Coronavirus

[KiwiMoose]

In certain areas of my state wearing a mask in public IS mandatory by executive order of the Governor, and although you won't get arrested for not wearing one, you can/will get a fine - first offense $1000 fine, and it goes up from there each time. (and yes, they have fined newscasters for being out reporting the news in those areas without masks on)

I'm with the others who have said if you (you as in the collective "you" of the general public, not pointing any 1 person out here) don't want to wear a mask, then don't go where it's madated, or stay home. It's easy enough to avoid being in public when you don't have to be. And if you absolutely have to be out, wear a mask. If for health reasons you can't wear a mask, then you probably shouldn't be out in public anyway until this is all under control and contained. Have someone else do your errands and running around for you.

This showed up today - quite interesting: Scientist Demonstrates The Effect Of Wearing A Mask Vs. Not Wearing One

In New Zealand it was never mandated to wear a mask - but we were told that if we went out in public (which was only for 'essential' items like groceries or healthcare) we were told to "act as if we have the virus". In other words - do everything we can to avoid spreading it to others.

 

[MarnieSoapien]

On another note - what does any of this have to do with soapmaking?

As the person who started this thread, there was no mention of politics or conspiracy theories or statistics.

Just hows everyone doing, anyone affected. Since when was checking in with everyone such a contentious thought?

Anyone on here for any time knows we all talk about much more than soaping, particularly in a general chat sub forum.

This was discussed on page 34. Soap making is a community and I personally want to know how people are holding up during these unprecedented times.

 

[AliOop]

In New Zealand it was never mandated to wear a mask - but we were told that if we went out in public (which was only for 'essential' items like groceries or healthcare) we were told to "act as if we have the virus". In other words - do everything we can to avoid spreading it to others.

I believe that was a very wise way to talk to people and get their buy-in to cooperate. The threats that have been issued from some of our public officials (whose family members were some of those caught flaunting the rules) just got people riled up and wanting to push back.

As the proverb goes, you catch more flies with honey...

Obama never went out of his way to create a divide. People who found him divisive had their own reasons and there was nothing he could do about that.

Sorry, I have to disagree. Former President O was a much smoother politician who thankfully did know how to behave and speak in public... but he was extremely divisive. He wasn't any more willing to meet in the middle than our current president, who is also divisive but in a much more in-your-face way.

I'm no fan of former President Clinton for many reasons, but at least he got the parties to work together on a variety of issues. It's a shame that neither party in this country can apparently find someone who knows how to bring people to the table to work things out.

 

[rdc1978]

I believe that was a very wise way to talk to people and get their buy-in to cooperate. The threats that have been issued from some of our public officials (whose family members were some of those caught flaunting the rules) just got people riled up and wanting to push back.

As the proverb goes, you catch more flies with honey...

If people are willing to risk their safety and the safety of others because they weren't asked nicely enough, then it seems like promulgation is probably the best solution.

Sorry, I have to disagree. Former President O was a much smoother politician who thankfully did know how to behave and speak in public... but he was extremely divisive. He wasn't any more willing to meet in the middle than our current president, who is also divisive but in a much more in-your-face way.

I'm no fan of former President Clinton for many reasons, but at least he got the parties to work together on a variety of issues. It's a shame that neither party in this country can apparently find someone who knows how to bring people to the table to work things out.

1. The transportation bill of 2015 was a bipartisan effort that was passed due to significant compromises by Obama.

2. The stimulus bill of 2009 was passed with substantial changes made by Senate republicans, and though democrats held a supermajority and could have forced the original bill through, Obama insisted that the altered bill pass because he wanted to foster a working relationship with republicans.

3. The ACA took an extended period to get through Congress because Obama attempted to get republican buy-in.

This versus Mitch McConnell, a party leader openly admitting that he pressured his party not to work with Obama no matter what the legislation as soon as the man took office.

And some of these pieces of legislation, such as educational bills were inspired by republican plans, which was another effort by Obama to bridge the divide.

How is that Obama's fault?

