A health alert published by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services notes that health care workers make up a large percentage of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state.>> Download the FREE WMUR appAccording to DHHS, 26% of confirmed New Hampshire cases, 192 people, are health care workers, who are carrying an immense workload that is forecast to get worse.>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMUR"Even though I am working in the midst of this fiasco, I feel very comfortable with the garb that I have on," said a 38-year veteran respiratory therapist who asked that his name not be used. "God forbid the day comes that we are not able to be provided with that proper equipment. That's when we will be extremely nervous.">> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: What you need to knowHis age puts in him in a high-risk category, and statistics show that health care providers are getting sick at a faster rate than most. New Hampshire is not yet at the peak of the pandemic, experts said."Right now, we have enough people," the respiratory therapist said. "We have enough employees to handle the workload, but if the future ends up like New York, all bets are off for everything."State health officials announced Monday that New Hampshire receiving 15 Abbott ID rapid test machines."The Abbott ID is going to change how we respond," said DHHS Commissioner Lori Shibinette. "It's going to keep our citizens and our health care providers safe." Not all health care workers with COVID-19 were exposed on the job -- some were exposed via international travel -- but officials said even one exposure is too many."We are concerned that we might not have enough (personnel) in every region of the state at the time when there is a surge," Shibinette said.State officials said they have a system in place to redeploy health care workers to the regions of the state that have the most need at any given time.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
MANCHESTER, N.H. — A health alert published by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services notes that health care workers make up a large percentage of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state.
>> Download the FREE WMUR app
According to DHHS, 26% of confirmed New Hampshire cases, 192 people, are health care workers, who are carrying an immense workload that is forecast to get worse.
>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMUR
"Even though I am working in the midst of this fiasco, I feel very comfortable with the garb that I have on," said a 38-year veteran respiratory therapist who asked that his name not be used. "God forbid the day comes that we are not able to be provided with that proper equipment. That's when we will be extremely nervous."
>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: What you need to know
His age puts in him in a high-risk category, and statistics show that health care providers are getting sick at a faster rate than most. New Hampshire is not yet at the peak of the pandemic, experts said.
"Right now, we have enough people," the respiratory therapist said. "We have enough employees to handle the workload, but if the future ends up like New York, all bets are off for everything."
State health officials announced Monday that New Hampshire receiving 15 Abbott ID rapid test machines.
"The Abbott ID is going to change how we respond," said DHHS Commissioner Lori Shibinette. "It's going to keep our citizens and our health care providers safe."
Not all health care workers with COVID-19 were exposed on the job -- some were exposed via international travel -- but officials said even one exposure is too many.
"We are concerned that we might not have enough (personnel) in every region of the state at the time when there is a surge," Shibinette said.
State officials said they have a system in place to redeploy health care workers to the regions of the state that have the most need at any given time.
