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COVID-19 Rant

Started by indianasmith, March 11, 2020, 10:13:00 PM

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Zapranoth

Quote from: chefzombie on March 27, 2020, 09:15:40 PM
if you're allowed to, please keep us updated on any possible testing for past illness that could help create vaccines, zap, and thank you!  :cheers:

Thanks.  :)  I have not heard of any such yet.

For the state of Washington, thus far:  almost 53,00 tested, 3,723 positive.   That's as of today, and since test turnaround has been 3 to up to 7 days, those figures represent only the few who were *tested* and 3-7 days ago at that.  To be tested here, you have to have a temp of 100.4 or more, cough and/or shortness of breath, and access to health care, and you have to be high risk and/or a public worker or health care worker who is in contact with a lot of people.    So that is a big underestimate of true cases, particularly given how many have no symptoms probably.

Deaths, 175 so far,  125 of them in King county.  No deaths so far in people under the age of 40, but the death rates climb steeply after the early 60's.   The incidence of proven cases is pretty evenly spread, though, over people who are older than teen years.

By comparison, from the start of flu season until now (so from early fall until now), we have had *89* flu deaths, and the number of cases is in steady decline as we usually see this time of year.





Zapranoth

I'll elaborate a bit more, too, for the curious.    First of all, thanks for the well wishes.  :)  Don't worry about me too much, though I thank you guys for saying as much.  I'm not at all surprised by the kindness, would expect nothing else from all y'all.

First of all, my immune system usually wins.  I'm one of those people who will watch everyone in his house get a bug and feel nothing, not even a tickle in the throat.  And that's seeing sick people all day doing primary care.   Sure,  I could get sick and get really really sick.  But it's less likely for sure.  I'm not fiftty yet, no chronic health problems.

My clinic and system have sharply cut down in-office visits.  In my clinic we'll usually see 1,150 people or so on a  given day, between three primary care teams (comprised of 8-11 docs and PAs each) plus various specialty, peds, internal med and so on.  We have cut that down to <150 visits per day, all in one part of the building.  One group of us is peeled off to see patients in person, in only that area.  The rest of us are doing virtual work, so mostly phone calls and emails, making decisions on peoples testing and work absences, and so on.      I am in the virtual category, unless our hospitals get overwhelmed -- if that happens, I'll be called to work there, as I did hospital work up until just a few years ago and I'm still quite competent there.   We bring in only the people we really really have to see, and we keep it as streamlined and safe for everyone involved as we can.   We do our covid testing as a drive-through nasal swab in the back parking lot, and that's working well to protect those involved and to keep people out of the building.

We (my family) are socially isolating carefully, I'm a careful handwasher / non face toucher, and I'm an introvert who is glad not to go out and talk to people too.  :)   And God only knows, I'm grateful to have steady work.   I know many whose livelihoods are just gone, or in doubt.    I feel so sorry for what they are going through, and we're doing what we can to help, locally.

Washington and Alaska seem to be well in the game of slowing it all down.  My local hospital is not overwhelmed.  The ICU is not full, and all elective cases and hospitalizations are firmly shut down, so actually the hospital nearest me is mostly clear and prepping up.  If we can keep the brakes on this thing locally, I think we can avoid being overwhelmed, at least around here.   But, we shall see.

People are not yet ordered to stay in their homes, but it's pretty darn close.  I have a letter work printed me to say that I'm a doctor and I'm essential and allowed to go where I need to go, in case it comes to authorities asking such questions.  Never have seen that before.   O.o     But, such are times.

I'm favorably impressed with local governmental response.     

I am thoroughly unimpressed with the federal response, but I'll keep my politics out of it otherwise than to say that.

I hope you all are keeping yourselves safe and well.  Remember that the social distancing WORKS and if we do it, we can make a huge difference in how this thing goes.  The economy of the world is going to tank, and that's a foregone conclusion.   We can save lives and reduce the economic harms at the same time, though.   Cuomo got it right.    But we save lives first.  We save lives, first.

Those of you who are diabetic or have autoimmune disease, or who live with the frail -- every time you go out, think about it.  Think about if you really have to do it, or can it wait.  Keep yourselves safe.  I don't want to hear about one damn serious illness among the people in this, my most favorite of internet communities.


Trevor

Quote from: Zapranoth on March 28, 2020, 12:04:55 AM
I'll elaborate a bit more, too, for the curious.    First of all, thanks for the well wishes.  :)  Don't worry about me too much, though I thank you guys for saying as much.  I'm not at all surprised by the kindness, would expect nothing else from all y'all.

First of all, my immune system usually wins.  I'm one of those people who will watch everyone in his house get a bug and feel nothing, not even a tickle in the throat.  And that's seeing sick people all day doing primary care.   Sure,  I could get sick and get really really sick.  But it's less likely for sure.  I'm not fiftty yet, no chronic health problems.

