Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #105

[Lilibet]

But there's also a list of recommended KN-95s and POWECOM is one on that list that has ear loops. It's damn close to being as good as our N-95s.

I think comfort is important to people actually keeping the mask on. So if ear loops make it more comfortable for people, it's a good thing.

We use POWECOM KN95 masks. I just ordered another batch from Amazon. They are much more comfortable and less annoying than N95 head loops IMO. And they fit me better.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Last week the rest home my father is in put out a message saying an employee had tested positive. In the past, this would have resulted in the home locking down. Now, apparently, it does not. We can come and go as visitors. Unmonitored, we are supposed to wash up, fill out paperwork, take our temps, and grab a mask.

So today I popped in. It was surreal. First, I noticed all employees were wearing actual N-95s (the duck-shaped ones). In the past, it was typically surgical masks and some were worn willy-nilly under the nose.

Second, I get down the hall and turn to go to my dad's room and encounter a heavy duty zip-up clear plastic wall. So I go around the long way and get to my dad's room. I realize the other side of this clear plastic covid wall is just a few door from his room. It is enclosing at least two rooms across the hall from each other.

There are also covid plastic covers on other individual rooms. I felt like I walked through a Petrie dish. Then I went to Walmart, another Petrie dish, and the farm store, yet another Petrie dish. Then home, where I felt icky and stripped and started laundry, including my winter coat and gloves.

 

[WichitaFalls]

Lengthy but fascinating article
Hospitals Are in Serious Trouble

Hospitals Are in Serious Trouble
Omicron is inundating a health-care system that was already buckling under the cumulative toll of every previous surge.

By Ed Yong

When a health-care system crumbles, this is what it looks like. Much of what’s wrong happens invisibly. At first, there’s just a lot of waiting. Emergency rooms get so full that “you’ll wait hours and hours, and you may not be able to get surgery when you need it,” Megan Ranney, an emergency physician in Rhode Island, told me. When patients are seen, they might not get the tests they need, because technicians or necessary chemicals are in short supply. Then delay becomes absence. The little acts of compassion that make hospital stays tolerable disappear. Next go the acts of necessity that make stays survivable. Nurses might be so swamped that they can’t check whether a patient has their pain medications or if a ventilator is working correctly. People who would’ve been fine will get sicker. Eventually, people who would have lived will die. This is not conjecture; it is happening now, across the United States. “It’s not a dramatic Armageddon; it happens inch by inch,” Anand Swaminathan, an emergency physician in New Jersey, told me.
More at link above.

 

[Lilibet]

Lengthy but fascinating article
Hospitals Are in Serious Trouble

Hospitals Are in Serious Trouble
Omicron is inundating a health-care system that was already buckling under the cumulative toll of every previous surge.

By Ed Yong

When a health-care system crumbles, this is what it looks like. Much of what’s wrong happens invisibly. At first, there’s just a lot of waiting. Emergency rooms get so full that “you’ll wait hours and hours, and you may not be able to get surgery when you need it,” Megan Ranney, an emergency physician in Rhode Island, told me. When patients are seen, they might not get the tests they need, because technicians or necessary chemicals are in short supply. Then delay becomes absence. The little acts of compassion that make hospital stays tolerable disappear. Next go the acts of necessity that make stays survivable. Nurses might be so swamped that they can’t check whether a patient has their pain medications or if a ventilator is working correctly. People who would’ve been fine will get sicker. Eventually, people who would have lived will die. This is not conjecture; it is happening now, across the United States. “It’s not a dramatic Armageddon; it happens inch by inch,” Anand Swaminathan, an emergency physician in New Jersey, told me.
More at link above.

From your very interesting link, this quote confirms what I posted earlier about patients admitted with covid vs patients admitted because of covid. Ultimately, it’s irrelevant…

Every nurse and doctor I asked said that the majority of their COVID patients were admitted because of COVID, not simply with COVID. Many have classic advanced symptoms, such as pneumonia and blood clots. Others, including some vaccinated people, are there because milder COVID symptoms exacerbated their chronic health conditions to a dangerous degree. “We have a lot of chronically ill people in the U.S., and it’s like all of those people are now coming into the hospital at the same time,” said Vineet Arora, a hospitalist in Illinois. “Some of it is for COVID, and some is with COVID, but it’s all COVID. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter.” (COVID patients also need to be isolated, which increases the burden on hospitals regardless of the severity of patients’ symptoms.)

