Coronavirus COVID-19 *Global Health Pandemic* #20

[book-thinker]

I was wondering about @book-thinker too. Also @sloane7777

I'm feeling better. Last night my temp was 96.4. I'm going to be ok. Thanks everyone for caring.
Today's news was shocking and sad at the same time. All schools from K thru 12th grade are shut down. This is happening everywhere in the Puget Sound area.

What is also strange is over 10 nursing homes in the area have patients testing positive or have died for the virus. Today 3 residents of a nursing home in Stanwood WA have tested positive for the virus. 53 miles north from Seattle, WA. It's not just down the road. A person would have to go out of their way to drive there. I'm wondering if a food service co. delivers to all the nursing home in the area.

 

[kodi]

I imagine there are individuals that have mild symptoms but do not want to be tested because they would be forced to be in quarantine and that would disrupt their lives too much.

Just jumping off your post...this, by far, is why we need to test and quarantine. If you don’t know you have it how do you know to quarantine? This aspect of it, is so incredibly frustrating to me.

 

[Recidivist]

Perhaps you haven’t read the articles about people who have needed to be tested and weren’t. Washington State is a prime example as is NYC. No one is suggesting testing every Tom, Dick and Harry. But no one in a position to know is saying that the U.S. has enough tests. This link is a pretty comprehensive overview, including your concern about testing asymptomatic people. Isolating (social distancing) is definitely an important tool.

Confusion and chaos surround coronavirus testing in the US | Live Science

I am wondering how Tom Hanks & Mrs. Hanks were able to get their hands on test kits. Money talks?

 

[Trudie]

With mild symptoms you are correct, there is no need for medical intervention. However, knowing WHO has the virus helps in tracking. The health department can notify people who may have come into contact with this person and instruct them to self quarantine. It stops the spread of the virus by removing the contacts from circulating in public and spreading it further. Testing is critical in stopping the spread of this virus.

I know around my area they are still doing contact tracking. That is a daunting task. Not easy for everyone to recall every person they had contact with or every public venue they visited. After contacts are contacted, their contacts need to be tracked...and so it goes.

 

[otto]

So far it seems to be about 5% of diagnosed cases that need that kind of care. Maybe a bit higher, I'm not sure.

Another number to watch is that about 15% on top of that 5% need some amount of oxygen support. I believe some UK doctors are a little concerned about whether or not they have the oxygen supplies to cover those cases (source: Dr John Campbell's videos).

I don't think any country knows exactly what its number of cases will be at its peak. The epidemiological models I've been seeing have just put in the shape of the curve but have left the actual numbers out.

One in seven need medical care and a percentage of them die. Many have acute respiratory disease, which will compromise their health for life. I posted the link yesterday or the day before.

80% don't need medical assistance, 20% do. When you look at the contagion level and the number of people of all age groups who need medical assistance, it overwhelms health care systems.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I know around my area they are still doing contact tracking. That is a daunting task. Not easy for everyone to recall every person they had contact with or every public venue they visited. After contacts are contacted, their contacts need to be tracked...and so it goes.

I'm not sure I could recall all my contacts from days and days ago. Unfortunately they can only trace contacts if a person has a test. With the lack of testing thus far, very few contacts are being traced.

 

[Trudie]

And that's why so many healthcare workers are getting sick. They need to have protective gear. If nothing else this virus is extremely contagious. That's why some communities are instituting drive-thru testing, rather than having people come into Drs' offices or ER waiting rooms and exposing numerous other people, including healthcare workers to the virus.

(I won't be able to find the link, but 54 nurses in the Berkshires in MA under quarantine after being exposed to coronavirus on the job.)

On the online version of Cynthiana Democrat FB two doctors posted about their quarantine. The hospital also had to put several employees on leave and call in agency nurses.

 

[otto]

It's like there are two schools of thought, the Chicken Pox crowd with young children, thinking they'll have covid-19 parties to build immunity, and those who will isolate and avoid the virus.

In 1918, the second wave was worse than the first, those who had it in the first wave had a better chance of surviving the second wave (only reference I have is the 1918 Pandemic video that was recently linked. I would like to see it again if anyone has the link.

 

[otto]

Awful, not amazing, is the word I'd use. I hope people can recover economically.

