Wow, it’s getting really scary in Texas - and everywhere else!

[Rianne]

Yep, hospitals near where we were this Spring were adamant that people who showed viral symptoms should STAY HOME and self-treat. This did not change until sometime in late April or early May, as I recall.

Yes but what can a Dr, hospital do for you? If your symptoms are not life threatening, how would they treat? I'm hearing from family/friends that steroid nose spray and inhalers ease symptoms. Remdesivir showing promise but not approved by FDA. What then?

 

[RAE]

Yes but what can a Dr, hospital do for you? If your symptoms are not life threatening, how would they treat? I'm hearing from family/friends that steroid nose spray and inhalers ease symptoms. Remdesivir showing promise but not approved by FDA. What then?

I agree with you, but as Audrey pointed out, some of these people may have dangerously low oxygen levels and not even know it, since they are not having difficulty breathing. So, sometimes it is not so clear whether one's condition is (or could be) life-threatening or not. Things can sometimes change very quickly with this virus.......you may feel okay one day, and then suddenly very sick the next day. So it is probably true that some patients are very sick by the time they get to the hospital, but some of that is probably unavoidable, unfortunately.

 

[Sunset]

Yes, early on people were told only go to the hospital if you have difficulty breathing, but that was before “Happy Hypoxia” was understood, and that with Covid you could have dangerously low blood oxygen without obvious breathing difficulty.

But hopefully people already have been talking with their doctor. But I guess many don’t even have doctors to talk to.

We bought an finger oxygen meter so we can test our O2 levels.
Since this Covid-19 can sneak up on a person, I felt this would give us a helpful measurement.

From testing it on us and other folks it seems to work fine, it cost $30.
It seems prudent to get one, like having a thermometer at home.

 

[audreyh1]

We bought an finger oxygen meter so we can test our O2 levels.
Since this Covid-19 can sneak up on a person, I felt this would give us a helpful measurement.

From testing it on us and other folks it seems to work fine, it cost $30.
It seems prudent to get one, like having a thermometer at home.

Yes, absolutely. We got one early on when it became a little more clear that you likely would not know if you had dangerously low oxygen levels. At least if you get infected you can monitor and you can talk to our doctor via telemedicine and report your vitals - we have blood pressure, temperature as well.

 

[BigNick]

According to reports, campers were not required to mask or follow protocols. Very unwise but no shock that disease was spread.

Some of the "open the schools" enthusiasts have been claiming that one reason we don't see a lot of kids getting sick is that they don't transmit it. Perhaps they will now pivot to claiming that they don't transmit it to adults, and demand to see the results of a randomized control trial before they believe that such transmission might be possible.

FWIW, there is apparently serious discussion in the UK right now about closing the pubs in order make some wiggle room in the R number to open the schools in September. People are beginning to understand that R is a continuum, with every loosening of the lockdown adding some fraction to it (e.g., if you allow groups of 20 instead of 10 to meet, that might add 0.03 or whatever). The next round of public policy will likely involve this sort of tradeoffs.

 

[meierlde]

Crazy! Although this occurred in mid June and would be in past numbers.

Gosh, doesn’t make any large gathering involving children and adults look safe.

Note that as at most camps sleeping was barracks style up to 26 per room.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health...-covid-19-after-4-days-at-a-georgia-ymca-camp The article also notes that there was not a lot of ventilation. In any case either bunk beds or side by side single beds with all sleeping the same way violate social distancing rules. Given that the kids spent many hours together its sort of an ideal way to transmit the disease, in particular with few open windows. Recall that the length of time exposed is a factor in spreading the disease, and sleep does definitely qualify as a long exposure. Also wonder how the dining room was set up.

 

[TechLead]

By now lot of people are dying at home. No space left in hospitals.
Most of them not counted as Covid Deaths.

It is worst than what we know.

 

[pj.mask]

We were informed that the reason cases are so high in the southern states is because illegal immigrants coming up from Mexico where they have shortages on lifesaving medicines like hydroxy chloroquine. [emoji849]

We have really moved from sensationalism in news to all our fake conspiracy theories. Unfortunately the outlets crying Fake News seem the be the ones spreading it (and trying to discredit the factual but sensationalized outlets).

I don’t see how we can get back to normal (pandemic and afterwards) without somehow addressing all these conspiracy theories in some way.

 

[Car-Guy]

And to think that our county health department posted stats and a statement to stay home if you're sick. Don't go to the hospital er. Call your dr. This went on for a few months.


Problem is that it is too late once you become very sick.

Just saw the surgeon general on TV an hour ago saying to stay home if you get it... Call your doctor, but stay home.. I guess if you start turning blue you call an ambulance?

 

[timo2]

We were informed that the reason cases are so high in the southern states is because illegal immigrants coming up from Mexico where they have shortages on lifesaving medicines like hydroxy chloroquine. [emoji849]

We have really moved from sensationalism in news to all our fake conspiracy theories. Unfortunately the outlets crying Fake News seem the be the ones spreading it (and trying to discredit the factual but sensationalized outlets).

I don’t see how we can get back to normal (pandemic and afterwards) without somehow addressing all these conspiracy theories in some way.

In the absence of facts all sort of stories are possible. That is why the various governments around the world tweaking the data is so dangerous.

The Mexicans were blaming Americans for spreading the virus in Mexico and Americans blame the Mexicans for spreading the virus. When there are no facts to back up either side.

 

[Car-Guy]

In the absence of facts all sort of stories are possible. That is why the various governments around the world tweaking the data is so dangerous.

The Mexicans were blaming Americans for spreading the virus in Mexico and Americans blame the Mexicans for spreading the virus. When there are no facts to back up either side.

