D1 is at a major academic hospital in New England. An Ivy. The microbiology dept is “disinfecting” masks every night, but each disinfection cycle degrades the polymer fibers in the make making them less and less effective at filtering. After a few cycles, the mask is basically worthless at anything except being physical barrier to large droplets. It won’t protect against aerosolized virus–which is what happens when a COVID+ patient is intubated or is test-swabbed.
D does both every shift. When she intubates a patient, the risk of infection is so high, she send all support personnel out of the room. Only 1 volunteer nurse (who restrains the patient) and 1 volunteer RT (who prepares the ventilator and operates it once the patient is intubated) are allowed to stay in the room.
Under normal conditions, this procedure is ONLY done in a pressure negative room to contain the aerosols which requires the room be left unused for 2 hours so the air can cycle through special filters.
My youngest sib was tested this morning after a telemed conference with her doctor. She was told to expect the result w/in 72 hours.
In the meantime, a friend who is HIV+ was tested after his husband came into contact with someone who came down with the virus. His test was fast tracked and came back positive. Presumably his H is as well.
See how much we don’t know? And I’d think that some, with the little they have heard, can see “symptoms” in every throat twitch. We need to be appropriately analytical about this. That can be tough.
Since the base advice is to stay home, not congregate, to limit possible contacts, that’s what we non-professionals can do. I hope we are. You still need to be vigilant, but watch how we react.
Here’s a hopeful update on my neighbor who was hospitalized and intubated on Wednesday. She’s still on a ventilator but her numbers look good - they are gradually decreasing the % oxygen and the pressure. So far, so good.
I haven’t prayed this much in a long time.
Her husband still feels fine, no symptoms. He’s just antsy because he can’t be with her.
I work for a hospital system and we get daily updates. Yesterday our update said that this past week 46% of all visits were telemed. They expect that to highly increase this coming week.
I didn’t know whether to “like” your post or not! I like that people are on board with telemed-ing, but if they’re all covid 19 cases, that’s not so good.
A friend posted 6 days ago on FB that his wife (a healthcare worker) was in the ICU on oxygen and hoped to only be on it for 4 days. It has been 6 days and he hasn’t updated his post so people are concerned.
I have 3 different friends and a cousin who are healthcare workers who have come out of retirement in NY to help fight the virus. They are exhausted and in the age bracket that is at risk. I’m nervous for them and try to get updates about their well being as much as I can.
I honestly don’t know if I would do that, especially with the shortage of PPEs.
@Groundwork2022 those telemed visits would encompass everything from a well check for a 1 year old to a post op visit that did not need an in person procedure.
I think where telemedicine is really helping, is it will keep some people out of the ER or urgent care facilities. If a telemed visit covers their concerns, it will be a huge help to the overburden system.
My daughter is deemed essential and is working a major hospital doing research. Worried as a mom about her chances getting covid. Someone in her research building has tested positive. Made me thing as parent what can you do to get info for an adult child if something happens and she is admitted? Not sure if HIPPA would allow information to be released to a parent
@123txmom, your daughter should be able to sign her health-care provider’s release form indicating that you can be contacted. I suggest that you ask her whether she has done so.
You can’t get info unless she has signed the appropriate paperwork. Before our D when to college 1000 miles away this fall we made her sign everything so that if there was a problem and we weren’t there, we’d be able to talk to her doctors.
An ER doctor that I worked with has designed a plexiglass device to cover a patient head/chest with arm holes to allow a provider to intubate. He is reaching out to manufactures, etc. to try and get it produced.