BBM

Hospitals Are in Serious Trouble

 

[Lilibet]

Such a great article! I can’t stop quoting from it. This quote is for anyone who is sick and tired of the pandemic and has decided to just go back to normal and live life as if the pandemic is over…

Health-care workers now experience indifference at best or antagonism at worst. And more than ever, they are struggling with the jarring disconnect between their jobs and their communities. At work, they see the inescapable reality of the pandemic. Everywhere else—on TV and social media, during commutes and grocery runs—they see people living the fantasy that it is over. The rest of the country seems hell-bent on returning to normal, but their choices mean that health-care workers cannot.

BBM

Hospitals Are in Serious Trouble

 

[WichitaFalls]

In the category of there's still so much we don't know specifically long COVID. This article is written about our large public hospital.
Skin Damage, Foot Drop, and Cognitive Fog: When COVID-19 Doesn't Go Away - D Magazine

At Parkland’s COVID Recover Clinic, the patients aren’t who you might expect. And the symptoms would surprise you as well. The clinic focuses on patients admitted to the intensive care unit due to COVID-19 and helps them with their ongoing symptoms, which can last for months.

Dr. Surendra Barshikar, the clinic’s medical director and an associate professor of physical medicine at UT Southwestern, says that about one in three patients with COVID-19 will experience lingering symptoms. However, his clinic only has resources to treat those most impacted by the virus. The majority of the patients needed oxygen, many were intubated, and they stayed in the hospital for an average of three weeks.

A study in The Lancet showed that fully vaccinated individuals who still got COVID were 49 percent less likely than unvaccinated people to experience long COVID. But other studies have shown that vaccination might have no effect at all against long COVID-19. The unvaccinated are the most at risk of getting COVID in the first place, but as vaccine effectiveness wanes and mild to moderate cases break through, those patients are still at risk of lingering COVID-19 symptoms. In fact, Barshikar says that the mild cases are sometimes more likely to result in long COVID. More at link above.

 

[WichitaFalls]

Children With Covid Face Increased Risk Of Diabetes, CDC Finds
Children who contract Covid-19 are significantly more likely to later be diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes than children without Covid, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in a study Friday, another potential complication from the coronavirus as child Covid-19 hospitalizations increase in the United States.
More at link . . ,https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonb...ace-increased-risk-of-diabetes-cdc-finds/amp/

 

[CrimeAway]

This week's TWIV Clinical Update:

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[GRT]

Last week the rest home my father is in put out a message saying an employee had tested positive. In the past, this would have resulted in the home locking down. Now, apparently, it does not. We can come and go as visitors. Unmonitored, we are supposed to wash up, fill out paperwork, take our temps, and grab a mask.

So today I popped in. It was surreal. First, I noticed all employees were wearing actual N-95s (the duck-shaped ones). In the past, it was typically surgical masks and some were worn willy-nilly under the nose.

Second, I get down the hall and turn to go to my dad's room and encounter a heavy duty zip-up clear plastic wall. So I go around the long way and get to my dad's room. I realize the other side of this clear plastic covid wall is just a few door from his room. It is enclosing at least two rooms across the hall from each other.

There are also covid plastic covers on other individual rooms. I felt like I walked through a Petrie dish. Then I went to Walmart, another Petrie dish, and the farm store, yet another Petrie dish. Then home, where I felt icky and stripped and started laundry, including my winter coat and gloves.

That's interesting. The nursing home my mother is in is still in the "walk around, un-monitored" phase. We fill out paperwork and then stand in front of a thing that takes our temperature before we use hand sanitizer and then we just walk freely down the halls to the rooms.

I get an email report about three times a week on the status of the infections--right now, there are four in the staff--but none in the residents who are all vaxxed.

It seems a little on the lax side, but since I do want to visit my mom, I don't complain.

