Anonymous #1 3w

I keep seeing mention that what ended her life was an infection and that she was in the hospital, but I frankly find it kind of alarming that these articles all seem deliberately vague on whether or not this was an infection she acquired from the hospital environment itself? because if so, the facility needs to be held accountable

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Anonymous #1 3w

Unfortunately for many immunocompromised people, it’s virus season. And Hospital acquired infections are easy to come by, especially if you spend a ton of time in hospitals. I highly doubt the hospital THE Alice Wong was going to was doing anything shady or grossly wrong but it’s still alarming that it’s the reality of disabled people everywhere.

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Anonymous OP 3w

I know, I’m dependent on immunosuppressive meds myself. I realize hospital-acquired infections are common, but there’s existing documentation that Wong was mistreated in multiple ways at UCSF hospital (the same one where she passed) as recently as last year, including lack of bare minimum infection control practices—a public complaint was filed on her behalf. not here to assume, but the fact remains that there’s reason to mistrust hospital staff standards

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Anonymous #1 3w

Gosh I just saw that. That’s awful. Such a major breach of trust from such a major hospital

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Anonymous OP 3w

it’s very common at this point for healthcare workers to neglect basic infection mitigation practices where airborne illness is concerned, even in the emergency room, even at well-reviewed hospitals, even when a patient is vocal about being immunocompromised. there’s a lot of precedent for concern on that front, and covid is surging in San Francisco currently

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Anonymous OP 3w

I’m just so horrified. I faced covid exposure during an emergency room trip a few months ago myself even in spite of my well-documented immunosuppressed status. we really have been left to fend for ourselves against threat of death to an unthinkable extent

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Anonymous #1 3w

I don’t really know what to do about ERs. On one had, you really shouldn’t be spreading anything anywhere, but on the other, when I was brought in via ambulance after literally dying, I wasn’t really concerned about if I woke up with the cold or flu (no covid at that time). And I don’t know if the doctors were thinking it either. Should they have been? Ya, but how do you stop stuff like that from spreading in the most hectic place in the hospital?

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Anonymous OP 3w

I’m not chalking this up to patients who need to seek care *for* infection or who are incapable of masking for any reason (including loss of consciousness). I’m just saying the absolute bare minimum is that all hospital staff—with the exception of those who are medically incapable—must wear high-quality masks within the clinic, this needs to be a carefully upheld policy. and some form of basic air purification measures should be installed as well when-and-where that’s at all possible

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Anonymous OP 3w

“I don’t know if the doctors were thinking about it” is no excuse for participating in endangering patients. there unequivocally are steps to be taken to help mitigate the threat of virus circulation which are Not being observed, and in environments where that’s completely indefensible

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Anonymous #1 3w

I’m not saying they shouldn’t but I’ve been places where it wasn’t feasible to do that. It’s like when one person needs X accommodation but then that would negatively affect someone else. Having to find a balance. Emergency medicine is just a crazy place to be. Ideally we’d have more of every kind of staff but we all know that’s a pipe dream

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Anonymous #1 3w

I just meant I don’t know because I was unconscious. I don’t know what happened in that high-stakes emergency situation because I wasn’t awake. I bet they didn’t like, stop to wash their hands for 20 seconds, if it meant the difference between living or not.

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Anonymous OP 3w

I explicitly acknowledged that 1) there would have to be an exception for healthcare workers who are medically incapable of masking and 2) loss-of-consciousness is an example of a perfectly understandable reason for a patient to be unable to mask. I really don’t understand why you seem to be playing devil’s advocate re: life-threatening medical neglect right now?

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Anonymous #1 3w

I don’t think you’re understanding what I’m talking about at all; I’m not talking about my, as a patient, ability to mask at all. I’m saying the ER is an extremely hectic and fast-paced place unlike anywhere else and I don’t think it’s as simple as just masking because there ARE exceptions so I don’t know what it would look like to be the peak of contamination control. But i definitely would like to know, from a qualified professional in this field

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Anonymous OP 3w

I may have initially misunderstood why you mentioned being unconscious in response to our exchange, but you are absolutely playing devil’s advocate right now re: hospital staff’s professional responsibility to mask up when they’re at all medically capable of doing so. nothing about the “hectic” nature of the environment is a reasonable excuse for failing to do bare minimum infection control. I can’t believe I’m even having this conversation in response to a post about Alice Wong’s death

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Anonymous OP 3w

I’m too unwell to attempt to engage with you on this any further while you keep trying to float justifications for the endangerment of patients in response to my simple *and* nuanced remarks about healthcare workers’ responsibilities. AS an immunosuppressed person myself, no less. this is actually fucking with my blood pressure right now, I’m out

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Anonymous #1 3w

Not once did you ask if I was also immunocompromised. I am, btw. Hope you feel better soon

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Anonymous OP 2w

you didn’t ask me either. I volunteered that information about myself because it was relevant, which you also had been free to do this whole time. please notice based on upvotes how many people are in agreement with me that you’re making excuses for the endangerment of people like us

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Anonymous OP 2w

and while I’m still not here to keep talking in circles with you in the wake of a death in our broader community: read the document I linked in my quote-post if you actually want more insight into this issue

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