Bay Area nurses are mourning the death of one of their own who apparently died of COVID-19, and some fear they could be next.
Janine Paiste-Ponder worked at Summit Medical Center in Oakland for over two decades, most recently on the 6th floor. Now her family, coworkers and friends are mourning her death.
It’s not clear exactly how she got sick, but her coworkers say while they’re at work treating patients, they’re putting their own health and safety at risk and they say they aren’t given the proper personal protective equipment.
“You can’t be telling the nurses to put the N95 in the garbage that you can recycle for later use,” said Paula Lyn from the California Nurses Association.
A Sutter Health spokesperson says when nurses are caring for suspected or known COVID-19 positive patients, they are supplied with new N95 masks along with other appropriate PPE.
Nurses now worry about being exposed to the virus, worried they could be next.