I believe that was a very wise way to talk to people and get their buy-in to cooperate. The threats that have been issued from some of our public officials (whose family members were some of those caught flaunting the rules) just got people riled up and wanting to push back.

As the proverb goes, you catch more flies with honey...


Sorry, I have to disagree. Former President O was a much smoother politician who thankfully did know how to behave and speak in public... but he was extremely divisive. He wasn't any more willing to meet in the middle than our current president, who is also divisive but in a much more in-your-face way.

I'm no fan of former President Clinton for many reasons, but at least he got the parties to work together on a variety of issues. It's a shame that neither party in this country can apparently find someone who knows how to bring people to the table to work things out.

If people won't do something designed to protect the safety of themselves and others unless they are asked nicely enough it seems better to promulgate the behavior.

 

[melinda48]

The implication that people from the other side of the aisle do not value liberty, freedom and individual expression just as much as a conservative is odd to me.

Many staunch conservatives do not support particular freedoms or individual expressions. If you'd like me to delve further, I can. I don't want to vilify someone who's political views I don't agree with, but we can talk about it if you're open to it.



Obama never went out of his way to create a divide. People who found him divisive had their own reasons and there was nothing he could do about that.

Many democrats were disappointed by his moderate stance and many republicans benefitted from the ACA, one of his biggest political wins.

To try to say that our current POTUS is as divisive as our last seems to ignore that one of them never tried to be anything but.

Whether people love the current POTUS or hate him, we can probably all agree in unity that he is nothing like our last POTUS.

Every utterance was one to promote divisiveness. He constantly “lectured” the American people and tried his best to “change the very nature of America”. Sadly, although he could have done more for our African American brothers and sisters, he did nothing.

Along came a man who is so very annoying but who has permanently funded HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), implemented the First Step Program to assist convicted felons, created empowerment zones to offer incentives for businesses to move into underserved neighborhoods. I see a “pushy New Yorker” (I am a New Yorker myself) who gets things done. While I often cringe, I appreciate what he has accomplished.

So often I wish he would just shut up but then I look at all he has done to help small and large businesses, and can appreciate the results. I had high hopes when Obama was elected but ended up being greatly disappointed with his one-world order push. I want to live my life on my terms and appreciate that our current President understands that.

 

[MarnieSoapien]

I would like to take this opportunity to remind people that discussion of religion and politics are not SMF approved topics.

 

[Jersey Girl]

It does seem absurd, doesn't it? And yet, the masses didn't come up with this issue as being divisive on their own: the behaviour is modelled from the very top. Like so many things that Americans now say "This shouldn't be a partisan issue" and yet it somehow, in the past 4 years, now is.....

I think it’s more of a common sense issue and an issue of people being confused by conflicting reports regarding the efficacy and Safety of wearing masks. Regardless of what leadership at the top says or does and regardless whether I am a supporter of that leadership, Ive chosen to wear a mask. I’m a dental hygienist, although I haven’t worked in 15 years, but I know that masks do offer protection. I mostly use an N95 or a surgical mask if I have to. I don’t think cloth masks or bandanas are effective personally but are better than nothing. I don’t spend too much time in situations where I need to wear one as it gets hard to breath at times in the heat. I’m probably going to be wearing one in certain situations long after this virus has waned again regardless of what any leadership does or says.

 

[DeeAnna]

Thanks, @MarnieSoapien -- Please, let's get this thread steered back closer to the original discussion in which everyone can contribute. I've really appreciated hearing others' feelings, personal observations, and reputable information about the covid virus.

 

[lsg]

This is not a political forum. Please leave out all opinions about and references to this and other administrations.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm sorry - I probably started this with my criticism of your president (albeit without mentioning his name) back in post 778. I did expect a backlash but did not expect it to take quite such a political turn. My apologies.
Let's get back to Covid...

 

[DeeAnna]

Annnnddd on that note --

This was shared on Facebook by my 30something niece who is finally at home recovering from covid-19. It is such a helpless feeling to have a family member in the ICU fighting to survive this disease -- it hammers home the reality that this disease is not a conspiracy, is not a joke, and is not a mere cold or the flu. I could go on, but I instead would rather you read this doctor's essay...

