Only 15 percent of health workers feel “ready” to fight Covid-19

A study by think tank Fundação Getulio Vargas among 1,500 professionals of public health units shows that 65 percent of frontline workers don’t feel “ready” to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The data shows that these workers, so pivotal to fighting the coronavirus, are in a state of extreme vulnerability. There is a lack of personal protective equipment, information, and government support,” says researcher Gabriela Lotta, who headed the study. Insecurity is higher among community health workers — among which only 20 percent have received sufficient PPE. “The lack of proper equipment — and training on how to use it correctly — not only makes them more exposed to an infection but also enhances patients’ hostility towards these men and women,” says Ms. Lotta.

Brazil has already recorded at least 137 coronavirus deaths among nurses — more than any other country.

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