4 Ways to Help Doctors and Healthcare Workers
If ever there was a time to be thankful for the life-saving work of doctors, nurses, and all other healthcare professionals that work beside them, it’s now.
At the time of this writing, New York is still one of the states with the highest number of coronavirus cases. There is a critical shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), specifically in N95 face masks, which are needed for the safety and health of the patients, doctors, and other healthcare professionals on the front lines of this battle. Despite the shortages, these heroes are working tirelessly to save lives while potentially exposing themselves to the virus.
How can we all help?
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Stay Home. Most non-essential workers are heeding government directives to stay at home, except for emergencies or grocery runs, in an effort to “flatten the curve” before the caseload swells to levels that threaten to overcome the capacity of our healthcare system.
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Make Face Masks. Others have risen to the national rally call for more face masks by joining the Free Sewing Open Source Project They are using their time at home to sew fabric face masks for healthcare workers at their local hospitals who are facing unprecedented and critical shortages of personal protective equipment. Patterns, materials, and additional information is available here.
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Donate Spare Personal Protective Equipment. If you are an individual or a business owner in possession of face masks, plastic face shields, disposable gowns, and/or gloves that you can spare, please consider donating them to your local hospital.
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Feed Hospital Workers. Many Long Island restaurants are accepting monetary donations to help them provide hospital workers throughout Long Island with meals during their shifts. If you are interested in donating, you can find more information on Facebook groups such as Dine-LI and Long Island Coronavirus Resources. Other valuable information regarding which local restaurants in towns all over Long Island are still open for takeout meals or delivery can also be found on those sites.
The RMA Long Island IVF physicians and staff are beyond proud and grateful for the service and sacrifices of the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in our local hospitals and throughout the nation working tirelessly during this COVID-19 crisis.
We encourage everyone to stay home as much as possible, practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently, and help in any of the other suggested ways if you are able, so we can get these heroes home safely and can more quickly put COVID-19 behind us. Be safe and be well, everyone.