"This week I was one of the COVID doctors in the hospital. Before I went on service, I had planned to share my experiences when I got home after my last shift. That didn't happen because I was mentally and emotionally exhausted after being at the hospital for 15+ hours.
I am going to try to break things down so that the general public can understand, because I want everyone, not just my fellow healthcare workers, to be as scared as I am.

"This is going to be long, but hopefully will be worth the read for someone.

"For references purposes, I am a Hospitalist, which is sort of like your primary care doctor when you're in the hospital. We manage your chronic medical conditions and most of your acute issues in the hospital and consult specialists when we need additional help with complex decision making or a specialized procedure to be performed. We are also the primary point of contact for your nurse on most issues.

"I live in Arizona, the current COVID-19 hot spot. Arizona never really closed. Any level of closure that we obtained was the result of petitions with thousands of signatures from physicians. Despite pretty much being able to do anything you wanted to do except get your hair/nails done or eat out at a restaurant (carry out stayed open), people protested the state being closed. The state reopened immediately when criteria were put out to guide how and when states should reopen. To be clear, Arizona did not meet a single criteria for reopening. In addition, masks were not mandated. Governor Ducey avoided mandating masks and made it the responsibility of city Mayors to make any mandates. Mandatory masks were just implemented a few days ago.

"As you have almost certainly seen in the news, the rapid reopening without mandated masks has been catastrophic. In a couple of weeks we have gone from a few hundred cases per day to around 3,500 cases per day. A few weeks ago, I was working at the COVID-free hospital designated to be the primary elective surgery campus within the network. The past few days, our recently reopened COVID Unit has been near or completely full. I shared the patient's on the unit with one other hospitalist.

"Before I went on service this week, I read anything and everything I could to prepare myself to be the COVID doc. I was up to date on all of the latest recommendations. I was a little nervous, but felt like I was armed with the information that would allow me to help my patients.
I quickly learned that there is no possible way to prepare for how to treat a COVID patient. There is no rhyme, reason, or pattern. There is no possible way to predict what will happen with your patient.

"In my sign out to the doc taking over for me today, I prefaced the individual patient sign outs with, "one slightly improving, one with less oxygen requirements but possible new liver failure developing, everyone else getting worse."

"I have never seen anything like this. None of us have. We have no idea what we are doing. We are sharing evidence from small studies that could help and utilizing treatments that we think and hope are helpful. Of course, we also thought hydroxychloroquine was helpful a couple of months ago. So, we're hopefully helping people, maybe hurting them, and trying our best. We are flipping people on their stomachs while wide awake on a machine pushing oxygen into their lungs to try and help; this is called the prone position, and it works, but you're stuck in that position for as long as we can keep you there. The longer the better. Anyone on supplemental oxygen is receiving dexamethasone based on the European study that came out last week. We were using Remdesivir, but a patient I admitted two days ago is the last one that will receive it from our current stockpile. Convalescent plasma from patients that had COVID, recovered, and donated plasma is being administered, but studies suggest that antibody concentration diminishes by up to 90% within 2-3 months, so who knows if that's even doing anything.

"I realized in the past two days that oxygen saturation numbers that you see on the machines are completely worthless in many COVID patients. So, the one thing we thought we knew, that COVID causes profound hypoxia, was true, but it's actually much worse than we thought. In order to figure out if you are hypoxic (low blood oxygen levels), a needle is stuck into an artery in your wrist as often as is needed. It hurts. A lot. I will have a needle stuck into your artery as often as I need to. I'm sorry, I know it hurts, but it's for your own good.

"In any other time, most of my patients would already be intubated on a ventilator. We are managing so many critically ill patients on regular hospital floors. If we sent everyone to the ICU that would normally be there based on their current status and put them all on ventilators, all resources would be depleted in a day.