 

[katydid23]

or the Long Beach Airport, less frenetic and small. But if you enjoy the drive, sounds fine. My max is 6 hours in one shot now....from here to Carmel for example, which I did recently.

I live very close to Burbank airport so I could fly from there---but my kids are really uncomfortable with me flying right now.

We have had the biggest SURGE of new cases since the entire pandemic has begun. And our family suddenly knows about 2 dozen friends/neighbors who have Covid right now. ....Usually we knew 1 or 2 people who had it.

Now it seems to have exploded and it is unnerving....

 

[katydid23]

That's interesting. The nursing home my mother is in is still in the "walk around, un-monitored" phase. We fill out paperwork and then stand in front of a thing that takes our temperature before we use hand sanitizer and then we just walk freely down the halls to the rooms.

I get an email report about three times a week on the status of the infections--right now, there are four in the staff--but none in the residents who are all vaxxed.

It seems a little on the lax side, but since I do want to visit my mom, I don't complain.

My Mom's complex requires visitors to show a recent test showing negative for Covid in past 48 hours. AND vaccination cards.

Last time I visited they had rapid tests there in the lobby and we could pay 20 dollars for the test and wait there until the results were done. But my brother just told me that last week when he went they didnt have any more tests available and we have to bring our own results/

It is weird though because I have some home Rapid tests---but there is no date on the results---so how do they know when I did the test? I think I will do one before I leave and then see if they accept it when I arrive?

I think they are kind of flying by the seat of their pants sometimes. But they are trying hard and so far their residents have all come through safely.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I have been trying for 30 minutes to find the primary (original) source for this data on the NY State website so that I can see it for myself. There are no links in this article or in any others that give links to the actual data. Of course it’s possible the data hasn’t made it onto NYS websites yet, but was given to the Governor to show the press.

This article from ABC News has various charts, including one showing patients who have tested positive after admission for other causes (presumably they were asymptomatic). No links though.

NY COVID Hospitalizations at 20-Month High, But They Don't Tell the Whole Story. Here's Why

I do think it’s a good idea to show the two categories for planning purposes and to head off conspiracy-minded covid minimizers. But it’s clear that hospitals are again filling up with covid patients who have to be isolated from other patients, regardless of why they were admitted to the hospital initially. And this is causing a staffing and bed issue. You can’t put a positive patient in a room with a negative patient. So where do they go? If they need to be on the heart floor for specialized care, but are positive, how is this handled. What a mess!

""
Thanks Lilibet, for your thoughtful response to that article you are referencing--it really was just a "title click bait" article.

Hospital admissions are really increasing. And scheduled procedures are being cancelled again. This train is just moving so fast. I just hope we seen a plateau similar to South Africa. Is it around the corner> Or not.

"The vast majority of Omicron patients in I.C.U.s are unvaccinated or have severely compromised immune systems, doctors said."
"Once again, as they face the highly contagious Omicron variant, medical personnel are exhausted and are contracting the virus themselves. And the numbers of patients entering hospitals with the variant are surging to staggering levels, filling up badly needed beds, delaying nonemergency procedures and increasing the risk that vulnerable uninfected patients will catch the virus."

In Omicron Hot Spots, Hospitals Fill Up, but I.C.U.s May Not

 

[tabitha111]

So much happening around my area...huge hospital system here is stopping all non-emergent surgeries, procedures and tests, Harris Teeter sent a message they will be closing at 9 every night, the Human Services for the city dept is closed until the "surge" is over, the ferry has modified schedules due to people out for sickness...all these emails came at once. I feel this crazy surge, do you?

 

[MimosaMornings]

A Grandmother Died From COVID After Playing Cards With a Friend Who Had the Virus But Didn't Tell Anyone — Health

“An Ohio family is reminding people to stay home when they don't feel well after their grandmother contracted COVID-19 while playing cards with friends—including one attendee who hid the fact that they had COVID-19. The grandmother, 82-year-old Barbara Bartolovich, later died from the virus.

Bartolovich's granddaughter Lauren Nash told ABC's Detroit affiliate WXYZ that her grandmother took a lot of precautions during the pandemic, including getting vaccinated and only socializing with people who were also being safe about COVID.”

