This is a recent experience I have had among many. I am a healthcare worker. I will keep the circuмstances as unidentifiable and vague as I possibly can.

I was called to a "facility" to assist a particular patient with a certain issue. The patient was a mid-sixties, obese, chronic multi  co-morbidity patient who has lived at the facility for 15 years. Patient was immobile in bed. patient was conscious ,mentally intact and speaking appropriately. Patient states that he/she as had fevers of 101- and 103F for 10 days. Patient was extremely short of breath. Patient also stated that that he/she was unable to eat or drink for many days. it was not observable that he/she has had any other method of obtaining fluids mechanically ( IV or feeding tube) at the time of my arrival. According to the NP, patient was tested for COVID19 but results were not back, but it was "accepted" that patient had the virus and was "treated"(??) as such. As far as I could tell the patient did not have a chest x-ray to determine if he/she had pneumonia,( at least recently)  or anything else.
Normally, a patient this sick would  be transferred to the hospital. With the COVID19 designation, patient was not transferred. The NP told me (at the desk) that this person will die of "COVID19" in the next 24 or 48 hrs- it was a given.
As  far as I'm concerned, anyone with a high fever for 10 days with no replacement fluids and severe respiratory issues will die. There was some rectification of this that day, but it was very late in the patient's course of events.
It is my impression that this patient WILL die very shortly, a Catholic (  Holy pictures at the bedside)without the sacraments, isolated  and without family present.
There is a trend to label older, chronically ill patients with fevers as COVID19 "confirmed" with testing or not. If this virus didn't exist, many patients frequently, with the same presentation and are sent to the hospital for treatment. In this case and others I have seen, the designation of COVID19 in the chronic and the elderly give the attending medical authorities license to ignore general symptoms and accept the "inevitable"outcome of death by COVID19. They are covered ( by the government) for negligence and ineptitude by the diagnosis.  

I hate to say it, but whoever is on duty, be it a protestant, rabbi or muslim, priest, whoever, is to play the role.  So, if a rabbi is on duty, they play priest.

I hate to say it, but whoever is on duty, be it a protestant, rabbi or muslim, priest, whoever, is to play the role.  So, if a rabbi is on duty, they play priest.

Anyone other than a priest would be simulating a sacrament.  

No non-essential visitation allowed in facilities. That includes priests. I don't hear the Church fighting back about it either.

Some hospitals ARE allowing one family member, possibly priests as well. Nursing homes are  allowing no one except medical vendors like XRAY etc. More people are dying in nursing homes than in the hospitals- no sacraments at all there.

[....] And that 1 visitor must always be the same person for the emergency/in-patient stay.  Which indeed practically excludes a priest, because:
• a spouse or other family member will already be that 1 visitor, serving to monitor the patient's condition, and would usually be the person to alert a priest; or
• a patient whose condition and prognosis is grim might have kept her/his 1-visitor selection open specifically for a priest, but as near certainty approaches, he/she might be too incapacitated to alert that priest or parish [*]. [....]

Aha!   I see that my down-thumbing stalker is back, and is continuing his or her irrational secret campaign to ruin my site-calculated ‘Reputation’ on CathInfo. This time is on the day after I contributed on-topic replies yesterday to this subforum, which I formatted in a normal size of text: The issue of arranging an urgent visit by a priest in increasingly restrictive U.S. hospitals has certainly become an issue of "Catholic Living in the Modern World".

I know for a fact that my facility abides by directives given which includes
Allowing a priest or minister to attend the dying.

Nursing homes have normally 1-2 IV machines. Nursing homes do not do long term IVs they are not equipped to do so. Nursing Homes do not put in feeding tubes.

The temperatures mentioned are an assessable sign of COVID19.

Xrays are required before COVID19 testing can be done. Xrays are always done by outside vendors. Nursing homes do not possess these machines.

Results after initial screenings ( up to 48 hrs for these initial diagnostics)
Will take from 2- 7 days.

CDC guidelines require all patients exhibiting 2 or more symptoms to be placed on enhanced contact-droplet precautions. Isolated from others until diagnostic tests determine the person in free from COVID19.

Just because a resident tells you something does not mean it is true. Just because a person speaks rationally does not make the person competent. If someone has a fever, especially one as high as is suggested already means the mind is impaired. Most people at 103 degrees lose all sense of their surroundings. I have done wound care for persons who were in excruciating pain where they would punch or become violent because of pain, lie insensable at 101 degrees.


You have to understand that hospitals are denying them access. The attitude of the hospital is the nursing home is a skilled facility and will need to manage as best as they can.  Also at this point most facilities and the relatives do not want to send them to the hospital anyway because the threat to the residents is higher exposure risk at the hospital. We sent one off because they had broken a hip, we are extremely upset because it's now more likely they won't come back alive

The resident that I spoke to is now dead. The pt had high fevers confirmed by the staff.The patient did not eat. Sometimes the best information can  comes from the patient if they are not confused. I always listen to the patient.
Do you think I am some kind of interloper in this situation???? This is what I do everyday.
Maybe regional access to specific therapies are different- let's assume that is so because this is my experience.
Families everywhere are experiencing similar situations with their elderly loved ones in nursing home quarantine .
That's why I posted Chris Ferrara's story. It was almost an identical situation to what I originally posted.
There is enough blame to go around. Obviously the real blame is at the top of the pyramid- we are just"following orders" (from the CDC- a private  for profit company). hmmmmm

PS My independent priest was not allowed in for final sacraments in a nursing home to one of his close friends. Period