COVID-19

[Wyldnwoody44]

Some medical tidbits and thoughts from my brain. 

The virus affects the ACE (angiotension converting enzyme) in the body, so those on ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, etc) are at a higher risk of a more aggressive response to the virus, causing much worse symptoms and attacks on cardiovascular and pulmonary health. The same theory applies to smokers, due to mainly hypertension and the previous affects and damage from smoking. 

 

Innoculation size matters, a person infected from small contact on then hands and then rubbing their eyes, will not have the same response as someone that gets a cough in the face, the severity is directly linked to initial viral load and that is why Healthcare workers are at an extremely high risk. 

The virus is bigger than most, but still small, 3 covid-19 virus could line up side by side and still go through an N95 mask, so it's helpful but it's not quite as good as it needs to be. 

Lastly, we are not testing as well as many think, the health department yesterday changed their stance multiple times and requested that we Don't test unless certain criteria were met, seems counterintuitive, but we simply don't have enough tests and we need to be selective in who we swab for this virus, if we do test the turnaround time is 3-10 days for a result at this moment. 

I'll also add this, we are grossly unprepared for any pandemic, I'm utterly shocked and saddened by seeing this first hand, if this was more deadly or something like ebola, we would be in super big trouble, I don't know what this will be in the future, but we need to get our crap together as a nation. 

[darksabre]

7 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Some medical tidbits and thoughts from my brain. 

The virus affects the ACE (angiotension converting enzyme) in the body, so those on ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, etc) are at a higher risk of a more aggressive response to the virus, causing much worse symptoms and attacks on cardiovascular and pulmonary health. The same theory applies to smokers, due to mainly hypertension and the previous affects and damage from smoking. 

 

Innoculation size matters, a person infected from small contact on then hands and then rubbing their eyes, will not have the same response as someone that gets a cough in the face, the severity is directly linked to initial viral load and that is why Healthcare workers are at an extremely high risk. 

The virus is bigger than most, but still small, 3 covid-19 virus could line up side by side and still go through an N95 mask, so it's helpful but it's not quite as good as it needs to be. 

Lastly, we are not testing as well as many think, the health department yesterday changed their stance multiple times and requested that we Don't test unless certain criteria were met, seems counterintuitive, but we simply don't have enough tests and we need to be selective in who we swab for this virus, if we do test the turnaround time is 3-10 days for a result at this moment. 

I'll also add this, we are grossly unprepared for any pandemic, I'm utterly shocked and saddened by seeing this first hand, if this was more deadly or something like ebola, we would be in super big trouble, I don't know what this will be in the future, but we need to get our crap together as a nation. 

Interesting stuff here woody, thanks.

I don't think anyone thinks that the testing is going well. It seems pretty obvious that the people responsible for making sure we could do proper testing did not do their due diligence.

And I don't mean to be cynical, but how many people do we think need to die from this (including from the economic fallout) to see this actually happen? 200,000? 500,000? I'm simply skeptical that America, and Americans, are capable of anything other than management by crisis.
 

[FogBat]

I'm really starting to appreciate the balanced reporting and coverage that the AP is dedicating to this crisis.

[drnkirishone]

Wyld, thanks for giving us some inside baseball factiods. Has your opinion of the precautions/measures being put into place shifted? Are you still of the opinion that it is mostly overreacting?

[FogBat]

6 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Interesting stuff here woody, thanks.

I don't think anyone thinks that the testing is going well. It seems pretty obvious that the people responsible for making sure we could do proper testing did not do their due diligence.

And I don't mean to be cynical, but how many people do we think need to die from this (including from the economic fallout) to see this actually happen? 200,000? 500,000? I'm simply skeptical that America, and Americans, are capable of anything other than management by crisis.
 

I think we all would love to see them put a stop to it. We get it. I do trust that God is in control of all of this, and that He will provide the means for this to end. Having a Veruca  Salt mindset over this isn't going to help make matters any better.

[ubkev]

21 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Interesting stuff here woody, thanks.

I don't think anyone thinks that the testing is going well. It seems pretty obvious that the people responsible for making sure we could do proper testing did not do their due diligence.

And I don't mean to be cynical, but how many people do we think need to die from this (including from the economic fallout) to see this actually happen? 200,000? 500,000? I'm simply skeptical that America, and Americans, are capable of anything other than management by crisis.
 

Wait and see what happens to civil rights in this country when all is said and done. 