“Somebody decided that testing positive for COVID is something they can hide," Nash said. "The only way we found out is that the person owned up after Nana got sick.”

I wouldn’t call that a friend. JMO

 

[weepingangel]

Massachusetts hospitals grapple with COVID-19-fueled worker shortages; 'Worst surge that we've had'
More at link
"I think tolerance levels are being stretched beyond a lot of people's capacity," Noonan said. "But, what do you do? You can't walk away. The building is burning, I'm not going to walk away."

"I'd like a break," Henlotter said. "I'd like to know there's an end in this, because how long are we expected to maintain this? We're people just like you."

 

[WichitaFalls]

A Grandmother Died From COVID After Playing Cards With a Friend Who Had the Virus But Didn't Tell Anyone — Health

“An Ohio family is reminding people to stay home when they don't feel well after their grandmother contracted COVID-19 while playing cards with friends—including one attendee who hid the fact that they had COVID-19. The grandmother, 82-year-old Barbara Bartolovich, later died from the virus.

Bartolovich's granddaughter Lauren Nash told ABC's Detroit affiliate WXYZ that her grandmother took a lot of precautions during the pandemic, including getting vaccinated and only socializing with people who were also being safe about COVID.”

“Somebody decided that testing positive for COVID is something they can hide," Nash said. "The only way we found out is that the person owned up after Nana got sick.”

I wouldn’t call that a friend. JMO

I think there should be legal remedies for cases like this.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Massachusetts hospitals grapple with COVID-19-fueled worker shortages; 'Worst surge that we've had'
More at link
"I think tolerance levels are being stretched beyond a lot of people's capacity," Noonan said. "But, what do you do? You can't walk away. The building is burning, I'm not going to walk away."

"I'd like a break," Henlotter said. "I'd like to know there's an end in this, because how long are we expected to maintain this? We're people just like you."

Unfortunately you can’t make people care.

Too many people thought taking a rapid test was some type of magic that gave them the ability to do whatever they wanted.
“But I tested negative two days before I saw so and so”
Yeah, but you tested positive two days later....so now the whole family is sick and having to isolate, can’t go to work, etc.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Omicron infections often start with a scratchy throat, doctors say — evidence of the changing nature of COVID-19 symptoms

Omicron patients commonly report a scratchy throat first, followed by nasal congestion, dry cough, and body aches.

 

[mickey2942]

The issue of "Long Covid", dealing with a myriad of long term physical, mental, and inevitable emotional issues is going to be an uphill battle for patients. I have already heard rumblings and under currents of "malingering".

The problem, INMO, is that some people get Covid, Senator Rand Paul is an excellent example, he had a light case, no issues. He now treats Covid as a light case of flu. His impatience with anyone who even mentions Covid is obvious. And, this man is still a licensed physician.

My personal opinion is that there have always been "variants" of this disease, some people got a lighter variant, like Senator Rand Paul, others, like Nick Cordero, got a much more potent version. Of course, Mr. Cordero died, after being on a ventilator for months.

Patients dealing with "long term Covid" effects are going to have a lot of problems with so many people. Especially if they need to apply for job accommodations, disability benefits.

 

[ilovewings]

!!

A Grandmother Died From COVID After Playing Cards With a Friend Who Had the Virus But Didn't Tell Anyone — Health

“An Ohio family is reminding people to stay home when they don't feel well after their grandmother contracted COVID-19 while playing cards with friends—including one attendee who hid the fact that they had COVID-19. The grandmother, 82-year-old Barbara Bartolovich, later died from the virus.

Bartolovich's granddaughter Lauren Nash told ABC's Detroit affiliate WXYZ that her grandmother took a lot of precautions during the pandemic, including getting vaccinated and only socializing with people who were also being safe about COVID.”

“Somebody decided that testing positive for COVID is something they can hide," Nash said. "The only way we found out is that the person owned up after Nana got sick.”

I wouldn’t call that a friend. JMO

That is truly sickening that someone would be that selfish and irresponsible
they would knowingly expose an elderly person to a potentially fatal
disease--- especially a so-called " friend". I think that person could be
charged with murder, though I know that will not happen