Calling all readers: Health care workers, what’s it like handling coronavirus cases?

MetroHealth nurse Nancy Malinak puts a 3M Health Care Particulate Respirator and Surgical Mask 1870 on her face to make sure it fits properly during a mandatory Fit Test for the mask inside the MetroHealth Employee Clinic Feb. 19 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer)

MetroHealth nurse Nancy Malinak, left, places a 3M Health Care Particulate Respirator and Surgical Mask 1870 on her face to make sure it fits properly during a mandatory Fit Test for the mask inside the MetroHealth Employee Clinic. (Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer/TNS) TNS

CLEVELAND, Ohio — In a few short months, the novel coronavirus has swept across the world and landed at Northeast Ohio’s front door.

Now, Ohio has 50 confirmed cases, and local hospitals are testing hundreds of patients per day. The state is effectively shutting down: schools, universities, restaurants, bars and theaters are closing; employees who can are being told to work remotely; and any sizable gatherings are banned. Health officials tout social isolation as a way to stop the spread of the disease and prevent our health care system from getting overwhelmed.

As everyone — from teachers to accountants to servers — retreats to their homes, health care professionals head in the opposite direction: to confront COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, head on.

Health care providers, what is it like on the front lines? Are your workplaces prepared? Do you feel safe? Have you been given instructions on how to care for people who may be infected with the virus? Do you have personal protective equipment?

I want to write about what it’s like for you to go to work every day as this pandemic rages on. Share your concerns and experiences with me.

Feel free to contact me directly. I can be reached on Twitter and Facebook, by email or by phone at 216-870-0280.

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