Finger pointing now is pointless anyway... We should all be focusing our efforts on stopping it.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Finger pointing now is pointless anyway... We should all be focusing our efforts on stopping it.

Totally agree....the problem we're finding, on all levels, is that almost all of us focusing our efforts on stopping it means it crops up again fairly quickly, and also people get quarantine fatigue and decide that low numbers means they can abandon precautions. Japan had had it under control, but they reopened too much too soon and now it's spreading quickly again.

 

[audreyh1]

Just in time for the Fall Surge.....

Texas passed California in total cases, even though it has 3/4 of the population.

Texas had already passed California in total deaths a few weeks ago.

Just in time for the next wave or surge or whatever you want to call it.

Both states are approaching 1M cases.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/...ornia-for-most-coronavirus-cases-15691468.php

Of course, in terms of cases per capita, both states are far down the list compared to the current hotspots.

 

[Dtail]

Hey Florida has moved into the top 10 currently in deaths per 1m population. They had started in 25th place months ago.

 

[audreyh1]

Wow!

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

The Dakotas are pretty scary -- more than one out of every 20 people there has tested positive for COVID....and that's just the known case count! Their combined seven-day daily case rate is over 130 per 100,000 residents.

 

[iloveyoga]

The Dakotas are pretty scary -- more than one out of every 20 people there has tested positive for COVID....and that's just the known case count! Their combined seven-day daily case rate is over 130 per 100,000 residents.

Iowa is right behind the Dakotas.

 

[harllee]

I am just staying inside--having food delivered. Too scary to do anything else.

 

[whatnot]

I truly feel for all our health care professionals and first responders.
They put themselves in harms way every day. They are exhausted both physically and emotionally from COVID-19.
And I fear the winter will be worsening the situation with no adequate consistent safety measures in sight.
Stay safe.

 

[W2R]

I am just staying inside--having food delivered. Too scary to do anything else.

(hugs) That sounds so unhealthy and tough on you! Could you maybe just go for a pleasure drive without getting out of the car? Then you could at least see the outdoors and the rest of the world, without exposing yourself to any sick people.

I say this from my own experience - - back in March and early April we were told not to leave home except when necessary to get food or go to the doctor, for example, but I had plenty of food in my pantry and cancelled my doctor appointments. We stayed home for fear of being stopped by the police. Turned out they never did stop anybody, despite the threats and implications, and that rule did not last. For me it really helped to just go on a pleasure drive around the neighborhood now and then, once that was permitted. We get a lot out of going to the boat launch to watch the birds from our car every day.

We don't go out as much as we did pre-pandemic, but we make a point of getting out of the house at least once every day just for mental health and happiness reasons. It's important! Especially if you have any mild/subtle tendencies towards agoraphobia which can become a problem too.

 

[Montecfo]

I was purposefully not stating the obvious!

Concern is very understandable, but the scientific take continues to show schools not a focus of the spread, despite anecdotes.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02973-3

 

[retire-early]

I am just staying inside--having food delivered. Too scary to do anything else.

May be go for a walk in the neighborhood?
Go to a park?
And getting into the car and driving for 30 minutes is a good idea. It also keeps the car battery fresh.

And buy N95 masks now that they are more available.

.

 

[vince]

Its not just Texas and Florida.
Alarming quote from a Washington Post article yesterday.
“We’re in for a whole lot of hurt. It’s not a good situation,” Anthony S. Fauci, the country’s leading infectious-disease expert, said in a wide-ranging interview late Friday. “All the stars are aligned in the wrong place as you go into the fall and winter season, with people congregating at home indoors. You could not possibly be positioned more poorly.”

 

[Chuckanut]

(hugs) That sounds so unhealthy and tough on you! Could you maybe just go for a pleasure drive without getting out of the car? Then you could at least see the outdoors and the rest of the world, without exposing yourself to any sick people.

I take a drive or two every week. If for no other reason than to warm up the car very well and discourage any rodents from nesting inside it.

There is a state park near me that has wide open spaces and Mon-Fri is not very crowded except for the kid's play area. Its easy to take a nice long walk and not get close to others. 30+ feet of distance is the norm. If I get close (less than 6 feet) to somebody, it's just for 1-3 seconds of passing time. I do try to avoid runners.

Outdoors at a distance is very safe. The WSJ had an article about sports teams and corona virus infections that clearly shows indoor air is the biggest risk factor by far.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-sports-season-lessons-pandemic-11604079244

It's behind a paywall so I will give you a few quotes:

The Biggest Risks Are Off the Field

The transmission rates between opposing players in outdoor sports such as football, soccer and baseball appear to be low. There hasn’t been a single documented case of infection linked to professional sports being played outdoors.
In late October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on the Marlins outbreak and its implications for the Philadelphia Phillies, the team they played while infectious.
“Throughout five professional baseball games, asymptomatic, unknowingly infected players and coaches spent more than a cumulative 11 hours on the field,” said the report, whose authors included doctors who guided MLB’s return to play. “No opposing team players or coaches or umpires became ill during the outbreak. Interactions outside of on-field play were likely the source of spread.”

Sharing a meal indoors, which means people are unmasked and often open-mouthed, was the reason Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said doctors gave him for why 25 players suddenly tested positive in September. The team had skirted its own rules and held a large pregame meal together before playing the University of South Florida.

It was a reminder of an important lesson scientists have learned in the pandemic: Air is more dangerous than surfaces.

A hockey rink in Florida. A cycling studio in Canada. A dance-fitness class in South Korea. All were places where people had prolonged contact exercising indoors. In settings with strangers breathing, panting and emitting microscopic respiratory droplets on each other, 6 feet might as well be 6 inches.

 

[lucky penny]

...And buy N95 masks now that they are more available.

.

Can anyone recommend a good source?