"The patients I cared for the past few days were the most miserable, uncomfortable, terrified patients I have seen in the past four years. I sat with them while they cried because they are scared that they will get worse and get intubated and die without ever seeing their loved ones again. I can't comfort them by saying they'll get better soon, because I don't know that they will. All I can tell them is that we're doing everything we can and I really hope they improve. I held a patients hand while she cried and screamed, "oh my god, I'm going to die, aren't I? I'm dying" when I told her we couldn't give her more oxygen without intubating her and putting her on life support. I then tried to comfort her children over the phone after I informed them they were not allowed to come in to the hospital to be with her. They asked if someone could be there to comfort her if she is going to die.

"Many of my patients were young. Many have no underlying conditions that predispose them to a bad outcome, yet are one bad blood oxygen reading away from needing to be intubated.

"COVID does not care who you are.

"I am scared and you should be, too.

"All of that is to send the following message:

"Please, please, stay home if you can. If you need to go out, WEAR A MASK! Do not touch your face. Wash your hands and sanitize often. I can't promise you won't end up in the hospital with COVID even if you do all of these things, but I promise it's the best shot you've got.
P.S. THANK YOU to all the amazing RNs, RTs, PCTs, Pharmacists, Pharmacy techs, lab techs, physical, occupational & speech therapists, social workers, case managers, environmental service workers, and everyone else that makes it possible to care for these patients in the best way we know how. You don't get enough credit. You all are the real MVPs.

______________________________________
"ADDENDUM: To be clear, COVID-19 is caused by a virus. This is a PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. It is not, never has been, and never will be a political issue. Politics have played a huge role in getting us into this mess, and it's time to cut them out. COVID doesn't discriminate, and it definitely doesn't care who you're going to vote for. When you see/hear/read anything related to COVID-19, pay attention to who is posting the information. If it is not coming from a medical professional, question your source.

______________________________________
"ADDENDUM-2: I am so incredibly shocked at how widely this has been shared. Thank you all! Please continue to share! Since people are reading this, I would like to use this platform to ask you to PLEASE talk with your loved ones about your wishes. If you have an advance directive, please bring it with you if you are unfortunately in need of hospitalization. If you do not have an advance directive, it's time to get one. If we do not know what you would like to be done, we assume that the answer is everything. If your loved one or listed MPOA [Medical Power of Attorney] is unaware of your wishes, they will likely also err on the side of doing everything. Help them to make those very difficult decisions by making your wishes known. Do not wait until you are in the hospital, because it may be too late. Please look up what it means to be "full code" vs "DNR/DNI [Do Not Resuscitate /Do Not Intubate]." Know what you would want done to you."

Author: Brandon Bikowski
Posted: 27 June 2020, 12:34 p.m.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.bikowski

Comments in brackets [ ] are mine --DeeAnna

 

[rdc1978]

I would like to take this opportunity to remind people that discussion of religion and politics are not SMF approved topics.

Thank you, I honestly didn't know and didn't mean to break the rules!

Annnnddd on that note --

This was shared on Facebook by my 30something niece who is finally at home recovering from covid-19. It is such a helpless feeling to have a family member in the ICU fighting to survive this disease -- it hammers home the reality that this disease is not a conspiracy, is not a joke, and is not a mere cold or the flu. I could go on, but I instead would rather you read this doctor's essay...

"This week I was one of the COVID doctors in the hospital. Before I went on service, I had planned to share my experiences when I got home after my last shift. That didn't happen because I was mentally and emotionally exhausted after being at the hospital for 15+ hours.
I am going to try to break things down so that the general public can understand, because I want everyone, not just my fellow healthcare workers, to be as scared as I am.

"This is going to be long, but hopefully will be worth the read for someone.

"For references purposes, I am a Hospitalist, which is sort of like your primary care doctor when you're in the hospital. We manage your chronic medical conditions and most of your acute issues in the hospital and consult specialists when we need additional help with complex decision making or a specialized procedure to be performed. We are also the primary point of contact for your nurse on most issues.

"I live in Arizona, the current COVID-19 hot spot. Arizona never really closed. Any level of closure that we obtained was the result of petitions with thousands of signatures from physicians. Despite pretty much being able to do anything you wanted to do except get your hair/nails done or eat out at a restaurant (carry out stayed open), people protested the state being closed. The state reopened immediately when criteria were put out to guide how and when states should reopen. To be clear, Arizona did not meet a single criteria for reopening. In addition, masks were not mandated. Governor Ducey avoided mandating masks and made it the responsibility of city Mayors to make any mandates. Mandatory masks were just implemented a few days ago.

