WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:
- A nurse from the nonprofit Project Access Foundation claims that a doctor intentionally infected her with the coronavirus.
- The doctor went into work displaying symptoms of COVID-19, and when Venise Jean-Baptiste suggested he get tested, he allegedly coughed on her.
- Jean-Baptiste and her son, 2, had to spend over a week in the hospital fighting the virus, and she is seeking damages for her medical bills and recovery.
Due to the lack of personal protective equipment in their office, a Florida nurse complained to a doctor. Allegedly, he intentionally infected her with COVID-19 for the comment.
Venise Jean-Baptiste filed a lawsuit, claiming that her boss, Dr. Joseph Piperato, arrived at work displaying symptoms of the virus after attending a dance festival in Miami Beach in March.
Jean-Baptiste told WSVN news station, “He was coughing more, and you could tell he may be sick.” Before that, she said she had been pushing him to get the office at the Project Access Foundation to do adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.
Because he was visibly sick, Jean-Baptiste had suggested he get tested for the virus. They were both walking in the hallway then and he paused, turned to her, and coughed. According to Jean-Baptiste, the doctor said “Well, if I have it, now you have it too.”
The nurse and her 2-year-old son, Abel, began experiencing symptoms a few days later. She then had to spend over a week in the hospital combating the virus.
Jean-Baptiste told news station WPLG that she had contacted her family, telling them what she wanted them to do with her son because she didn’t think that she was going to survive.
Though the nurse has since recovered, she is seeking damages for her medical bills, health, and recovery.
The nonprofit organization, the Project Access Foundation, says that the allegations are “unfounded” and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for the coronavirus, including PPE provision and symptom checks, are being followed.
Source: New York Post
