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FEMA Says at Least 7 People at the Disaster Agency Have the Coronavirus FEMA Says at Least 7 People at the Disaster Agency Have the Coronavirus
(about 2 months later)
WASHINGTON — The agency leading the nation’s coronavirus response said that seven of its employees had tested positive for the virus with another four cases pending, though in a letter to its employees’ union, it declined a request to say where they were located, prompting criticism from the union that the agency was jeopardizing public health.WASHINGTON — The agency leading the nation’s coronavirus response said that seven of its employees had tested positive for the virus with another four cases pending, though in a letter to its employees’ union, it declined a request to say where they were located, prompting criticism from the union that the agency was jeopardizing public health.
Union leaders last week had asked the agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, how many employees had tested positive, and in which offices, so that workers who might have interacted with those people could decide whether to get tested as well. On Friday, FEMA turned down that request, saying the union did not need to know, according to a copy of the agency’s letter to the union that was reviewed by The New York Times.Union leaders last week had asked the agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, how many employees had tested positive, and in which offices, so that workers who might have interacted with those people could decide whether to get tested as well. On Friday, FEMA turned down that request, saying the union did not need to know, according to a copy of the agency’s letter to the union that was reviewed by The New York Times.
In response to inquiries from The Times, the agency on Saturday said that seven employees had tested positive for the coronavirus. “Currently, FEMA has 11 total cases — seven employees have tested positive and four potential cases are pending,” Lizzie Litzow, a spokeswoman for FEMA, said in a statement. “Individuals who need to be aware of their names and locations have been made aware.”In response to inquiries from The Times, the agency on Saturday said that seven employees had tested positive for the coronavirus. “Currently, FEMA has 11 total cases — seven employees have tested positive and four potential cases are pending,” Lizzie Litzow, a spokeswoman for FEMA, said in a statement. “Individuals who need to be aware of their names and locations have been made aware.”
“FEMA has taken every precaution recommended by the C.D.C. to protect all employees,” Ms. Litzow added, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“FEMA has taken every precaution recommended by the C.D.C. to protect all employees,” Ms. Litzow added, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Steve Reaves, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 4060, which represents about 5,000 FEMA employees, said that by not sharing details about the staff infections with the union, the agency was endangering other employees as well as the safety of the people to whom the agency was currently providing aid. Over all, the agency has about 14,000 employees.Steve Reaves, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 4060, which represents about 5,000 FEMA employees, said that by not sharing details about the staff infections with the union, the agency was endangering other employees as well as the safety of the people to whom the agency was currently providing aid. Over all, the agency has about 14,000 employees.
Updated Aug. 4, 2020
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“If we’re out there handing out masks and gloves, and we’ve got Covid, then they’re contaminated,” said Mr. Reaves, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus.“If we’re out there handing out masks and gloves, and we’ve got Covid, then they’re contaminated,” said Mr. Reaves, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The concern over the health and safety of FEMA employees comes as the agency is already stretched thin by three years of major natural disasters.The concern over the health and safety of FEMA employees comes as the agency is already stretched thin by three years of major natural disasters.
As of Saturday, FEMA was responding to 54 major disasters around the country, according to agency documents. Thirteen states and territories have requested disaster assistance from FEMA for the coronavirus since Monday alone.As of Saturday, FEMA was responding to 54 major disasters around the country, according to agency documents. Thirteen states and territories have requested disaster assistance from FEMA for the coronavirus since Monday alone.
Just one-third of FEMA’s trained work force is available to be deployed, agency data show. The demand on those workers will most likely grow in the coming weeks and months: Federal scientists predicted this month that 23 states would get “major to moderate flooding” between now and the end of May. And hurricane season starts June 1.Just one-third of FEMA’s trained work force is available to be deployed, agency data show. The demand on those workers will most likely grow in the coming weeks and months: Federal scientists predicted this month that 23 states would get “major to moderate flooding” between now and the end of May. And hurricane season starts June 1.
The coronavirus has made FEMA’s job more challenging in other ways. The traditional response to disasters usually entails gathering large numbers of people together in close quarters — whether it is disaster victims in emergency shelters or relief managers in field offices — to dispense relief most efficiently.The coronavirus has made FEMA’s job more challenging in other ways. The traditional response to disasters usually entails gathering large numbers of people together in close quarters — whether it is disaster victims in emergency shelters or relief managers in field offices — to dispense relief most efficiently.
