Covid-19

[pardus]

So I work in the ER of a hospital (350 ish beds) in downstate NY, we have two ER staff members test positive so far, several others awaiting results. There were as of yesterday, 5 covid pt's admitted, with one floor dedicated to the confirmed and suspected cases. We are having a serious issue with lack of supplies, namely face masks/N95s, and cleaning products. he hospital is opening an outside tent to do a pre-triage screening with instant covid swabbing, I'm currently slotted to be one of the two person team in the tent.
I'm also a medical squad leader in the National Guard. The state has asked my unit 2 or 3 times already for medical volunteers to assist. Those that went have been aiding with swab stations and some clean up operations as far as I'm aware.
The virus is not supposed to peak here for another 45 days. I'm fairly certain that I'll be forcibly called up at sometime in the next 6 weeks or so.
The public is panicking, stripping supermarket shelves clean of paper products and perishable food. still plenty of canned food, rice and pasta on the shelves
This whole "crisis" is really pissing me off, I hate people more now than I ever had and I hated pretty hard already. Donning and doffing gowns, double gloves, mask and face shields 20 times a day, then trying to take blood, do ekgs, patient care under that shit is a fucking pain in the arse!
Covid 19 is noting that I'm concerned about, at all. In fact I would like to contract it sooner rather than later. I'm doing everything I can to follow the rules regarding PPE etc... at work and I don't want to be responsible for giving it to an elderly/sick person, but as a healthy "young" person my risk is so small that I'm in the slightest worried about it.
The media has blown this BS virus all out of proportion IMO. Yes it's highly contagious, but so what? Our populations need to be exposed (hopefully via vaccine) in order to not allow this to be truly deadly when it mutates, which it is/will.

"COVID-19, Total cases: 15,219. Total deaths: 201"

"Influenza. CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 38 million flu illnesses, 390,000 hospitalizations and 23,000 deaths from flu."

This is merely the start of the first wave of this disease, I want some antibodies on board ASAP so when the next wave of mutated COVID comes knocking on the door I'll be locked and loaded ready to go. I'm not holding my breath for a vaccine.

FYI, One of the coworkers I mentioned earlier who tested positive has a new born child, his wife is also positive for the disease, they were told by their doctors to continue breast feeding in order to give the baby some immunity.

COVID-19 is not going to go away, EVER. get used to it, you're going to get it if you haven't already.

I also dream of the day the human population is less than 1 billion people so there's that too.

 

[Brill]

Canada is looking at 8 months of social isolation.

Isn't that called “winter”?

 

[pardus]

It could be worse.....THE COVID could be a LEG....

View attachment 32661

Except that it's NOT airborne.

 

[Devildoc]

@pardus , a couple things: First, yeah, I hate people too. I just took my two sons to work, and there's been no change in the amount of volume or traffic that I've seen before we were asked to socially distance and isolate. The shopping centers are just as full, the roads are just as full, and the grocery stores? You got to be kidding me.

Second, 200 deaths out of 15,000 is still exponentially high than what we see with the flu. And we are literally hours into this, in the big scheme of things.

 

[Blizzard]

At this time I agree with you. But I think it is a button that should probably get pushed sooner rather than later. If it got pushed later we're right back into the condition of being behind the ball and never in front of it, kind of like we are now.

I don't have an issue with starting the mobilization of some assets, like the Comfort and Mercy. Those things don't get spun up in a day.

Agree, they aren't spun up in a day. Response should be a focal point for a number of units during drill weekends and AT. But other than that, no immediate action.

As a general statement, the NG has a high percentage of first responders; haven't seen recent numbers but recall seeing it as high as 40% for some. So, use of the NG has to be carefully thought through, especially if it will be extended use. The challenge is they will draw heavily from the same first responder/healthcare worker pool which potentially is already taxed; law of unintended consequences.
It's just a different scenario than a typical DR.

 

[RackMaster]

Isn't that called “winter”?

Except for the most part winter's done or will be done in another month or so.

 

[BloodStripe]

The WH has finally pushed guidance on dealing with contractor support. Posting as many on here are impacted.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-conte...9wPrlz--T0R9GOUhH3aXHCx14E_5Lb144Kt9xkYN4QBUE

 

[RackMaster]

You're welcome China.

China’s imported coronavirus cases soar as students, expats flock home

 

[Blizzard]

Canadian ingenuity.

Hospital turns its one ventilator into nine with some DIY mechanics

Shared this with a doc friend who was skeptical and responded with, "Tell your famiy, if a doctor ever comes to them and asks that you'll be put on a vent with three other people they should vote for the three other people dying".

 

[Ooh-Rah]

 

[BloodStripe]

Welp, was just notified via an all hands text an employee in my office has tested positive for COVID-19. They won't say who, which concerns me as to whether or not I had close contact with them.

 

[Brill]

Welp, was just notified via all hands an employee in my office has tested positive for COVID-19. They won't say who, which concerns me as to whether or not I had close contact with them.

 

[BloodStripe]

I mentioned elsewhere that I don't even have computer access yet. Because of this, the command wouldn't let me work from home because what could I do? I'll tell you, I could not be around a building with over 1,000 people in it potentially contracting this virus.

ETA: This person is in my office, not just the building.

 

[Brill]

I mentioned elsewhere that I don't even have computer access yet. Because of this, the command wouldn't let me work from home because what could I do? I'll tell you, I could not be around a building with over 1,000 people in it potentially contracting this virus.

Your new job blows. I haven't been inside work since last Tuesday and not scheduled until Tues next week (Can’t work from home.) Be careful man.

 

[RackMaster]

Shared this with a doc friend who was skeptical and responded with, "Tell your famiy, if a doctor ever comes to them and asks that you'll be put on a vent with three other people they should vote for the three other people dying".

I'm legitimately curious about it. The doc that did it has the educational background to build it with the right safe guards.

 

[Blizzard]

I'm legitimately curious about it. The doc that did it has the educational background to build it with the right safe guards.

Me too, which is why I asked my doc buddy about it. It's well outside my wheelhouse but definitely in his. This was part of his response (referencing the video in the story):
"Where to even start? Probably works great until you get sicker and need more pressure than your neighbor who now gets all air. She talks about being used in the Las Vegas Trauma response. But that's entirely different because most of those people would have healthy lungs. They don't need to vent for lung function."

Maybe works under certain very specific situations? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Always appreciate someone trying to come up with innovative solutions though.

 

[RackMaster]

Me too, which is why I asked my doc buddy about it. Well outside my wheelhouse but this was part of his response (referencing the video in the story):
"Where to even start? Probably works great until you get sicker and need more pressure than your neighbor who now gets all air. She talks about being used in the Las Vegas Trauma response. But that's entirely different because most of those people would have healthy lungs. They don't need to vent for lung function."

Maybe works under certain very specific situations? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Always appreciate someone trying to come up with innovative solutions though.

Found a better article and his approach is to use it as a last resort. There's more details in the article on it's function and limits. I know the hospital and it's a small rural hospital that normally doesn't have much inpatient care. The article says it recently got 4 new ventilators to replace 4 old ones that can't be repaired any more but are still functioning, held in reserve.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/perth-ventilator-covid-19-1.5501891

 

[Florida173]

Pretty interesting article

Evidence over hysteria — COVID-19

 

[Brill]

Fighting COVID!

 

[BloodStripe]

Your new job blows. I haven't been inside work since last Tuesday and not scheduled until Tues next week (Can’t work from home.) Be careful man.

Yea,

Your new job blows. I haven't been inside work since last Tuesday and not scheduled until Tues next week (Can’t work from home.) Be careful man.

Yea, it is vastly different culturaly from where I was.