Some call me "Flem"

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I'm an elementary school teacher turned high school English teacher, School-Based Teacher Leader (SBTL), and adjunct professor here in Philly. These posts are the views, as I see them, from room 105, my first classroom number. Enjoy, engage, and share!

Monday, April 20, 2020

COVID-19 UPDATE | AD's PLEA

The latest email

Some of you have been following my blog posts detailing the COVID-19 conversations that "Ad" and I have been having. Just when I thought things were getting better; that these brothers at least finally now had masks, I receive this gut-wrenching email from AD last night:

They have my whole tier on lock down. There was to many emergency medical codes on the unit that I am on and they decided to lock us down. About half of the guys in the area that I am in is infected but they dont know who. They basically got us sitting around in a cess pool waiting for us to catch it. I already have alot of the symptoms, along with some other guys. Our c.o the other day came into work saying that he doesnt feel good His name is Officer ***** . He end up passing out in front of me after coming into contact with us and now the unit is on lock down. I need you to get in contact with my mom and see if yall can get us some help. They need to test us and seperate the negative from the positive so we wont get sick and God forbid die. They are not treating us right...Please help. thanks alot and I appreciate all of the help..Be bless and I love you man of God...Tell my mother I love her....********

The **** replace:
1. The officer's name
2. His mother's phone number


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Info from the NJDOC website
"As of 4/17/2020, 95 inmates have been tested – 68 positive, 12 negative, 15 pending. Please refer to question 18 regarding how testing is determined"

No wait, they just updated it...

"As of 4/20/2020, 115 inmates have been tested for COVID-19—91 positive, 15 negative and nine pending. Please refer to question 18 regarding how testing is determined."

Here's how the answer to "Question 18" reads.

How does NJDOC determine who will be tested? Will testing be provided for prisoners who request it or show symptoms?
Inmate patients presenting with mild upper respiratory symptoms are evaluated by medical staff and placed in medical isolation units in the facility. In accordance with NJDOH guidance, these inmates may be released from medical isolation seven days from the onset of symptoms and at least three days after the resolution of fever and significant improvement in symptoms. Inmate patients in the isolation unit must wear surgical masks for movements in and out of the unit. The staff, both medical and custody, must wear full PPE in and out of the isolation unit.

Inmate patients presenting with flu-like symptoms and/or COVID-19 symptoms shall be evaluated by medical staff and directed to the hospital if they exhibit fever/cough/shortness of breath. The inmate patient will be evaluated by the hospital, medically isolated, and provided a COVID-19 test. Inmate patients may be discharged if the COVID-19 test is negative, and the inmate patient is medically cleared to return to the facility. Inmates released from the hospital are admitted to infirmary level care at the facility until released by medical staff. Inmates admitted to the infirmary are monitored for co-morbid conditions as they recover from their illness. Staff having contact with the inmate in the infirmary shall wear full PPE equipment.

Inmates with known exposure to COVID-19 shall be quarantined in a specifically designated quarantine unit within the facility. The inmates shall be monitored by medical staff. If the inmate becomes symptomatic during this 14-day quarantine period, they will be evaluated for medical isolation or referred to a hospital for evaluation and testing.

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