LINCOLN – With terms like “targeted fitness measure,” “personal protective equipment” and “quarantine” uttered Wednesday at the state Capitol, one would think the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing.
Instead, a panel of state lawmakers asked nine health care officials to look back and see what went right and what didn’t work in Nebraska’s reaction to the pandemic, which has killed another 5,068 people in the state, according to a New York Times tally in March.
During a hearing that lasted more than 4 hours, representatives of nurses, doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and fitness and crisis reaction recounted the State’s efforts to prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease, by unloading masks and other protective equipment. , against a backdrop of fierce violence. festival and prevent an avalanche of inflamed people that will overwhelm hospitals across the state.
“The pandemic is new to all of us,” said Dr. John Trapp, president of the Nebraska Medical Association. “Every day is a challenge. “
“We were building a plane as we flew it,” said Charity Menefee, director of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ department of public fitness.
The interim study was requested by state Sen. Ben Hansen de Blair, chairman of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, who has introduced spending aimed at preventing states and businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccination.
Hansen said he called the hearing so that if “COVID 2. 0” occurred, the state would be better prepared and would have learned lessons from the pandemic, which began in early 2020 and declared an end in March through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disease Prevention.
“I know a lot of other people are tired of saying the word ‘COVID-19’ and we hope it stays in our rearview mirror,” he added. “But I also don’t need to lose everything we’ve learned if this happens again. “»
Generally speaking, those who certified said Nebraska did a smart job of reducing the spread of COVID-19, did a smart job of communicating why other people deserve to avoid crowds and wear masks, and have avoided some of the stricter lockdowns and mandates enacted in other states.
Some praised the governor at the time. Pete Ricketts for prioritizing hospital capacity, and many said allowing local government to make decisions about COVID worked better.
The pandemic has paved the way for greater use of “telemedicine” and Zoom meetings, witnesses added.
On the contrary, they said the pandemic had exacerbated the shortage of nurses and highlighted a broader lack of places, due to shortages, to transfer patients who no longer needed to be hospitalized. They said the government would possibly have acted too slowly to help the most vulnerable populations. the elderly and those who work in essential industries such as the meat industry.
“A lot of vulnerable people didn’t get what they needed,” said Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh.
Linda Hardy, a registered nurse and president of the Nebraska Nurses Association, said the number of nurses working in the state decreased 9. 5% between 2018-19 and 2020-21.
The “crisis,” she said, was due in large part to the retirement of nurses from the “bathroom boom” and burnout caused by understaffing and mandatory overtime.
“It is the duty of the nursing profession and our Nebraska legislators to provide answers to address this problem,” Hardy told the committee.
Angela Ling, who has become an “incident commander” for DHHS’s COVID response, said it was expensive to lease from Nomi Health to set up the “Test Nebraska” program — roughly $69 million across five no-bid contracts, according to the Omaha World-Herald. . ) Formation
But Ling said it allowed all Nebraskans to get COVID-free tests and set up “strike teams” that went to utilities and nursing homes to get the tests.
“Without this platform, Nebraskans would not have had the opportunity to check in and make decisions for their families when it comes to running and interacting with others,” he said.
But Ling added that it was “terrifying” not being able to locate an available bed at a more complex hospital, even after calling each and every facility in Nebraska and neighboring states, for a critically ill patient who needed to be transferred out of a hospital. Rural Hospital.
The blockade was resolved, he said, when the state established “alternative care sites” in late 2021 for patients discharged from hospitals and waiting to be placed in long-term care facilities. This has freed up beds for critically ill patients in rural areas.
Ling recommended long-term leaders to “think outside the box” to solve problems, adding that Nebraska might be the only state that has tried selective care sites.
Hansen asked each and every witness if there were any steps lawmakers could take to make the jobs of doctors and nurses less arduous. A constant reaction has been the easing of bureaucracy.
A survey conducted through the Nebraska State Board of Nursing in 2020 also found that 19% of respondents felt a higher salary was necessary.
Jeremy Nordquist of the Nebraska Hospital Association said the association’s survey indicated that 3 in 10 physical care staff members are leaving the profession.
Additionally, 41% of the state’s hospitals are operating in the red, Nordquist said, due to desired wage increases, emerging source prices and the need to hire more “travelling” nurses, nurses who charge up to $200 an hour in peak periods. – to fill vacancies.