"As you have almost certainly seen in the news, the rapid reopening without mandated masks has been catastrophic. In a couple of weeks we have gone from a few hundred cases per day to around 3,500 cases per day. A few weeks ago, I was working at the COVID-free hospital designated to be the primary elective surgery campus within the network. The past few days, our recently reopened COVID Unit has been near or completely full. I shared the patient's on the unit with one other hospitalist.

"Before I went on service this week, I read anything and everything I could to prepare myself to be the COVID doc. I was up to date on all of the latest recommendations. I was a little nervous, but felt like I was armed with the information that would allow me to help my patients.
I quickly learned that there is no possible way to prepare for how to treat a COVID patient. There is no rhyme, reason, or pattern. There is no possible way to predict what will happen with your patient.

"In my sign out to the doc taking over for me today, I prefaced the individual patient sign outs with, "one slightly improving, one with less oxygen requirements but possible new liver failure developing, everyone else getting worse."

"I have never seen anything like this. None of us have. We have no idea what we are doing. We are sharing evidence from small studies that could help and utilizing treatments that we think and hope are helpful. Of course, we also thought hydroxychloroquine was helpful a couple of months ago. So, we're hopefully helping people, maybe hurting them, and trying our best. We are flipping people on their stomachs while wide awake on a machine pushing oxygen into their lungs to try and help; this is called the prone position, and it works, but you're stuck in that position for as long as we can keep you there. The longer the better. Anyone on supplemental oxygen is receiving dexamethasone based on the European study that came out last week. We were using Remdesivir, but a patient I admitted two days ago is the last one that will receive it from our current stockpile. Convalescent plasma from patients that had COVID, recovered, and donated plasma is being administered, but studies suggest that antibody concentration diminishes by up to 90% within 2-3 months, so who knows if that's even doing anything.

"I realized in the past two days that oxygen saturation numbers that you see on the machines are completely worthless in many COVID patients. So, the one thing we thought we knew, that COVID causes profound hypoxia, was true, but it's actually much worse than we thought. In order to figure out if you are hypoxic (low blood oxygen levels), a needle is stuck into an artery in your wrist as often as is needed. It hurts. A lot. I will have a needle stuck into your artery as often as I need to. I'm sorry, I know it hurts, but it's for your own good.

"In any other time, most of my patients would already be intubated on a ventilator. We are managing so many critically ill patients on regular hospital floors. If we sent everyone to the ICU that would normally be there based on their current status and put them all on ventilators, all resources would be depleted in a day.

"The patients I cared for the past few days were the most miserable, uncomfortable, terrified patients I have seen in the past four years. I sat with them while they cried because they are scared that they will get worse and get intubated and die without ever seeing their loved ones again. I can't comfort them by saying they'll get better soon, because I don't know that they will. All I can tell them is that we're doing everything we can and I really hope they improve. I held a patients hand while she cried and screamed, "oh my god, I'm going to die, aren't I? I'm dying" when I told her we couldn't give her more oxygen without intubating her and putting her on life support. I then tried to comfort her children over the phone after I informed them they were not allowed to come in to the hospital to be with her. They asked if someone could be there to comfort her if she is going to die.

"Many of my patients were young. Many have no underlying conditions that predispose them to a bad outcome, yet are one bad blood oxygen reading away from needing to be intubated.

"COVID does not care who you are.

"I am scared and you should be, too.

"All of that is to send the following message:

"Please, please, stay home if you can. If you need to go out, WEAR A MASK! Do not touch your face. Wash your hands and sanitize often. I can't promise you won't end up in the hospital with COVID even if you do all of these things, but I promise it's the best shot you've got.
P.S. THANK YOU to all the amazing RNs, RTs, PCTs, Pharmacists, Pharmacy techs, lab techs, physical, occupational & speech therapists, social workers, case managers, environmental service workers, and everyone else that makes it possible to care for these patients in the best way we know how. You don't get enough credit. You all are the real MVPs.

