There has been an inquiry here into the high rate of Covid infection in medical staff in geriatric care, in the ‘second wave’ versus the ‘first wave’. Victoria (Australia) has just quelled the ‘second wave’ with massive lockdowns, one of the few places in the world to manage it. Their inquiry looks back to see what they’ve learned. Many of us on the site might find it interesting too.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2020-12-10/how-health-care-workers-in-victoria-caught-covid/12961340
(a) There's inadequate equipment and this this is a major issue. Some were wearing garbage bags over their scrubs b/c the gowns were not available.
(b) Shifts of 12 hours were much more challenging than usual; it was harder to breathe not only in their garbage bag uniforms but with masks and N-95s. Some staffers were literally hot all day long.
(c) After the first wave, many first line staffers were furloughed, their employer paid health insurance was cancelled. They had to file for unemployment, plus pay for health insurance for themselves and their families. That compounded the stress.
I can understand why some unionized. And I'm glad, if it helps them get better working conditions. Reps of one major hospital chain in this area were moaning that they were losing money, had to make cutbacks, etc., but I never read anything about cutbacks or layoffs at the exec level. Hopefully there were some, b/c the first line workers were and are needed more than the execs, especially at that particular hospital, which has a bad reputation and history of malpractice, including one whistle blower lawsuit.
In the meantime, that hospital was benefiting from revenue through a commercial area it had developed outside the hospital. Someday I'm going to do some digging and find out how much revenue was available as well as how the development arm was related, and if any of the revenue went to hospital needs.