ONA...COVID 19 Update 03/28/2020:

Ohio Nurses Association
2 hrs ·

The governor makes several public pleas today, including to the FDA to approve Battelle’s mask sterilization machines and for companies to donate or produce PPE. Plus, there are 1,406 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio.

More summary information from the March 28, 2020 update from Governor DeWine and ODH Director, Dr. Amy Acton:

• Ohio has 1,406 confirmed cases of COVID-19 spanning 66 counties with 344 hospitalized. Of those hospitalized, 123 are in the ICU. There are 25 fatalities with an age range of 58 to 93. The total age range is less than 1 to 96 with a median age of 52.

• Senator Sherrod Brown joined through teleconference. He said there needs to be a massive coordinated effort between private and public companies to get healthcare workers the PPE they need.

• Battelle Labs is one of the great assets in Ohio. They have developed new technology to sterilize surgical masks, which is a true breakthrough. They will be able to sterilize 80,000 masks per day per machine once this is approved by the FDA. Ohio will have two machines. They also have machines ready to go for Seattle, New York and Washington D.C. The governor made a public appeal to the FDA to please approve this because there are healthcare workers who need these masks. This would significantly boost our capacity. This is a matter of life and death and we need to protect the people who are risking their lives every single day.

• Ohio is lucky to Lab Corp and Quest to do COVID-19 testing. The governor made a public appeal to get the state back the test results quickly.

• The governor recapped the Cleveland Clinic’s new projection of seeing 2-3x the bed capacity and that we will hit peak mid-May. The state divided hospitals into 8 regions and plans from these regions were submitted to the governor this morning. The governor’s team will review and get back with the hospitals for their final draft to be submitted on Monday.

• We can only get through this if the hospitals come together and have a plan, operate from the same plan and work together. The state is asking the hospitals to look at their community partners as resources. For example, using nursing home space for people who do not have COVID-19.

• The governor is asking churches to stop having in-person services.

• The governor talked about the real shortage of PPE. This is cloves, mask, goggles, gowns, face shields and other essential items to keep those on the frontline – the real heroes – safe. The governor has heard from many nurses about their fear of not having the equipment they need. Ohio received our share from the national strategic stockpile and like with other states, it was simply not enough.

• The governor is pleading with businesses who can donate or produce the following PPE to email Matt Damschroder at together@governor.ohio.gov: surgical gowns, surgical masks, gloves, N95 masks, isolation gowns, face shields, Tyvek coveralls, Thermometers, foot coverings, ventilator tubing. It takes a total of 66 pieces of PPE for one patient per day. We must conserve and have this life-saving gear. More information can be found on the state’s coronavirus website.
• Dr. Acton is asking for the community to help the elderly with yard work, getting supplies etc.

• Ohio’s PBS stations are offering educational TV for students beginning tomorrow. You can find our more on the state’s coronavirus website.

• The state is looking at re-usable ventilators and how to have more than one person on a ventilator.

• A reporter asked about the mental health stressors on healthcare workers and if the state will address this. The governor heard this, and believes one of the biggest stressors is the PPE and that is why he is making the plea for more PPE. Dr. Acton said the state is actively looking at ways to support healthcare workers. Dr. Acton expressed her deepest gratitude and acknowledges the trauma.

***There is not a press conference scheduled for tomorrow.
#COVID19OhioReady
#InThisTogetherOhio