What it’s like working in Philly hospitals now | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, Medicaid enrollment soars as Pa. and N.J. workers lose jobs
TL;DR: My colleague Wendy Ruderman spent five days shadowing nurses and doctors at three local hospitals, and found that nearly a year into the pandemic, the region’s ER doctors and nurses are beginning to feel optimistic. Read their stories here. Also, my colleague Sarah Gantz reports how unprecedented unemployment from the pandemic has caused Medicaid enrollment to soar.
— Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
🍽️ Philadelphia will allow restaurants to expand their indoor dining offerings to 50% of capacity if they meet new ventilation requirements. But critics are calling the plan “unclear” and “unenforceable.”
🏈 The NFL offered stadiums as vaccination sites, but Philadelphia health officials are not eager to use Lincoln Financial Field. Today, several Philadelphia City Council members and other community leaders called on Mayor Jim Kenney to reconsider and open mass vaccination sites at the stadiums.
🦠 Montgomery County has identified four confirmed cases of a highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom, officials announced Wednesday, the latest known local cases. At least two students at the University of Pennsylvania have also tested positive for the variant, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported.
🏠 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is quarantining at home after a family member tested positive for the coronavirus, his spokesperson said.
😷 U.S. government researchers found that two masks are better than one in slowing coronavirus spread, but health officials stopped short of recommending that everyone double up.
🏥 Wondering where you can get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area? Use our lookup tool.
📰 What’s going on in your county or neighborhood? We organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties and Philly neighborhoods mentioned in the stories to make it easier for you to find the info you care about.
Local coronavirus cases
📈The coronavirus has swept across the Philadelphia region and cases continue to mount. The Inquirer and Spotlight PA are compiling geographic data on tests conducted, cases confirmed, and deaths caused by the virus. Track the spread here.
My colleague Wendy Ruderman spent five days last month shadowing nurses and doctors at three local hospitals — Roxborough in Philadelphia, Suburban in Montgomery County, and Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol. Though the first months of the pandemic were full of ghosts, she found how nearly a year later, the region’s emergency room doctors and nurses are beginning to feel optimistic. Read their stories here.
The economic ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic has caused unprecedented unemployment and thousands have lost job-based health care coverage because of it. Now, Medicaid enrollment among adults has soared: New Jersey’s adult enrollment was up 27% in January compared to this time last year, and up 13% among Pennsylvania adults in December compared to the same month last year. At the same time, a new survey shows Pennsylvania residents are more worried than ever about health care costs.
Helpful resources
These 8 principles of social distancing can help you figure out what you can and can’t do.
If you’ve hit a COVID-19 wall, here are ways to cope.
The coronavirus is mainly transmitted through the air. Here’s how to tell if your ventilation is OK.
How does the virus affect your entire body?
Here’s what to know about traveling safely during the pandemic.
You got this: Go sledding!
My colleague Nick Vadala rounded up a some great options for sledding in Philly, the Pennsylvania suburbs, and New Jersey. Check out the list here.
💻 Working from home can be a pain in the back and neck. Here’s how to create an ergonomic workspace.
😷 Philly residents have to go online to sign up for the coronavirus vaccine. But what about people who can’t?
📁 Do I hate my job? A Penn psychologist explains how working from home has changed our perspective.
Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter.
What we’re paying attention to
From the Atlantic: “Hygiene Theater Is Still a Huge Waste of Time.”
Cloud computing company Salesforce is the latest Silicon Valley tech giant to announce employees can decide if they ever want to return to the office. The company declared the “9-to-5 workday is dead,” the Verge reports.
More than 150 people, most students, tested positive for the coronavirus at the University of California Berkeley, prompting an outdoor exercise ban, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Enjoy getting our journalism through email? You can also sign up for The Inquirer Morning Newsletter to get the latest news, features, investigations and more sent straight to your inbox each morning Sunday-Friday. Sign up here.