No one ever got additional freedoms after a crisis.

[PASabreFan]

This from the CDC is somewhat heartening (but from March 6). Lots of caveats though. Don't stop washing your hands and disinfecting. It does beg the question — if asymptomatic people are infecting people, how are they doing so without coughing/sneezing?

"Based on what is currently known about the novel coronavirus and similar coronaviruses that cause SARS and MERS, spread from person-to-person with these viruses happens most frequently among close contacts (within about 6 feet). This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets. On the other hand, transmission of novel coronavirus to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented. Transmission of coronavirus occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through fomites. Current evidence suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials."

[darksabre]

3 minutes ago, ubkev said:

Wait and see what happens to civil rights in this country when all is said and done. 

No one ever got additional freedoms after a crisis.

I'm hopeful that things won't get to the point where we have to find out.

Regardless of where things go from here, my only takeaway at the moment is that wherever we end up will have caused some level of suffering that is greater than it needed to be.

[PASabreFan]

6 minutes ago, ubkev said:

Wait and see what happens to civil rights in this country when all is said and done. 

No one ever got additional freedoms after a crisis.

Tough one. To relate it to a specific and now infamous bit of news, did those throngs of people on the beach in Florida have the right to frolick during a pandemic?

[North Buffalo]

47 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Interesting stuff here woody, thanks.

I don't think anyone thinks that the testing is going well. It seems pretty obvious that the people responsible for making sure we could do proper testing did not do their due diligence.

And I don't mean to be cynical, but how many people do we think need to die from this (including from the economic fallout) to see this actually happen? 200,000? 500,000? I'm simply skeptical that America, and Americans, are capable of anything other than management by crisis.
 

Testing may not have been adequate and it is taking far too long, but we are now seeing it ramp up big time in my area, so there is hope.... Also people are following stay at home rules much better than down south.

Edited March 18, 2020 by North Buffalo

[LGR4GM]

49 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Some medical tidbits and thoughts from my brain. 

The virus affects the ACE (angiotension converting enzyme) in the body, so those on ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, etc) are at a higher risk of a more aggressive response to the virus, causing much worse symptoms and attacks on cardiovascular and pulmonary health. The same theory applies to smokers, due to mainly hypertension and the previous affects and damage from smoking. 

 

Innoculation size matters, a person infected from small contact on then hands and then rubbing their eyes, will not have the same response as someone that gets a cough in the face, the severity is directly linked to initial viral load and that is why Healthcare workers are at an extremely high risk. 

The virus is bigger than most, but still small, 3 covid-19 virus could line up side by side and still go through an N95 mask, so it's helpful but it's not quite as good as it needs to be. 

Lastly, we are not testing as well as many think, the health department yesterday changed their stance multiple times and requested that we Don't test unless certain criteria were met, seems counterintuitive, but we simply don't have enough tests and we need to be selective in who we swab for this virus, if we do test the turnaround time is 3-10 days for a result at this moment. 

I'll also add this, we are grossly unprepared for any pandemic, I'm utterly shocked and saddened by seeing this first hand, if this was more deadly or something like ebola, we would be in super big trouble, I don't know what this will be in the future, but we need to get our crap together as a nation. 

Huh, wonder why we don't have enough tests. Too bad the WHO doesn't have any to get to us. 

1 minute ago, North Buffalo said:

Testing may not have been adequate and it is taking far too long, but we are no seeing it ramp up big time in my area, so there is hope.... Also people are following stay at home rules much better than down south.

Down south isn't really doing much other than allowing people to work from home. Everything is still open and running like normal. Friends in the construction industry say business is booming right now. 

[North Buffalo]

5 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

This from the CDC is somewhat heartening (but from March 6). Lots of caveats though. Don't stop washing your hands and disinfecting. It does beg the question — if asymptomatic people are infecting people, how are they doing so without coughing/sneezing?

"Based on what is currently known about the novel coronavirus and similar coronaviruses that cause SARS and MERS, spread from person-to-person with these viruses happens most frequently among close contacts (within about 6 feet). This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets. On the other hand, transmission of novel coronavirus to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented. Transmission of coronavirus occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through fomites. Current evidence suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials."

Surface/fomite issue is why and high grade cleaning solvents are so important as well as washing hands thoroughly and frequently is so important.

[SwampD]

7 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

Testing may not have been adequate and it is taking far too long, but we are no seeing it ramp up big time in my area, so there is hope.... Also people are following stay at home rules much better than down south.

