Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #77

[CSIDreamer]

I definitely think that care home situations vary from localised area to localised area, state to state, rather than necessarily from country to country.

Melbourne has an appalling care home death rate, yet NSW and Qld who have plenty enough active cases have managed to mostly protect their care home residents. Their staffing would have been similar, as it is common here for casual care home aids to work at multiple places.

As well, many retirees move from places like Melbourne up to Qld or other warmer places when they retire.

I think they do, too. But it's not just care homes. It's elderly, obese, diabetic. I have a feeling the US statistics showing 94% of our deaths being what i refer to as medically fragile will bear out worldwide when all is said and done. JMO

 

[tresir2012]

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-countries-coronavirus.html

This is an article that says South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan were testing from early on, from 31 Dec. So why weren't the USA and UK, Italy and Spain doing this? We didn't even know about it.

 

[Knitty]

I definitely think that care home situations vary from localised area to localised area, state to state, rather than necessarily from country to country.

Melbourne has an appalling care home death rate, yet NSW and Qld who have plenty enough active cases have managed to mostly protect their care home residents. Their staffing would have been similar, as it is common here for casual care home aids to work at multiple places.

As well, many retirees move from places like Melbourne up to Qld or other warmer places when they retire.

I agree with you. Further, while I think your country is being honest about your care home deaths, I think the U.S. is not. A few states are being scapegoated while the situation in a few states *cough* Florida *cough* are being overlooked.

 

[SouthAussie]

Ah I see. You're wanting to compare. Carry on.

The comparison doesn't bear out for South Korea anyway.


New clusters of infection have emerged in South Korean nursing homes, complicating the country’s fight against the Covid-19 outbreak ....
More than 200 cases have been reported in these senior-care facilities, mirroring outbreaks reported in Italy and parts of the United States, such as the states of Washington and Florida.

Coronavirus: nursing home clusters emerge in South Korea
19 March 2020

 

[Clair Louise]

Every single country on the globe didn't get cases at the exact same time.

No, but the ones who took measure early have done demonstrably better than the ones who didn't. Most of the western countries reported their first cases in mid to late January.

 

[Knitty]

The comparison doesn't bear out for South Korea anyway.


New clusters of infection have emerged in South Korean nursing homes, complicating the country’s fight against the Covid-19 outbreak ....
More than 200 cases have been reported in these senior-care facilities, mirroring outbreaks reported in Italy and parts of the United States, such as the states of Washington and Florida.

Coronavirus: nursing home clusters emerge in South Korea
19 March 2020

I guess tresir is saying that South Korea might not have counted those cases and deaths arising from them in their totals, thereby skewing the "rankings."

I just don't care whether we (the U.S.) are first (we aren't) or last (we aren't). I just care that we've done a horrible job. (We have.)

 

[Clair Louise]

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-countries-coronavirus.html

This is an article that says South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan were testing from early on, from 31 Dec. So why weren't the USA and UK, Italy and Spain doing this? We didn't even know about it.

No, but the whole world knew from January 9th.

 

[Trino]

Here's what I told a friend an hour or so ago. This virus is killing the medically fragile. Hopefully, other countries that came later caught on to this. ***JMO***

So, what is the solution to nuring home COVID-19 and deaths? What do we do with residents? Where do we take them?

 

[tresir2012]

No, but the ones who took measure early have done demonstrably better than the ones who didn't. Most of the western countries reported their first cases in mid to late January.

That is exactly the point the OP was making and I just posted too. 31 Dec they were already testing with accurate tests. US and UK have had constant testing problems. China shared info with South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan and they were accurately testing already by 31 Dec. How was that when the WHO had not even declared it of international concern at that stage?

 

[Clair Louise]

I don't know why people keep suggesting that other countries are fudging their numbers. In most other countries the virus was not politicised. They would have no reason to not report the numbers.

 

[tresir2012]

So, what is the solution to nuring home COVID-19 and deaths? What do we do with residents? Where do we take them?

The solution was to test them before unknowingly discharging Covid positive patients to the care homes and forcing them to accept them. Testing could have saved a lot of lives.

 

[Rocco]

Seriously not enough left to send.
I have been better to myself than usual, more conscientious of what I put in my mouth than in past
I’ve lost about 10 pounds since March but have gone down an entire size due to working my stress out with yard and gardening
My fear is this fall and winter when the days are shorter and there’s little to no gardening/yard work to be done
In all fairness, I went to get my flu and 1st shingles vaccine yesterday. Had not been inside any store or business for weeks so on way out those M&M’s literally jumped off the shelf into my hands.
What was I to do?

