“Why are we expendable?”

I work at a hospital in a decent sized city. We were told to use N95 masks, goggles, gowns, & gloves on every positive or suspected COVID19 patient.

Until today.

Now our policy states that a gown, gloves, & plain surgical mask are acceptable unless performing an aerosolized procedure. As a sonographer, we are frequently less than 2 feet away from a patient's face. We are so close that patients often exhale or cough directly in our faces, something we used to joke about until now. We are also in the room with the patient for extended periods of time, up to an HOUR depending on the exam ordered.

Why are we expendable? Why are any of us???

— Sonographer, March 2020 (USA)