The virus, however, is forcing the agency to rethink that approach. It has urged its staff to work from home when possible, and distance themselves from their colleagues when it isn’t. FEMA has also restricted the number of disaster victims who are allowed inside its field offices at once, and has made it easier for states to shelter victims in hotels or other settings where they don’t have to be crammed together.The virus, however, is forcing the agency to rethink that approach. It has urged its staff to work from home when possible, and distance themselves from their colleagues when it isn’t. FEMA has also restricted the number of disaster victims who are allowed inside its field offices at once, and has made it easier for states to shelter victims in hotels or other settings where they don’t have to be crammed together.
But those steps only go so far.But those steps only go so far.
Mr. Reaves said he was aware of at least three people who worked with the agency and had tested positive. One is in Nashville, where the individual was helping people affected by a tornado. Another is in Atlanta, where FEMA has a regional office. Both people are self-isolating, he said.Mr. Reaves said he was aware of at least three people who worked with the agency and had tested positive. One is in Nashville, where the individual was helping people affected by a tornado. Another is in Atlanta, where FEMA has a regional office. Both people are self-isolating, he said.
The third person worked in FEMA’s Washington headquarters, and tested positive on Tuesday. The official had been working at the center the day before, when Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the administration’s federal virus task force, hosted a conference call with governors at the coordination center.The third person worked in FEMA’s Washington headquarters, and tested positive on Tuesday. The official had been working at the center the day before, when Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the administration’s federal virus task force, hosted a conference call with governors at the coordination center.
The agency said that the people leading the coronavirus task force were safe. “At no time did this individual or any others known to have contact with them come within six feet of the vice president or any other task force principal for any period of time,” Ms. Litzow said by email.The agency said that the people leading the coronavirus task force were safe. “At no time did this individual or any others known to have contact with them come within six feet of the vice president or any other task force principal for any period of time,” Ms. Litzow said by email.
Updated June 12, 2020
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
Mr. Reaves said that at least two other people who worked in the office had since told him that they were self-isolating out of concern that they were exposed.Mr. Reaves said that at least two other people who worked in the office had since told him that they were self-isolating out of concern that they were exposed.
Some FEMA officials had grown concerned over how crowded its headquarters had become since President Trump tapped the disaster agency to lead his administration’s response to the coronavirus.Some FEMA officials had grown concerned over how crowded its headquarters had become since President Trump tapped the disaster agency to lead his administration’s response to the coronavirus.
Officials from the White House aiming to manage criticism of the response to the outbreak have increasingly frequented the center in the past week. Hundreds of FEMA employees work alongside teams from the White House at the center, including one led by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser.Officials from the White House aiming to manage criticism of the response to the outbreak have increasingly frequented the center in the past week. Hundreds of FEMA employees work alongside teams from the White House at the center, including one led by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser.
One senior administration official, who asked not to be identified, said the agency was struggling to track the number of employees who had self-isolated because of coronavirus symptoms, since so many had already been directed to work from home.One senior administration official, who asked not to be identified, said the agency was struggling to track the number of employees who had self-isolated because of coronavirus symptoms, since so many had already been directed to work from home.
FEMA’s communications office did not say if any employees were self-isolating because they had symptoms. The office also did not comment on its decision to decline the union’s request to find out which offices had confirmed cases.FEMA’s communications office did not say if any employees were self-isolating because they had symptoms. The office also did not comment on its decision to decline the union’s request to find out which offices had confirmed cases.
In its letter to the union, the agency suggested that providing that information could violate employees’ privacy. At some FEMA locations, the agency said, “the number of employees is sufficiently low that affirmatively associating those locations with an employee who tested positive for Covid-19 may allow those familiar with the matter to discern the person’s identity.”In its letter to the union, the agency suggested that providing that information could violate employees’ privacy. At some FEMA locations, the agency said, “the number of employees is sufficiently low that affirmatively associating those locations with an employee who tested positive for Covid-19 may allow those familiar with the matter to discern the person’s identity.”
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