______________________________________
"ADDENDUM: To be clear, COVID-19 is caused by a virus. This is a PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. It is not, never has been, and never will be a political issue. Politics have played a huge role in getting us into this mess, and it's time to cut them out. COVID doesn't discriminate, and it definitely doesn't care who you're going to vote for. When you see/hear/read anything related to COVID-19, pay attention to who is posting the information. If it is not coming from a medical professional, question your source.

______________________________________
"ADDENDUM-2: I am so incredibly shocked at how widely this has been shared. Thank you all! Please continue to share! Since people are reading this, I would like to use this platform to ask you to PLEASE talk with your loved ones about your wishes. If you have an advance directive, please bring it with you if you are unfortunately in need of hospitalization. If you do not have an advance directive, it's time to get one. If we do not know what you would like to be done, we assume that the answer is everything. If your loved one or listed MPOA [Medical Power of Attorney] is unaware of your wishes, they will likely also err on the side of doing everything. Help them to make those very difficult decisions by making your wishes known. Do not wait until you are in the hospital, because it may be too late. Please look up what it means to be "full code" vs "DNR/DNI [Do Not Resuscitate /Do Not Intubate]." Know what you would want done to you."

Author: Brandon Bikowski
Posted: 27 June 2020, 12:34 p.m.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.bikowski

Comments in brackets [ ] are mine --DeeAnna

I'm so glad to hear she is on the mend, some of the newer treatments sound very promising. I wish her a speedy and full recovery!

 

[penelopejane]

I found out last weekend that while we were in shut down, here in Australia, a month ago if you were pregnant and went to hospital to deliver the baby your husband could not be with you in the delivery room. I can’t imagine how stressful that would be for mothers - yes I know when I was born men didn’t hold their wive’s hand but these days expectations are different.
Let’s hope we keep it contained at low levels in Australia after we got through the Victorian breakout.

 

[beckster51]

Annnnddd on that note --

This was shared on Facebook by my 30something niece who is finally at home recovering from covid-19. It is such a helpless feeling to have a family member in the ICU fighting to survive this disease -- it hammers home the reality that this disease is not a conspiracy, is not a joke, and is not a mere cold or the flu. I could go on, but I instead would rather you read this doctor's essay...

"This week I was one of the COVID doctors in the hospital. Before I went on service, I had planned to share my experiences when I got home after my last shift. That didn't happen because I was mentally and emotionally exhausted after being at the hospital for 15+ hours.
I am going to try to break things down so that the general public can understand, because I want everyone, not just my fellow healthcare workers, to be as scared as I am.

"This is going to be long, but hopefully will be worth the read for someone.

"For references purposes, I am a Hospitalist, which is sort of like your primary care doctor when you're in the hospital. We manage your chronic medical conditions and most of your acute issues in the hospital and consult specialists when we need additional help with complex decision making or a specialized procedure to be performed. We are also the primary point of contact for your nurse on most issues.

"I live in Arizona, the current COVID-19 hot spot. Arizona never really closed. Any level of closure that we obtained was the result of petitions with thousands of signatures from physicians. Despite pretty much being able to do anything you wanted to do except get your hair/nails done or eat out at a restaurant (carry out stayed open), people protested the state being closed. The state reopened immediately when criteria were put out to guide how and when states should reopen. To be clear, Arizona did not meet a single criteria for reopening. In addition, masks were not mandated. Governor Ducey avoided mandating masks and made it the responsibility of city Mayors to make any mandates. Mandatory masks were just implemented a few days ago.

"As you have almost certainly seen in the news, the rapid reopening without mandated masks has been catastrophic. In a couple of weeks we have gone from a few hundred cases per day to around 3,500 cases per day. A few weeks ago, I was working at the COVID-free hospital designated to be the primary elective surgery campus within the network. The past few days, our recently reopened COVID Unit has been near or completely full. I shared the patient's on the unit with one other hospitalist.

