Health care worker COVID-19 infections underscore mask needs

Infections are occurring in clinics and hospitals, but state health leaders believe the majority of doctors and nurses are infected while away from work

Dr. Deepi Goyal had personally treated numerous COVID-19 patients, and yet the infectious disease surprised him last month when he lost taste, felt exhausted and endured soreness as part of his case.

“I consider myself quite healthy, and it really took me down,” the Mayo Clinic doctor said. “Not only did it take me down, but it took me a while to recover.”

Minnesota hasn’t suffered the doomsday scenario of COVID-19 knocking out large swaths of doctors and nurses — leaving infected patients with nobody to care for them — but new data show the toll of the pandemic on health care workers and the need for continued use of masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) to act as safeguards. Continue reading.