NSL Update April 28, 2020

COVID-19 and the Navajo Nation

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting tribal communities in uniquely challenging ways and many Navajo communities are facing urgent needs in accessing food, water, medical supplies, and household items. Many communities are far from urban centers and lack easy access to basic supplies, making emergency response extraordinarily difficult and further putting families at risk.

Current numbers for Navajo Nation (April 28, 2020):

1,873 Confirmed Cases

60 Confirmed Deaths

This graphic demonstrates the spread of the disease throughout the Navajo Nation:

The Navajo Nation is facing a unique set of challenges amid the coronavirus outbreak that has reportedly led to a death toll higher than that of 13 different states.

The nation, which straddles the borders of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, is home to about 175,000 people — and yet it has more cases of COVID-19 than eight states.

The area has just 12 health care facilities across 27,000 square miles, and many Navajo citizens suffer chronic health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, according to the outlet, which puts those who contract coronavirus at a higher risk of severe illness, the CDC has said.

Dr. Jonathan Iralu of the Indian Health Service told CNN that in the Navajo Nation’s largest ICU, there were just six rooms, and all were full, leading critically ill patients to be flown to places like Albuquerque for treatment. “It’s very upsetting for members of the Navajo Nation to leave their Nation,” he said. “But unfortunately it’s become a necessity.”

Considering many residents have underlying health conditions and lack basic necessities such as running water, Dr. Loretta Christensen, Chief Medical Officer of Navajo Area Indian Health Service, says they’re a particularly “vulnerable nation” unable to heed basic warnings.

“You’re telling people, ‘Wash your hands for 20 seconds multiple times a day,’ and they don’t have running water,” she told NBC News. “Or you’re saying, ‘Go buy groceries for two or three weeks and shelter in place and don’t come out,’ but people can’t afford groceries for two or three weeks. So it’s just a setup for frustration and concern by the population here.”

Today, tribal members are working against adversity, doing what they can. Communities are organizing mutual aid efforts to bring water, food, firewood and other necessities to rural families, the sick and the elderly. Doubtful of receiving enough aid from the federal government, people are resurfacing the old phrase, “plant your food and be self-sufficient.” Sharon reports that as the crisis unfolds, many Navajo are returning to their spiritual roots for comfort and guidance

According to a recent report in the Albuquerque Journal, a team of 14 nurses and seven doctors from the University of California San Francisco will work on the Navajo Nation for a month to help treat COVID- 19 patients. They will be assisting Indian Health Service staff at hospitals and care sites in Gallup, Shiprock, and Chinle.

Sriram Shamasunder, a medical doctor at UCSF and founder of the HEAL Initiative, told the Journal that Navajo leadership is doing a “fantastic job” during the crisis, but asked for more critical-care nurses. “We don’t want to promote a narrative of Navajo as helpless and us as outsiders coming to save the day,” Shamasunder said. “We are here to augment and support rather than lead from the outside.”

“We approach this with a level of humility, of respect and sacredness for the Navajo people and the land,” Shamasunder said. “We are here to walk alongside them.”

Navajo Nation COVID-19 Relief Fund

The Navajo Nation COVID-19 Fund has been established to help the Navajo Nation respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the Navajo Nation’s only official COVID-19 fundraising and donation effort.

The Navajo Nation is accepting monetary and non-monetary donations to address immediate medical and community needs. Charitable donations to the Navajo Nation are deductible by the donor for federal income, estate, and gift tax purposes

The Navajo Nation’s Health Command Center has established a Donation Branch to coordinate donations to the Nation. Attorney General Doreen N. McPaul serves as the Donation Branch Chief, and she has tasked the Department of Justice to staff this effort and respond to donation inquiries. Monetary donations are coordinated with the Navajo Nation Office of the Controller and non-monetary donations are coordinated with the Health Command Center’s Operations and Logistics Sections, depending on the type of donation, quantity, and delivery date.

All donations are documented on an ICS 213 form for FEMA reporting purposes and to ensure compliance with tribal law.

To Donate:  https://securepayment.link/navajonsn/

The Nation’s immediate medical needs include the following:

• N95 Masks
• Non-latex gloves (nitrile) and other medical grade gloves
• Goggles/eye protection
• Surgical and isolation masks
• Thermometers (no touch scan)
• Portable pulse oximeters (handheld)
• Ventilators
• Non-perfumed hand sanitizer (60% or more ethanol alcohol or 70% isopropanol)
• Disinfecting wipes and sprays
• Alcohol-based cleaning wipes (e.g. Sani-Cloth wipes)

The Nation’s immediate community needs include the following:

• Disposable masks and cloth/fabric masks*
• Cleaning supplies, including disinfectant wipes and spray
• Liquid hand soap and hand sanitizer
• Toiletries
• Thermometers
• Paper products (paper towels, toilet paper, and tissue)
• Non-perishable food
• Bottled water
• Baby necessities, including formula, diapers, and wipes
• Hay and feed for livestock
• Pet food
• Firewood and coal