In terms of how to better protect them, I think that health care workers.... We already discussed the physical protection, and I know that Mr. Matthews is working on this. I think he heard the call and the plea.
In terms of protecting them in their environment, I think we haven't given enough guidance to health care workers on what to do about their families and haven't given them assistance if they want to isolate themselves elsewhere than their homes. As I've been suggesting, something we could decide to do is offer that you can go to a hotel, if you have an intergenerational house, not to risk infecting your mother who is 75 years old. But these things are not really enacted. I think there has been some initiative in different places, but there's no real guidance about that. I think this should be offered, because this is one of the things we always did at MSF. With Ebola, which I know is different, everybody was put up in a hotel. Everybody had their room, and everybody was isolated.
The reality of why I'm insisting on this is that we don't want them to infect their families, and the other way around: We don't want them to be infected by their families. If they were to be infected by their families, even if they were to only get a cold, they would be tested. When you get tested, most of the time you're put aside for 24 to 48 hours until you get the result of your test. If you get infected, then you're out for two weeks or even more, depending on how you pull through the event.
So there's the physical protection and the mental health protection, and I don't think there's enough of what we call groupe de parole, people to vent and speak to in different hospitals. I think mental health people from hospitals should be available for their staff as well, for all the staff. l don't think this is really happening right now in many facilities. I know there's a hotline you can call, but I think people would also like to be able to share in small groups in their hospitals.
In terms of other extra protection that nobody is addressing, the fact that.... People are putting their lives on the line, and what are we ready to do if they get infected and the outcome is death? Are we ready as a country to take responsibility for people who have put their lives at risk and made the ultimate sacrifice? Right now I haven't seen much conversation on that. I know that when SARS happened in Ontario it was addressed, but I don't think there were real conversations on that, unless I am mistaken. I haven't been told of anything like this.
I think the long term is going to be important. I'm not an expert on this; I think Ms. Eaton is much more than I am. Most of the time people can pull through the acute phase, but PTSD comes two or three months after. This is my experience at MSF. What are we doing to prevent that? l think we should be much more proactive to make sure that this will not happen.
Thank you very much.