Just the Facts, the Crown virus.

[Larry]

I have a United Health Care Medicare advantage plan paid for by my past employer.  They came up with something new called WellAtHome.  I signed up for it.  They send out a Covid-19 test kit, thermometer, and a dose of Tamiflu.  According to the instructions if I feel sick I'm supposed to call in and a Doctor will tell me if I need to take the Tamiflu or do the Covid test.  I haven't got the kit yet.

It sounds good to me.  If I get the flu I don't have to make a Doctor appointment, sit in a waiting room, or get in line at the pharmacy.  Plus it saves a couple of days time which they say really helps with Tamiflu.

So to my Doctor friends is this a valid program?  Anything that I need to be aware of?

[Ianab]

It sounds good to me.  If I get the flu I don't have to make a Doctor appointment, sit in a waiting room, or get in line at the pharmacy.  Plus it saves a couple of days time which they say really helps with Tamiflu.

Sounds sensible, even if the primary aim is to keep your virus ridden body out of the Dr's office.  ;)
If you roll up to the medical centre with "flu symptoms" everyone else there is at risk of catching whatever you have. And all they can really do is ask your symptoms,  take your temp, order a Covid test, and maybe give you a script for Tamiflu and paracetamol. All that can be covered with a phone call and the kit you have been sent. Unless you get so sick you need hospital level care, there isn't anything more they can do. ~90% of Covid patients seem to recover at home OK.   I assume they would also have a nurse do welfare calls each day, in case you do need more serious care. 
Instructions here in NZ if you had "flu" symptoms was to call your Dr, or the National 24 hour Health-Line for advice. They could then direct you to a drive up Covid test site if necessary, and tell you to stay isolated until the test came back. Again they didn't want you coughing in the Drs waiting room, and there wasn't much the Doc could do for you at that point anyway.  
So we had (and still have) frequent Govt ads on TV / Radio / Internet with  "What  to do if you think you have Covid or flu symptoms"   Don't go to your Dr, call them or the Health-line toll free number for advice. Although the virus is under control here at the moment, and we don't have any restrictions locally, the border quarantine hasn't been perfect and a handful of cases have sneaked in. So we keep getting reminded that the pandemic isn't actually over yet, so don't relax completely. 

[samandothers]

My mom died Friday afternoon, not from covid. She was 80. Smoked a lot till about 8 years ago, Had a triple by-pass 7, never felt right afterwards. The funeral home is telling us the state (wi) is telling them that they can't have a funeral, as there's a local outbreak, but of course when pressed on numbers, they won't say.

Sorry to hear of your loss.  It is difficult I imagine to not be able to gather with family and grieve and comfort one another.

[samandothers]

most viruses need a mucus membrane like inside your mouth or nose, or an eyeball.  Most can live  awhile on a surface.  most would be made inactive by heat or solvents like alcohol that destroy the finer structures of proteins.  so if you touch a surface, you prob. need to rub you eye, or poss. use you hands to put something in your mouth. if you swallowed all the virus it would be killed in your stomach by acid.  but if they stay on your cheek, they can be incorporated into cells and start replicating. 

So if I go to a restaurant, eat outside, wear a mask (except when taking a bite), wear gloves and safety glasses.   OH and most importantly take several shots of my favorite alcoholic beverage after dinner to cleans the palate so to speak!

[Sedgehammer]

My mom died Friday afternoon, not from covid. She was 80. Smoked a lot till about 8 years ago, Had a triple by-pass 7, never felt right afterwards. The funeral home is telling us the state (wi) is telling them that they can't have a funeral, as there's a local outbreak, but of course when pressed on numbers, they won't say.

Sorry to hear of your loss.  It is difficult I imagine to not be able to gather with family and grieve and comfort one another.

Thanks, appreciate that. I'll move this to the general, don't want to derail this thread. I meant to just post about what covid was doing to families or the state i mean, but I digress. 

[Sedgehammer]

Just checked our states stats.

924 currently hospitalized

.6% DOD

One can reasonably slow it down. One cannot reasonably stop it. 

[doc henderson]

I think common sense rules the day.  We expect everyone to get it, but it may take several years.  hopefully not rapidly changing/mutating (needs a new vaccine each year if so).  The goal is to protect the vulnerable.  the rest of us are almost sure to get it or a vaccine.  the goal is to not have military reservist with guns at the front of every hospital to control riots if too many people get it at once.  we are full, relative to available nursing staff ect.  some quitting or getting sick and quarantining.

[Ianab]

So if I go to a restaurant, eat outside, wear a mask (except when taking a bite), wear gloves and safety glasses.  

Yes, but if you dont go to the restaurant at all, and eat at home, there is even less risk. Experience here has shown that supermarkets can operate safely with precautions. Restaurants with closer extended contacts and eating is always going to be higher risk. Dining in was allowed as restrictions eased, but numbers were limited, tables spaced out more, and you had waiting staff dedicated to only a couple of tables each, just to cut down that number of contacts.