"Before I went on service this week, I read anything and everything I could to prepare myself to be the COVID doc. I was up to date on all of the latest recommendations. I was a little nervous, but felt like I was armed with the information that would allow me to help my patients.
I quickly learned that there is no possible way to prepare for how to treat a COVID patient. There is no rhyme, reason, or pattern. There is no possible way to predict what will happen with your patient.

"In my sign out to the doc taking over for me today, I prefaced the individual patient sign outs with, "one slightly improving, one with less oxygen requirements but possible new liver failure developing, everyone else getting worse."

"I have never seen anything like this. None of us have. We have no idea what we are doing. We are sharing evidence from small studies that could help and utilizing treatments that we think and hope are helpful. Of course, we also thought hydroxychloroquine was helpful a couple of months ago. So, we're hopefully helping people, maybe hurting them, and trying our best. We are flipping people on their stomachs while wide awake on a machine pushing oxygen into their lungs to try and help; this is called the prone position, and it works, but you're stuck in that position for as long as we can keep you there. The longer the better. Anyone on supplemental oxygen is receiving dexamethasone based on the European study that came out last week. We were using Remdesivir, but a patient I admitted two days ago is the last one that will receive it from our current stockpile. Convalescent plasma from patients that had COVID, recovered, and donated plasma is being administered, but studies suggest that antibody concentration diminishes by up to 90% within 2-3 months, so who knows if that's even doing anything.

"I realized in the past two days that oxygen saturation numbers that you see on the machines are completely worthless in many COVID patients. So, the one thing we thought we knew, that COVID causes profound hypoxia, was true, but it's actually much worse than we thought. In order to figure out if you are hypoxic (low blood oxygen levels), a needle is stuck into an artery in your wrist as often as is needed. It hurts. A lot. I will have a needle stuck into your artery as often as I need to. I'm sorry, I know it hurts, but it's for your own good.

"In any other time, most of my patients would already be intubated on a ventilator. We are managing so many critically ill patients on regular hospital floors. If we sent everyone to the ICU that would normally be there based on their current status and put them all on ventilators, all resources would be depleted in a day.

"The patients I cared for the past few days were the most miserable, uncomfortable, terrified patients I have seen in the past four years. I sat with them while they cried because they are scared that they will get worse and get intubated and die without ever seeing their loved ones again. I can't comfort them by saying they'll get better soon, because I don't know that they will. All I can tell them is that we're doing everything we can and I really hope they improve. I held a patients hand while she cried and screamed, "oh my god, I'm going to die, aren't I? I'm dying" when I told her we couldn't give her more oxygen without intubating her and putting her on life support. I then tried to comfort her children over the phone after I informed them they were not allowed to come in to the hospital to be with her. They asked if someone could be there to comfort her if she is going to die.

"Many of my patients were young. Many have no underlying conditions that predispose them to a bad outcome, yet are one bad blood oxygen reading away from needing to be intubated.

"COVID does not care who you are.

"I am scared and you should be, too.

"All of that is to send the following message:

"Please, please, stay home if you can. If you need to go out, WEAR A MASK! Do not touch your face. Wash your hands and sanitize often. I can't promise you won't end up in the hospital with COVID even if you do all of these things, but I promise it's the best shot you've got.
P.S. THANK YOU to all the amazing RNs, RTs, PCTs, Pharmacists, Pharmacy techs, lab techs, physical, occupational & speech therapists, social workers, case managers, environmental service workers, and everyone else that makes it possible to care for these patients in the best way we know how. You don't get enough credit. You all are the real MVPs.

______________________________________
"ADDENDUM: To be clear, COVID-19 is caused by a virus. This is a PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. It is not, never has been, and never will be a political issue. Politics have played a huge role in getting us into this mess, and it's time to cut them out. COVID doesn't discriminate, and it definitely doesn't care who you're going to vote for. When you see/hear/read anything related to COVID-19, pay attention to who is posting the information. If it is not coming from a medical professional, question your source.

