Red zone A and E

[Dorual]

Do you think A snd E staff Covid zone are all going to inevitably get Covid at some point? Despite their papery concertina masks?

I've read into it more since I asked this question. It seems the surgical masks are actually pretty good because they catch your droplets, protecting those around you. So in theory there's little chance of transmission from staff member to patient or vice versa as long as both wearing masks. Hope that's correct!

Some red zones are wearing FFP3s.

Ours didn't. Just surgical masks. No eye protection.

There were tests done in ED staff in a Welsh hospital and 30% were positive.

Most hospital doctors I know are expecting to get it at some point.

Scary. Maybe I do have something to worry about then :( (I spent 4 hrs in covid unit, had bloods, xray and ECG).

TBH the only doctors I know personally with confirmed Covid are GPs.

I wouldn't worry Dorual. I think a lot of staff will have had it already. Were you diagnosed with something else after your time in the Red zone?

No. But I had chest pain. And due to a lingering cough, more throat clearing, had to be seen in red zone.

I worry more about the staff passing it onto me than patients, seeing as I was kept quite isolated. But the had to cannulate me, examine me and ECG so we're quite close

I think the surgical masks provide good protection for others against catching it from the wearer. Also asymptomatic carriage is possibly not as high as was once thought.

I have been exposed several times at work - looking back a couple of patients in Feb almost certainly had it and were febrile and coughing. I developed no symptoms after seeing either of them without a mask - complete with throat examination, extensive auscultation and at least one coughing ++ while being examined.

I may have picked it up from my husband who works in an office with returned travellers though - apparently office work is quite high risk for catching it. Wasn't tested as it was at the start of March but his symptoms were pretty typical. Mine were mild. So the settings you worry about are not necessarily the concerning ones.

Unfortunately we are now very used to the 14 day countdown as frontline workers.

Hope you are okay.

If they are working in the red zone they should be wearing eye protection. Surgical masks are deemed as fine as long as there are no aerosol generating procedures being carried out.

Oh just saw that you were worried about staff passing it on to you. The surgical masks should be adequate protection.

Thank you @EffieIsATrinket that is quite reassuring. I'm bound to be worried for this 14 day countdown. Stressful times. I don't know how you do it. I saw lots of nurses all talking together by the nurses station. Aren't they worried about transmission? Or do they just really trust their surgical masks to prevent spread?

Thanks @darceybusselllovesbrussells too. None of them were wearing eye protection. Just the surgical masks, gloves and an apron.