Hold cash.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

I’m so excited to see that Dr Tony Fauci has joined us on the thread and is sharing his 40+ years of experience with epidemics with us and making predictions about fatalities! Not. Even he is not making predictions written in stone, but he is sounding a warning that we need to be ready for whatever happens. If he isn’t minimizing this, I don’t understand why any of us would have the hubris to do so.

Will the real Dr. Fauci please stand up. I’ve seen many predictions about fatalities here.

 

[MJPeony]

.

Do we know for certain we have people in the US that need to be tested but can’t? Or do we have people that want to be tested but really don’t need a test. I’m not clear on this, are you? I’ve never had to see a doctor for cold/flu but have had to see an allergist. I’d have to be near death to go to a doctor for a cold.
I do think a lot of people feel like a test would clear them, but they don’t understand if they are asymptomatic or in incubation they will get a false negative, as I understand it. We need people to isolate, not think they are in the clear, spreading it all over their community, which might happen if they get a false negative. Also, there seems to be no purpose in getting a negative test today and being out on the town tomorrow.

That’s a good question- do we know who exactly needs testing.

My guess is that there are going to be a lot of paranoid hypochondriacs out there who want a COVID19 test just so they can “rest easy” (so they think- misguided),

BUT-

I also think many people who currently think they have “the flu” actually have the coronavirus. And those people need testing.

MOO.

 

[Amonet]

The vast majority of medical professionals seeing corona virus patients aren't wearing hazmat suits. In fact, they don't even know whether they're treating corona virus patients, becuase the patients haven't been tested. So.

But the ones I have seen who are knowingly in contact with a definite case are wearing the suits? Even the ones doing testing of possible cases are wearing masks, gowns, and gloves at the very least?

Of course you're right that some medical staff weren't kitted out in those outfits, cos they don't normally come into direct contact with anything worse than flu....and the ones who learn their patient that just died actually died from Covid-19 are having to go into self-isolation..some of them are already testing positive because they caught it from their patient. If they had known they were treating a patient with Covid-19 they would have had the full suits on and the patient in a negative pressure isolation unit.

 

[Trudie]

How The Painstaking Work Of Contact Tracing Can Slow The Spread Of An Outbreak

 

[Brit]

I am wondering how Tom Hanks & Mrs. Hanks were able to get their hands on test kits. Money talks?

I think he is in Australia. Might be easier to get tested there.

 

[Amonet]

I was being sarcastic. I thought saying “Not” would make that clear. Sorry for the confusion. Some give opinions as if they are experts like Dr. Fauci. That was my point. And that’s why I posted some relevant points made by Dr. Fauci to Congress.

Yeah, I wouldn't feel on solid ground arguing against the things Dr Fauci said in the quotes you posted.

 

[Sundog]

I don't know, I think Italy's outbreak seems very similar to the ones in Hubei and South Korea?

I am concerned about a country like the US as so many people have things like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, copd, cancer, overweight, obese. I really hope I'm wrong in being concerned about this, but I am concerned about it. There are less developed nations who have lower rates of diabetes, hypertension, etc. But they might not have such an extensive healthcare system as most Western nations.


DBM

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Colorado is offering it's first drive through testing. You need a doctor's order and then the test is done.
Colorado's first drive-up COVID-19 testing facility opens in Denver, is free of charge

 

[Trudie]

.

That’s a good question- do we know who exactly needs testing.

My guess is that there are going to be a lot of paranoid hypochondriacs out there who want a COVID19 test just so they can “rest easy” (so they think- misguided),

BUT-

I also think many people who currently think they have “the flu” actually have the coronavirus. And those people need testing.

MOO.

ita and if a hypochondriac gets a Negative test result but should not have been tested, he’s likely to spread the virus, assuming he was prematurely tested, before incubation concluded.
I bet a lot of people are in their recliner assuming they have the flu but have novel C.
Where does testing end? If I’m tested tomorrow & I’m negative but Saturday I’m coughing, do I get tested again? Or? Theoretically one could get tested on Monday and contract the virus Tuesday.

 

[Amonet]

I am wondering how Tom Hanks & Mrs. Hanks were able to get their hands on test kits. Money talks?

I think they're currently in Australia where they probably haven't had to use as many kits and had enough spare.

I believe the UK would also have been able to get them tested pretty quickly.

 

[PingTheRouter]

I think he is in Australia. Might be easier to get tested there.

the system here works a lot quicker, apparently they have asked people to stop being asked to be tested for corona virus because people are panicing and asking for the test when they dont need it