PEOPLE with Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy could reportedly be left to die from coronavirus under new guidance. Now that the United States has the largest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the world, with more than 85,000 cases, some states have put medical supply rationing policies into place. Earlier this week, disability advocacy […]
PEOPLE with Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy could reportedly be left to die from coronavirus under new guidance.
Now that the United States has the largest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the world, with more than 85,000 cases, some states have put medical supply rationing policies into place.
Earlier this week, disability advocacy organizations filed complaints with the US Department of Health and Human Services, ProPublica reported.
Advocates questioned the federal government to further define its disaster preparedness plans for Washington, Alabama, and Arizona.
The Alabama Department of Public Health’s document for the “Criteria for Mechanical Ventilator Triage” – in the aftermath of a mass-casualty respiratory emergency – described the type of individuals who may not receive the proper help in a pandemic-like situation.
The guidelines explained: “Persons with severe or profound mental retardation, moderate to severe dementia, or catastrophic neurological complications such as persistent vegetative state are unlikely candidates for ventilator support.
“Individuals with complex neurological issues such as motor neuron disease, glioblastoma multiforme and others may not be appropriate candidates in a mass casualty situation.
“Children with severe neurological problems may not be appropriate candidates in the pediatric age group.”
Emily Wallace – a 67-year-old with Down syndrome – was the first in her Georgia community to be diagnosed with coronavirus, Tucson reported.
She passed away in the hospital on Wednesday, March 18.
Both Emily and her late husband Richard Wallace were the first special needs couple to own a house in the state of Georgia, according to her obituary.
Her death has prompted advocates of family members with intellectually disabilities to worry about how the coronavirus pandemic will affect others.
Ari Ne’eman, a scholar at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, told NPR: “People with disabilities are terrified.
“They are terrified that when it comes to scarce resources like ventilators they will being sent to the back of the line.
“And they are right to be terrified because many states are saying this quite explicitly in their allocation criteria.”
He found similar care standards in New York, Alabama, Tennessee, Utah, Minnesota, Colorado and Oregon.
Ari added: “Our civil rights laws don’t go away in the midst of a pandemic.
“We don’t suddenly replace the ADA or other civil rights laws with generalized utilitarianism the moment things get difficult.”
Ivanova Smith, one of the individuals who complained on Monday, told NPR: “There’s been a long history of people with intellectual, development mental disabilities having our medical care denied.
“Because we’re not seen as valuable. We’re not seen as productive or needed. When that’s not true.”
The woman, who has an intellectual disability, praised others disabilities who work and support their communities.
A spokesperson with the Washington State Department of Health is reviewing the complaints, NPR reported.
On Friday, a letter sent to hospital staff in Detroit, Michigan, about first priority patients during the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to be true, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The Henry Ford Health System letter stated that people with severe heart, lung, kidney or liver failure, terminal cancers, and sever trauma or burns will likely not be eligible for ICU or ventilator care.
It read: “Patients who have the best chance of getting better are our first priority.
“Patients will be evaluated for the best plan of care and dying patients will be provided comfort care.
HenryFordNews’ Twitter account confirmed the letter to be real: “With a pandemic, we must be prepared for worst case.
“With collective wisdom from our industry, we crafted a policy to provide guidance for making difficult patient care decisions. We hope never to have to apply them.”
New York has become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US and now hospitals in the city have claimed they have been swamped with critically ill patients who need ventilators to stay alive.
It’s already feared as the situation gets worse medics will be forced to ration the machines and choose which patients receive them.
Vice President Mike Pence announced Friday a 15-minute COVID-19 test has been submitted for FDA approval.
The test which could be done at doctors’ offices and could be pivotal in identifying coronavirus cases if followed through by the government’s Food and Drug Administration.
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