOUT YOU.
IT’S ABOUT PROTECTING THOSE WHO
ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE AND OUR
MOST VULNERABLE HAPPEN TO LIVE
IN A NURSING HOME.
>> HOW ARE WISCONSINITES TAKING
THAT MESSAGE?
DO THEY SEE IT AS A MESSAGE
THAT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THEM, NOT
JUST ABOUT THEIR PROTECTION BY
WEARING A MASK, NOT JUST ABOUT
THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY, BUT THE
FAMILY OF THEIR NEIGHBORS OR THE
FAMILY OF A PERSON THEY’VE NEVER
MET WHO THEY MIGHT ENCOUNTER IN
A GROCERY STORE.
>> YEAH, AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT
GOES WELL BEYOND WISCONSIN.
WE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO
TRANSLATE THAT MESSAGE VERY
WELL.
WE DON’T WEAR A MASK TO PROTECT
OURSELVES.
WE WEAR IT TO PROTECT THE NEXT
PERSON WE’RE GOING TO ENCOUNTER
AND THAT PERSON IS GOING TO
ENCOUNTER SOMEBODY ELSE.
WE STAY SEPARATED AT
THANKSGIVING NOT TO PROTECT
ALWAYS OURSELVES.
WE MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE COVID-19
AND DO VERY WELL.
WE DO IT TO PROTECT OUR PARENTS
OR THEIR FRIENDS THEY MAY
INTERACT WITH.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN THIS
TOGETHER, BUT FOR IT TO WORK, WE
HAVE TO DO ALL THE RIGHT THINGS
TO PROTECT THAT POPULATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, I WOULDN’T SAY
BEHAVIOR HAS TRANSLATED VERY
WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE IN
WISCONSIN, THE SURGE IS HUGE. IT’S BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN’T DOING
IT’S BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN’T DOING
THE BASICS.
>> YOU KNOW, TONY EBBERS IS
TRYING ON GET MORE MONEY TO THE
STATE AND INSTITUTE MANDATES.
IT’S MET WITH A LOT OF
RESISTANCE FROM LOCAL LEADERS,
CERTAINLY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
IN WISCONSIN.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SEE FROM
LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE BOARD IN
WISCONSIN TO HELP DRILL THIS
MESSAGE HOME?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO DRILL THIS
MESSAGE HOME AT THIS STAGE IN
THE GAME?
>> YOU KNOW, WE CAN’T THROW IN
THE TOWEL SO IT’S NEVER TOO
LATE.
WE HAVE TO PUT POLITICS ASIDE.
I DON’T CARE WHAT SIDE OF THE
AISLE YOU’RE ON.
COME TO THE NURSING HOME, SEE
HOW SICK PEOPLE ARE, BUT YOU’LL
HAVE TO SEE THEM FROM THE
WINDOWS BECAUSE WE CAN’T LET YOU
IN GIVEN THE RATE OF SPREAD.
AND THE POLITICIANS NEED TO DO
SOMETHING.
NOT ONLY TO PROTECT THOSE IN THE
NURSING HOME, TO PROTECT OUR
HOSPITALS FROM BEING
OVERWHELMED.
IT’S HARD TO EVEN FIND A BED IN
THIS TOWN RIGHT NOW.
IT’S AN HOUR-BY-HOUR SITUATION.
OUR STAFF IS GETTING SICK, OUR
PATIENTS ARE GETTING SICK.
WE NEED ACTION AND WE NEED
COOPERATION.
THIS IS -- YOU KNOW, WE ARE --
IN GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN, IT’S
ALL ABOUT TEAMWORK HERE AND WE
NEED TO DISPLAY THAT.
>> DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US.
WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR TIME
AND YOUR MESSAGE THAT IT’S NOT