I'm assuming the missing letter is a T and not a W based on the rest of that sentence.

[Wyldnwoody44]

38 minutes ago, drnkirishone said:

Wyld, thanks for giving us some inside baseball factiods. Has your opinion of the precautions/measures being put into place shifted? Are you still of the opinion that it is mostly overreacting?

I think there is some overreacting, yes. But I've softened a bit on my original stance, especially since being back in the thick of the hospital. 

I think social distancing is mostly good, it's probably even necessary, but social distancing can be done in a different manner (or, it should be able to be done without all of this) but maybe us as human are incapable without all the shutdown. 

It's just so unique, H1N1 killed a lot of people and the response there was nowhere near the same as it is now, I'm still having a difficult time wrapping my head around the stark differences. 

[North Buffalo]

5 minutes ago, SwampD said:

I'm assuming the missing letter is a T and not a W based on the rest of that sentence.

no it was a w

[Weave]

1 hour ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

 The virus affects the ACE (angiotension converting enzyme) in the body, so those on ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, etc) are at a higher risk of a more aggressive response to the virus, causing much worse symptoms and attacks on cardiovascular and pulmonary health. 

Well, this just scared the ***** out of me.

[North Buffalo]

drive thru testing with less than a day turnaround is being implemented as we speak.. National guard triage sites being set outside hospitals to screen patients and testing supposedly... we will see but setup work is being done.

[SwampD]

1 minute ago, North Buffalo said:

no it was a w

Sorry, I misread that. Testing is ramping up. Gottit.

19 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I'm hopeful that things won't get to the point where we have to find out.

Regardless of where things go from here, my only takeaway at the moment is that wherever we end up will have caused some level of suffering that is greater than it needed to be.

As long as it doesn't postpone the election.

(not meant to be political)

[darksabre]

1 minute ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

I think there is some overreacting, yes. But I've softened a bit on my original stance, especially since being back in the thick of the hospital. 

I think social distancing is mostly good, it's probably even necessary, but social distancing can be done in a different manner (or, it should be able to be done without all of this) but maybe us as human are incapable without all the shutdown. 

It's just so unique, H1N1 killed a lot of people and the response there was nowhere near the same as it is now, I'm still having a difficult time wrapping my head around the stark differences. 

Is it possible that COVID-19 has been here longer than we think, and that some deaths previously attributed to the regular flu were actually from this virus?

It'll be interesting to see what the curve looks like as testing ramps up. NYC jumped significantly overnight.

[North Buffalo]

d4rk,  folks here are wondering if a lot of us had it in early January... unknown virus, upper respiratory, short-term low grade fever, sinus infection that lasted 4-8 weeks with dry cough... who knows.

Edited March 18, 2020 by North Buffalo

[Wyldnwoody44]

4 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Is it possible that COVID-19 has been here longer than we think, and that some deaths previously attributed to the regular flu were actually from this virus?

It'll be interesting to see what the curve looks like as testing ramps up. NYC jumped significantly overnight.

I saw a big influx in the hospital in January/February of patients with flu like symptoms, very classic influenza but yet tested negative and it was just attributed to a general viral illness. 

With zero tangible proof, just my own personal opinion, I do believe it has been here since about Christmas. 

It's part of the reason why I still feel the overreaction is a bit more than needed. 

 

But, it's all an evolving thing 

[darksabre]

Just now, North Buffalo said:

Agark d4rk,  folks here are wondering if a lot of us had it in early January... unknown virus, upper respiratory, low grade fever, sinus infection that lasted 4-8 weeks with dry cough... who knows.

My boss had something like this back in November. That's kinda why I'm curious.

Increased testing is going to give us a much better picture.

[Wyldnwoody44]

8 minutes ago, Weave said:

Well, this just scared the ***** out of me.

It affects it, but doesn't guarantee that you'll be left incapacitated. Just make sure you wash your hands and just use some common sense is all ?

[Weave]

Just now, Wyldnwoody44 said:

It affects it, but doesn't guarantee that you'll be left incapacitated. Just make sure you wash your hands and just use some common sense is all ?

That sounds nice but it really depends on everyone else’s common sense as well.  

[Wyldnwoody44]

Just now, Weave said:

That sounds nice but it really depends on everyone else’s common sense as well.  

Well.... In that case.... You're screwed ?