[doc henderson]

I agree, and to illustrate that point, half of our cases reside in a nursing home, prison, or tech. group home.  

[Ianab]

Thanks, appreciate that. I'll move this to the general, don't want to derail this thread. I meant to just post about what covid was doing to families or the state i mean, but I digress. 

Sorry to hear about your Mother as well. 

Kinda relates to the other thread "Hidden Pandemic", about the mental toll the pandemic is having on folks. Things that we take for granted like weddings or funerals suddenly become hazardous to everyone's health.  Look after yourself and your close family.

[Sedgehammer]

Thanks, appreciate that. I'll move this to the general, don't want to derail this thread. I meant to just post about what covid was doing to families or the state i mean, but I digress.

Sorry to hear about your Mother as well.

Kinda relates to the other thread "Hidden Pandemic", about the mental toll the pandemic is having on folks. Things that we take for granted like weddings or funerals suddenly become hazardous to everyone's health.  Look after yourself and your close family.

Thanks and you're right. we are, as much as can be reasonable. Wife still sees patients with it nearly everyday, so it's prolly just matter of time for us. 

[samandothers]

Visiting a restaurant is something I miss. We have gone out to pick up stuff but not eaten inside since this all started.  We did pick up some Bagels the other day and sit outside the place and eat those since foot traffic was low.

[Sedgehammer]

We go out at least once every other week. Use to be weekly. My wife works really hard and she likes to go out to eat at different places. 

We're ranging around 1% to 1.5% increase daily. I don't know why some places are seeing it climb much faster. Everything is open here. Restaurants are busy. Stores are busy. Maybe 1/3 wearing masks. 

[doc henderson]

we made the news for the rise in patients, in part due to not having so much.  KC and Wichita got hit first.  we got the institutionalized folks.  now it is in the community.  We have been ready and waiting to the point that some were over it before it even got here.  It is 1/3 to half of what we see each day.  Hardly any employee has got it from work.  so hand sanitizing and masks must be helping.  we go up, as the suspicion goes up,  N95 or papr.  initial fear of the unknown, has dissipated.

[alan gage]

We've having another spike here in the past couple weeks. I was surprised to see today that our county of 9200 people has had 20 deaths out of 450 cases. Our neighboring county has about the same infection rate with 17,000 people and only 9 deaths in 750 cases. But it's gotten into two nursing homes in our county so far and that seems to be where most of the deaths have come from.

Alan

[samandothers]

Doc,

Thank you and others that work on the front lines combating this virus.  I know it takes a lot of mental and physical stamina to continue in face of the long hours, mental fatigue and the constant flow of patients.

[Magicman]

Flattening the curve never said that there would be significantly fewer cases, just spread them out so as not to overwhelm the medical facilities and their ability to care for the patients.  That seems to have happened.

[Sedgehammer]

.6% increase today. If you read the news media we're out of control. 

@Magicman you are 100% correct. It can't be stopped in a large country, but it can be reasonably slowed. 

[Sedgehammer]

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[doc henderson]

In our prison system there are 1200 inmates, and 600 have had it.  lots of young healthy folks.  may be better to just get it over with.  but most of these do not need hospitalization.  Our hospital is filled to max capacity due to nursing shortage.  all surrounding referral centers on diversion 80% of the time.  many will not take a covid transfer.  Even trauma which is never shut down, has been down intermittently.  It is, after all, a world wide pandemic.

[Sedgehammer]

In our prison system there are 1200 inmates, and 600 have had it.  lots of young healthy folks.  may be better to just get it over with.  but most of these do not need hospitalization.  Our hospital is filled to max capacity due to nursing shortage.  all surrounding referral centers on diversion 80% of the time.  many will not take a covid transfer.  Even trauma which is never shut down, has been down intermittently.  It is, after all, a world wide pandemic.

i think social distancing is an alright idea. Main thing though is to protect the vulnerable. That is where the focus needs to be.  

.9% DOD here, but that's being called rampant by some. I won't say where..... :D

[alan gage]

posted with no comment besides no comment

Sorry to contribute to the thread drift.
Alan

[Sedgehammer]

We're up yesterday and today. 1.4% dod yesterday,  1.6 dod today. It's been around 1% for a long while. Everything is still open. Walmart no longer enforcing mask usage. 

[Ed_K]

 State of Ma. just changed the rules again. Now mask is required all the time, all business's are to close by 9:30. If you drive someone other that your immediate family you need to wear one. It's a $500. fine but some town aren't enforcing just reminding you to wear the Dang mask ;D.

[doc henderson]

After a 7 am meeting,  they are setting up for overflow with a disaster trailer and two large tents in the drive to the ed.  We are in "it" now.  should at least send a message as many in the community are over the whole "covid"  thing