Not to worry, you did the right thing. Chocolate is a natural laxative that's much more enjoyable than prune juice so you're good there. Peanuts are rich in protein, fat, and various healthy nutrients. Studies show that peanuts may even be useful for weight loss and are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease---so you're good there. Some people might even consider peanut M&Ms a health food. I know I do (wink wink).
Peanuts 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

 

[CSIDreamer]

So, what is the solution to nuring home COVID-19 and deaths? What do we do with residents? Where do we take them?

I have honestly pondered that. I'm not sure but some random thoughts:

We need to somehow have care homes that can have heating/cooling installed as individual units. I am super hung up on this.

I don't think we take them anywhere, I think we must devise methods to keep the virus away from them.

There maybe needs to be a way to quarantine workers in the home? I dunno how to accomplish this though. Provide room and board or reduced room rent during pandemics?

Here's an idea. My county was quickly revamping a small hospital that had closed to be used as a covid facility. We never used it. But what if facilities like that could serve as semi quasi rehab facilities for those not sick enough to be, or stay, hospitalized? I'm talking care home residents. They could shelter and quarantine them away from their main care home until they had a couple of negative tests or something?

 

[tresir2012]

I don't know why people keep suggesting that other countries are fudging their numbers. In most other countries the virus was not politicised. They would have no reason to not report the numbers.

Which people suggested that? Can you link the article?

 

[musicaljoke]

So, what is the solution to nuring home COVID-19 and deaths? What do we do with residents? Where do we take them?

One thing that we are looking at in Canada, where we had shameful losses of life, is to design care facilities to be more like homes, with five or six people living in a family styled home, rather than in a hospital ward styled home.

 

[Clair Louise]

One thing that we are looking at in Canada, where we had shameful losses of life, is to design care facilities to be more like homes, with five or six people living in a family styled home, rather than in a hospital ward styled home.

Another thing that I noticed was staff who were working part time at two or more locations. Does the care home do this to avoid benefits for full time workers?
That must aid the spread if workers are going to several care homes during the week.

 

[musicaljoke]

Very true - it may be a while before everything is taken into consideration and a final tally reached. I still wouldn't be shocked if places like U.S., U.K., Brazil and Sweden end up looking better than, perhaps, they do now.

I wish you could be right, but I think that there are far too many deeply entrenched, systemic problems within some of the above named countries to be able to predict a significant change in the course of the pandemic.

 

[anneg]

I think they do, too. But it's not just care homes. It's elderly, obese, diabetic. I have a feeling the US statistics showing 94% of our deaths being what i refer to as medically fragile will bear out worldwide when all is said and done. JMO

I don't think "medically fragile" is the right term for the 94%. Probably only a portion of the 94% would be considered medically fragile, and the rest would be people living with underlying conditions that increase their risk of severe illness and death if they get COVID-19.

I looked for a definition of medically fragile and found this:
"The term “medically fragile” is defined as a chronic physical condition which results in a prolonged dependency on medical care for which daily skilled care and nursing intervention is medically necessary. [BBM] Some examples include someone who uses a feeding tube, or a person who requires frequent time-consuming administration of specialized treatments, or a someone with a life-threatening condition which requires frequent medical supervision, and physician consultation, and which in the absence of such supervision or consultation, would require hospitalization."
What does “Medically Fragile, Physically Disabled Home” mean? Why are they needed? - Koinonia Homes

 

[CSIDreamer]

I don't think "medically fragile" is the right term for the 94%. Probably only a portion of the 94% would be considered medically fragile, and the rest would be people living with underlying conditions that increase their risk of severe illness and death if they get COVID-19.

I looked for a definition of medically fragile and found this:
"The term “medically fragile” is defined as a chronic physical condition which results in a prolonged dependency on medical care for which daily skilled care and nursing intervention is medically necessary. [BBM] Some examples include someone who uses a feeding tube, or a person who requires frequent time-consuming administration of specialized treatments, or a someone with a life-threatening condition which requires frequent medical supervision, and physician consultation, and which in the absence of such supervision or consultation, would require hospitalization."
What does “Medically Fragile, Physically Disabled Home” mean? Why are they needed? - Koinonia Homes

It's the term I use personally, though. I stated I use it subjectively.

But that's an interesting link.

 

[musicaljoke]

Another thing that I noticed was staff who were working part time at two or more locations. Does the care home do this to avoid benefits for full time workers?
That must aid the spread if workers are going to several care homes during the week.

Yes, staff should have full time jobs at a single location. It's ridiculous that they had to work at more than one facility. But giving full time hours to staff is probably an easier fix than the problem of having service providers who go from home to home.

The person who adjusts and repairs mobility devices probably shows up at every care facility in the region once every two weeks. The hair dresser may come twice a week. The nail care provider may be on site one morning a week and fill the rest of the week at other facilities. There are many more service providers who make the rounds. They can't be expected to limit their access to one care facility.