Paper by Joseph Amon. The Lancet.
May 25, 2020.
On May 6, 2020, the International Council of Nurses reported that worldwide an estimated 90‚Äà000 health-care workers had been infected with COVID-19. Other sources have reported more than 50 dead and 3000 infected in China (as of April 3, 2020), and 27 dead and 9282 infected in the USA (as of April 9, 2020). In Russia, in mid-May 2020, 260 doctors have reportedly died of COVID-19.
Health-care workers have experienced violence, harassment, and discrimination in their communities, and have been forced to move from their homes or physically attacked.
The nightly demonstrations of appreciation for health-care workers taking place worldwide have been heartening, and there is no doubt that workers are showing a sense of duty, forbearance, and resilience. But these workers need more than PPE and appreciation. They also need their human rights to be respected, including the right to speak out and to be protected from attack, government intimidation, harassment, and arrest.
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