Natural Disasters Add Challenges For Healthcare Facilities During Pandemic

Healthcare facilities are adapting their emergency preparedness plans during the coronavirus pandemic, according to an article on the Cleaning & Maintenance Management website.

Facilities in the Pacific Northwest had to also prepare for wildfires and those on the Gulf Coast for hurricanes. 

Leaders say previous experience and COVID-19 emergency preparedness helped them manage, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

In Washington and Oregon, the pandemic response helped them prepare for the fires. The Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, for instance,  evacuated patients through their statewide coordination center for COVID-19. 

However, Wildfires and hurricanes have a long-term impact on the pandemic as there might be a surge of COVID-19 this fall and spring since evacuees were in crowded shelters or grocery stores where social distance was hard to maintain, according to a New York Times article.

Read the full Cleaning & Maintenance Management article.