Scottsbluff Sen. Brian Hardin said the pandemic “shifted the paradigm” of how to address communicable diseases. Instead of quarantining the sick, he said, “the healthy” were quarantined.
“Do patients go to prisoners in hospitals, in nursing homes?” the senator asked, giving the example of patients dying of COVID and being isolated from their families.
“The evidence is there. We take risks,” Hardin said.
Dr. Trapp said these are difficult decisions, but that the first duty of doctors is to “ensure the protection of our patients. “
While such separation is “not desirable,” there isn’t much protective apparatus that families can use, he said, adding that keeping other people away from an inflamed patient “absolutely” guarantees other people’s protection.
A representative for the state’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities said those services are looking at many creative tactics to keep citizens connected to their families, adding tablets, window visits and even masking family members in plastic clothing so they can hug a loved one.
Hardin also asked if the vaccines were effective.
“In my opinion, there is no doubt that the vaccines were effective,” the doctor replied. “They saved lives, millions of lives. “
Earlier, Hardin asked if some drugs were still on the “bad list,” such as ivermectin, a top drug used to treat roundworms and other parasites in horses.
Trapp said he doesn’t prescribe the drug for “off-label” purposes and that there’s no evidence it works for COVID, he said some doctors will prescribe it.
The doctor added that Lincoln’s mask mandate has allowed the state’s second-largest city to have one of the lowest COVID death rates.
Hansen cited a January report from the Cochrane Research Institute, saying it concluded, after reviewing 78 other studies, that wearing a mask was ineffective. The report said there was “uncertainty” about the mask’s effectiveness.
Cochrane has since issued a clarification, saying it is “inaccurate and misleading” to conclude that masks don’t work.
“It would be accurate to say that it was tested whether interventions to promote mask-wearing helped slow the spread of respiratory viruses, and the effects were inconclusive,” the institute said.
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by Paul Hammel, Nebraska Examiner November 1, 2023
LINCOLN – With terms like “targeted fitness measure,” “personal protective equipment” and “quarantine” uttered Wednesday at the state Capitol, one thinks the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing.
Instead, a panel of state lawmakers asked nine health care officials to look back and see what went right and what didn’t in Nebraska’s reaction to the pandemic, which has killed another 5,068 people in the state. according to a New York Times account in March.
In a hearing that lasted more than 4 hours, representatives of nurses, doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, fitness and crisis reaction recounted the State’s efforts to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease, to unload masks and other protective equipment, in a context of ferocious violence. Compete and avoid a raging brawl that overwhelms hospitals across the state.
“The pandemic is new to all of us,” said Dr. John Trapp, president of the Nebraska Medical Association. “Every day is a challenge. “
“We were building a plane as we flew it,” said Charity Menefee, director of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ department of public fitness.
The interim study was requested by state Sen. Ben Hansen de Blair, chairman of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, who has introduced spending aimed at preventing states and businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccination.
Hansen said he called the hearing so that if “COVID 2. 0” were to occur, the state would be better prepared and would have learned lessons from the pandemic, which began in early 2020 and declared its end in March through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I know a lot of other people are tired of saying the word ‘COVID-19’ and we hope it stays in our rearview mirror,” he added. “But I also don’t need to lose everything I’ve learned if it happens again. “»
Generally speaking, those who testified said Nebraska has done well in reducing the spread of COVID-19, has done a smart job of communicating why other people deserve to avoid crowds and wear masks, and has avoided some of the strictest lockdowns and mandates. followed in other states.
Some praised the then-governor. Pete Ricketts for prioritizing hospital capacity, and many said allowing local officials to make decisions about COVID worked best.
The pandemic has paved the way for greater use of “telemedicine” and Zoom meetings, witnesses added.
On the contrary, they said the pandemic had exacerbated the shortage of nurses and highlighted a broader lack of places, due to shortages, to transfer patients who no longer needed to be hospitalized. They said the government would possibly have acted too slowly to help the most vulnerable populations. the elderly and those who work in essential industries such as the meat industry.
“A lot of vulnerable people didn’t get what they needed,” said Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh.
Linda Hardy, a registered nurse and president of the Nebraska Nurses Association, said the number of nurses working in the state decreased 9. 5% between 2018-19 and 2020-21.