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"ADDENDUM-2: I am so incredibly shocked at how widely this has been shared. Thank you all! Please continue to share! Since people are reading this, I would like to use this platform to ask you to PLEASE talk with your loved ones about your wishes. If you have an advance directive, please bring it with you if you are unfortunately in need of hospitalization. If you do not have an advance directive, it's time to get one. If we do not know what you would like to be done, we assume that the answer is everything. If your loved one or listed MPOA [Medical Power of Attorney] is unaware of your wishes, they will likely also err on the side of doing everything. Help them to make those very difficult decisions by making your wishes known. Do not wait until you are in the hospital, because it may be too late. Please look up what it means to be "full code" vs "DNR/DNI [Do Not Resuscitate /Do Not Intubate]." Know what you would want done to you."

Author: Brandon Bikowski
Posted: 27 June 2020, 12:34 p.m.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.bikowski

Comments in brackets [ ] are mine --DeeAnna

Oh, Deanna, thank you for sharing this. It makes me cry, but I am so glad to hear from someone so articulate that is on the front lines. If this doesn't move people to unite against this disease and do what we must, then nothing will.

Oh, Deanna, thank you for sharing this. It makes me cry, but I am so glad to hear from someone so articulate that is on the front lines. If this doesn't move people to unite against this disease and do what we must, then nothing will.

Oh, and I should have said I was truly happy to hear that you had a family member that survived and was able to go home from this situation. She's a lucky lady. There is no experience that prepares you for having a loved one in the ICU that is fighting so hard to live. I hope she continues to do well.

 

[Susie]

I am going to say two thing about wearing masks. Or not wearing masks:

1. The mask you wear is intended to stop someone else's virus containing spit from going into your nose or mouth where it will infect you. The virus is not going to suddenly sprout arms and legs to crawl through the holes in the weave of the cloth. Stop the spit, folks!

2. The mask someone else wears is to stop your potentially virus containing spit from going into their nose and mouth.

Face shields are better than nothing, but masks are better than shields. You make your choices, and you take your chances.

 

[AliOop]

I am going to say two thing about wearing masks. Or not wearing masks:

1. The mask you wear is intended to stop someone else's virus containing spit from going into your nose or mouth where it will infect you. The virus is not going to suddenly sprout arms and legs to crawl through the holes in the weave of the cloth. Stop the spit, folks!

2. The mask someone else wears is to stop your potentially virus containing spit from going into their nose and mouth.

Face shields are better than nothing, but masks are better than shields. You make your choices, and you take your chances.

I've heard just the opposite: that the mask is intended to keep my spit germs from being spread and infecting someone else.

 

[LilyJo]

Yes that's what we've had here, its not designed to stop the virus getting to you, its meant to stop YOU sharing your germs with others.

 

[MarnieSoapien]

Taking a break from the mask debate... I'd just like to say they I'm loving the creative solutions people are coming up with.
Drive thru fancy dinner. I would totally do that, if I could afford it and I was in Ottawa.

 

[AliOop]

Met with a friend tonight to see her amazing veggie garden. She told me that her grandson and his date went on a joint "prom" date with five other couples. Since there are no proms happening, they dressed up in fancy clothes and went to a very nice (expensive) restaurant in a limo, just as if they were on their way to the prom.

After eating their fill, when the kids asked for their tab, the waiter told them that another diner had asked the wait staff why the kids were all gussied up. Upon learning the reason, this anonymous diner secretly paid their ~$800 total bill.

Sometimes catastrophes bring out amazing generosity in others, that is for sure!

 

[MGM]

I've heard just the opposite: that the mask is intended to keep my spit germs from being spread and infecting someone else.

Yup, Susie's got it backward: your cloth mask keeps your germs in your own face. An N95 mask worn by a front-line worker who sees hundreds of germ-holes a day protects them. A face shield does both and is easier for people with breathing problems to wear. Remember, we're not talking about gas or smoke here: your face shield/mask doesn't need to filter out virus particles: it needs to keep in droplets of saliva that contain the virus.
I think this is why the message is so hard to handle....I wear a seatbelt to protect myself. I don't smoke to protect myself. I wear a mask to protect YOU and I need you to wear one to protect me.