Page - 470 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

VULNERABLE470 mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.6 Much has been written about health workers in the COVID-19 pan- demic, noting that they, “unlike ventilators or wards, cannot be urgently manufactured or run at 100% occupancy for long periods. It is vital that governments see workers not simply as pawns to be deployed, but as human individuals.”7 A strong, dynamic health workforce is crucial to managing any pandemic. These workers put their lives on the line in the short term. They remain at risk of the long-term psychological effects of enduring trauma and loss.8 It will take some time to tally the full impact on the health workforce. It will be extensive. For example, the toll this virus has taken must include the risks that caregivers accept not just for themselves, but those they extend to their loved ones as well.9 This book is intended to influence policymakers’ responses to the pandemic and help frame public and scholarly conversations around COVID-19. This includes ideas about how to strengthen pub- lic health legislation; how we could bring pandemic surveillance into the modern age; and other topics. One focus for policy improvement that cannot be excluded is about caring for the caregivers.10 PSWs, for example, are the back- bone of the care a home like PHM provides. Other chapters in this section propose some immediate policy improvements. PSWs should be trained properly and remunerated fairly. They should be offered full-time hours and secure contracts with benefits. There should be regulations, including limitations on the pattern of working in mul- tiple facilities. Front line workers should never have to worry about whether they will have the right PPE to do their job safely.11 6. Donald P McNeill, Douglas A Morrison & Henri J M Nouwen, Compassion: A Reflection  on  the  Christian  Life (Garden City, New York: Image Books, 1983) at 4. 7. The Lancet, “COVID-19: Protecting Health-Care Workers” (2020) 395:10228 The Lancet 922. 8. Peter E Wu, Rima Styra & Wayne L Gold, “Mitigating the Psychological Effects of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers” (2020) 192:17 CMAJ E459. 9. James G Adams & Ron M Walls, “Supporting the Health Care Workforce During the COVID-19 Global Epidemic” (2020) 323:15 JAMA 1439. 10. Nathan Stall, “We Should Care More About Caregivers” (2019) 191:9 CMAJ E245. 11. Pat Armstrong et al, “Re-imagining Long-term Residential Care in the COVID-19