The “crisis,” she said, was due in large part to the retirement of nurses from the “bathroom boom” and burnout caused by understaffing and mandatory overtime.
“It is the duty of the nursing profession and our Nebraska legislators to provide answers to address this problem,” Hardy told the committee.
Angela Ling, who has become an “incident commander” for DHHS’s COVID response, said it was expensive to lease from Nomi Health to set up the “Test Nebraska” program — roughly $69 million across five no-bid contracts, according to the Omaha World-Herald. . ) Formation
But Ling said he allowed all Nebraskans to get free COVID tests and established “strike teams” that went to utilities and nursing homes to conduct testing.
“Without this platform, Nebraskans would not have had the opportunity to check in and make decisions for their families when it comes to running and interacting with others,” he said.
But Ling added that it’s “frightening” not being able to locate an available bed at a more complex hospital — even after calling every single facility in Nebraska and neighboring states — for a critically ill patient who needed to be transferred out of hospital. a rural hospital.
The blockade was resolved, he said, when the state established “alternative care sites” in late 2021 for patients discharged from hospitals and waiting to be placed in long-term care facilities. This has freed up beds for critically ill patients in rural areas.
Ling recommended long-term leaders “think outside the box” to address issues, adding that Nebraska might be the only state that has tested targeted care sites.
Hansen asked each and every witness if there were any steps lawmakers could take to make the jobs of doctors and nurses less arduous. A constant reaction has been the easing of bureaucracy.
A survey conducted through the Nebraska State Board of Nursing in 2020 also found that 19% of respondents felt a higher salary was necessary.
Jeremy Nordquist of the Nebraska Hospital Association said the association’s survey indicated that 3 in 10 physical care staff members are leaving the profession.
In addition, 41% of the state’s hospitals are operating in the red, Nordquist said, due to desired wage increases, emerging source prices and the need to hire more “itinerant” nurses — nurses who charge up to $200 an hour at peak periods. – to fill vacancies.
Scottsbluff Sen. Brian Hardin said the pandemic has “shifted the paradigm” on how to deal with communicable diseases. Instead of quarantining the sick, he said, “the healthy” were quarantined.
“Do patients go to prisoners in hospitals, in nursing homes?” the senator asked, giving the example of patients dying of COVID and being isolated from their families.
“The evidence is there. We take risks,” Hardin said.
Dr. Trapp said these are difficult decisions, but doctors’ first duty is to “ensure the protection of our patients. “
Even if that separation is “not desirable,” there’s not a lot of protective gear that families can use, he said, adding that keeping other people away from an inflamed patient “absolutely” guarantees other people’s protection.
A representative for the state’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities said those services are looking at many creative tactics to keep citizens connected to their families, adding tablets, window visits and even masking family members in plastic clothing so they can hug a loved one.
Hardin also questioned whether the vaccines were effective.
“In my opinion, there is no doubt that the vaccines were effective,” the doctor responded. “It stored lives, millions of lives. “
Earlier, Hardin asked if certain drugs were still on the “bad list,” such as ivermectin, a top drug used to treat roundworms and other parasites in horses.
Trapp said he does not prescribe the drug for “off-label” purposes and there is no evidence it works for COVID, he said some doctors will prescribe it.
The doctor added that Lincoln’s mask mandate has allowed the state’s second-largest city to have one of the lowest COVID death rates.
Hansen cited a January report from the Cochrane Research Institute, saying it concluded, after reviewing 78 other studies, that wearing a mask was ineffective. The report said there was “uncertainty” about the mask’s effectiveness.
Cochrane has since issued a clarification, saying it is “inaccurate and misleading” to conclude that masks don’t work.
“It would be accurate to say that it was tested whether interventions to promote mask-wearing helped slow the spread of respiratory viruses, and the effects were inconclusive,” the institute said.
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Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of grant-backed news bureaus and a coalition of donors as a 501c public charity(3). Nebraska Examiner maintains its editorial independence. Please contact Editor Cate Folsom if you have any questions: info@nebraskaexaminer. com. Follow the Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and Twitter.
Senior reporter Paul Hammel has been covering the government and state of Nebraska for decades. He previously ran for the Omaha World-Herald, the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha Sun, and is a member of the Omaha Press Club Hall of Fame. He jumps, homebrews, plays bass, and loves to write about the state. A native of Ralston, Nebraska, he is vice president of John G. Neihardt.
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