My clinic and system have sharply cut down in-office visits.  In my clinic we'll usually see 1,150 people or so on a  given day, between three primary care teams (comprised of 8-11 docs and PAs each) plus various specialty, peds, internal med and so on.  We have cut that down to <150 visits per day, all in one part of the building.  One group of us is peeled off to see patients in person, in only that area.  The rest of us are doing virtual work, so mostly phone calls and emails, making decisions on peoples testing and work absences, and so on.      I am in the virtual category, unless our hospitals get overwhelmed -- if that happens, I'll be called to work there, as I did hospital work up until just a few years ago and I'm still quite competent there.   We bring in only the people we really really have to see, and we keep it as streamlined and safe for everyone involved as we can.   We do our covid testing as a drive-through nasal swab in the back parking lot, and that's working well to protect those involved and to keep people out of the building.

We (my family) are socially isolating carefully, I'm a careful handwasher / non face toucher, and I'm an introvert who is glad not to go out and talk to people too.  :)   And God only knows, I'm grateful to have steady work.   I know many whose livelihoods are just gone, or in doubt.    I feel so sorry for what they are going through, and we're doing what we can to help, locally.

Washington and Alaska seem to be well in the game of slowing it all down.  My local hospital is not overwhelmed.  The ICU is not full, and all elective cases and hospitalizations are firmly shut down, so actually the hospital nearest me is mostly clear and prepping up.  If we can keep the brakes on this thing locally, I think we can avoid being overwhelmed, at least around here.   But, we shall see.

People are not yet ordered to stay in their homes, but it's pretty darn close.  I have a letter work printed me to say that I'm a doctor and I'm essential and allowed to go where I need to go, in case it comes to authorities asking such questions.  Never have seen that before.   O.o     But, such are times.

I'm favorably impressed with local governmental response.     

I am thoroughly unimpressed with the federal response, but I'll keep my politics out of it otherwise than to say that.

I hope you all are keeping yourselves safe and well.  Remember that the social distancing WORKS and if we do it, we can make a huge difference in how this thing goes.  The economy of the world is going to tank, and that's a foregone conclusion.   We can save lives and reduce the economic harms at the same time, though.   Cuomo got it right.    But we save lives first.  We save lives, first.

Those of you who are diabetic or have autoimmune disease, or who live with the frail -- every time you go out, think about it.  Think about if you really have to do it, or can it wait.  Keep yourselves safe.  I don't want to hear about one damn serious illness among the people in this, my most favorite of internet communities.



Sending warm hugs and thanks, Brother Zap  :cheers:
We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.

Trevor

Quote from: chefzombie on March 25, 2020, 01:11:33 PM
are you okay, trev???
i just read that prince charles has tested positive.

I'm fine thanks but I'm on leave (enforced but paid) until April 15th.

No comment on PC: peeps here know how I feel about him.
We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.

indianasmith

Now the Queen apparently has it, too.
No joke at her age.
"I shall smite you in the nostrils with a rod of iron, and wax your spleen with Efferdent!!"

chefzombie

good to hear you're okay trev!
indie, wow...i haven't watched the news today, she's WAY high risk...my state is now under stay at home order until at least the 19th, thank you governor kelly!  :cheers:
 
don't EVEN...EVER!

pennywise37

it's simply amazing she's still alive and almost 100 years old now!  i'm not from the UK but the states and i hope she ends up being okay but than she always seem like  she's maybe a fighter so who knows maybe she can beat it?

Alex

I'd imagine she has a better chance than anyone else her age. She will get the very best medical care available. If not, well she has had a good run. I wouldn't be surprised if she outlives her son though. Buckingham Palace hasn't confirmed that she does or doesn't have it though and I've not seen any mention of her having it on the UK news.
Hail to thyself
For I am my own master
I am my own god
I require no shepherd
For I am no sheep.

claws

They also said the singer of Rammstein has it but it turned out to be um, fake news.

Alex

I'd heard he'd had it. Seems an odd choice to me for someone to pick to create a fake story about, but then again there are some messed up people out there. I wonder why someone bothered?

Anyway, it is good to hear he is fine.
Hail to thyself
For I am my own master
I am my own god
I require no shepherd
For I am no sheep.

indianasmith

I only saw the story about the Queen on one link, and it hasn't been repeated, so hopefully it was not true.
"I shall smite you in the nostrils with a rod of iron, and wax your spleen with Efferdent!!"

claws

Quote from: Alex on March 29, 2020, 07:13:08 AM
I'd heard he'd had it. Seems an odd choice to me for someone to pick to create a fake story about, but then again there are some messed up people out there. I wonder why someone bothered?

Anyway, it is good to hear he is fine.

He was hospitalized with pneumonia but tested negative on the virus. German boulevard paper "Bild" blew it out of proportion.

Allhallowsday

Quote from: Trevor on March 28, 2020, 12:54:18 AM
Quote from: chefzombie on March 25, 2020, 01:11:33 PM
are you okay, trev???
i just read that prince charles has tested positive.

I'm fine thanks but I'm on leave (enforced but paid) until April 15th.

No comment on PC: peeps here know how I feel about him.
That's 'cause you're a gentleman.  I would say he can fnck off. 
If you want to view paradise . . . simply look around and view it!

pennywise37

well as of today they said we are stuck at home until April 30th i'm not surprised at all and i don't anyone here is

Allhallowsday

My sister-in-law's brother died of COVID today.  I never met the man and believe they were estranged.  Before that, I learned a long time pal 's boss is in the hospital with COVID. 
If you want to view paradise . . . simply look around and view it!