Covid-19

I do understand that the effort is to flatten out the curve. Surely people with much more experience and acumen are calling the shots. Every aspect of the total understanding can be skewed by any factor variable. Certainly the average age of death would be skewed if the onset of this virus totally overwhelmed the health care system.
This is such a strange time!
Ss

 

It isn't a hoax. Here are some facts:
Yes old people die eventually anyway, but this is a new cause of death.
With treatment many of the ill get better.
Countries and States are attempting to improve their capacity to treat those with this new disease.
Such attempts are imposing great economic cost.
Which one of those facts is a hoax? None of them.

 

Hopefully the whole world gets back on track real fucking soon.

 

How people are acting is more scary than the virus, it is like the nutters have been given an excuse to act natural.

 

I’m no bunker builder, or looking for an excuse for the world to end to act nuts, but it’s getting real enough that I showed my wife where the gun and ammo is and showed her how to use it.

My work just issued me a pass to use that would get me through road blocks and curfews. Deemed essential personnel.

I certainly hope we all find our way through this, but one thing is for certain, our future will all have a taste of this in our mouth.

 

please I think that as well.

 

Our university hospital campus just lost 110 Dr’s, nurses, and nursing assistance to 14 day quarantines. New York City is down 150 medics do to quarantines. We are taking some precautions not to get this virus but clearly we need to go to another level. We are going to lose millions of people if we do not change the trajectory.

 

Exercise, eat healthy, sleep enough.
It boosts your immune system.

Want a longterm positive thought;
After this we will be ready for the super deadly virus.
There is a more deadly and viral virus out there looking to break out, be glad it was not the first.

 

There is one additional reason that the deaths are skewed towards more older people dying, and it's not one that is publicised by the authorities.

Triage.

If you have one hospital bed available, and you have a choice between giving it to a 80 year old smoker, or a 40 year old who was otherwise fit, then the intensive care bed and equipment gets used on the younger person, the older one gets put in a side ward and is basically left to die. Not without compassion, they get nursing and pain relief, but when hospital resources run out, they have to prioritise who they treat.
Of course, the younger person is then more likely to be saved, and the older person is more likely to die. That is then reflected in the statistics.
This has happened and is happening in China and Italy. The first hospitals in the UK to report they have reached full capacity to treat Covid-19 occurred today.

Young people die too, and those that don't often end up with permanent scar damage to their lungs, so while the young do have a lower mortality rate, it's no less serious an illness for them.

 

Unfortunately rationing healthcare is a must when the system gets overwhelmed.

 

Due to our jobs we are in self-induced (at least so far) isolation.
My wife, because she works in a system-relevant facility and they sent everyone possible to homeoffice to be prepared for the worst case and to ensure not all of their emergency managers would be infected at the same time.
As for myself: I am working as an external consultant. Usually I am traveling up to 2 weeks a month, but nowadays with closed borders there is not much traveling to be done. Still I am working even more as thanks to Corona. Even leaving out my usual clientel I would have way more order enquiries than I could manage...

That said we are working a lot, but are also enjoying the additional time together. The other things coming with it.... well....Not beeing able to buy certain items and brands is more odd then alarming. The only thing of concern are our parents. They have our sisters to support them, but beeing more than 4000 miles away and not beeing able to help them yourself still is not easy....

 

Tomorrow I will be setting up and managing 2 testing locations in Texas. I’m in good health so hopefully no issues if I get it since I will soon be surrounded with sick people.

 

@bondinchas There is one problem with the statistics though: Everyone tested Covid-19 positive will be included in the statistic - even if they have not shown any covid-19 symptoms. So the death was not influenced by covid-19 at all, but the death will be still included in the statistic. This false positives affecting older people more than younger might falsy the statistic to a degree.

Another problem with the death toll statistic is that there are more and more signs the the number of infected is way too low (by multiple times). If that should be the case on one hand it makes the virus more dangerous as it shows that he is harder to control, because he spreads even more easily than thought. On the other hand it would at the same time lower the death per infected rating. Meaning that once infected you would have have a somewhat higher chance to survive than is publicated at the moment...

And just to make sure I am misunderstood : By no means I am saying, that Covid-19 is not WAY more dangerous for older people than for younger people !

I am just saying that it would be wise to question (almost) everything you are hearing at the moment, because at the current state even the experts themselfs are not sure about their own numbers....

 

Why is "increased propensity of death" not a candidate "symptom" of Covid-19, in the absence of fever or cough but the presence of a pre-existing chronic condition?

 

We both work in "essential industries" with a high likelihood of exposure, but we're young and generally healthy so the risk to us is minimal. We're fortunate to still have work when so many people have been laid off. Events we had looked forward to have been cancelled and we're self isolating as much as possible outside of work to prevent the spread.

Also, there's an ongoing blood shortage in blood blanks around the US due to COVID-19. If you're in the US and able to give blood, please do.

 

I'm in Canada, but thanks for your service...Whatever you do. It can be from stocking shelves at the grocery store to helping people stay healthy...Thanks and stay safe...

 

i think (from a UK perspective) that if social distancing practices work as intended then it will probably be around a year until everyone has had the virus.
Then things can settle down again into the new normal.

 

Moderator note - some of the information in this post has been contested but it has been made in good faith and Filtee is not claiming expertise. At this time be careful, stay well and follow official guidance please. - Carrie

Lots of conspiracy theories re: blame, reasons, possible goals, potential effects, what legislationmight get pushed through and the covering up of things that ought to be in the news etc

All that aside .. what matters now is getting through this without getting into a state..

We have all had the opportunity to see all the official stuff re CV
Here is some advice and info that was passed on to me, that may for some fill in a few gaps and even potentially offer some reassurance..

The simplest way to distinguish Coronavirus from a Common Cold is that the COVID-19 infection does not cause a cold nose or cough with cold, but it does create a dry and rough cough.


The virus is typically first installed in the throat causing inflammation and a feeling of dryness. This symptom can last between 3 and 4 days.


The virus typically then travels through the moisture present in the airways, goes down to the trachea and installs in the lungs, causing pneumonia that lasts about 5 or 6 days.


Pneumonia manifests with a high fever and difficulty breathing. The Common Cold is not accompanied, but there may be a choking sensation. In this case, the doctor should be called immediately.


Experts suggest doing this simple verification every morning: Breathe in deeply and hold your breath for 10 seconds. If this can be done without coughing, without difficulty, this shows that there is no fibrosis in the lungs, indicating the absence of infection. It is recommended to do this control every morning to help detect infection.





Prevention:


The virus hates heat and dies if it is exposed to temperatures greater than 80°F (27°C). Therefore hot drinks such as infusions, broths or simply hot water should be consumed abundantly during the day. These hot liquids kill the virus and are easy to ingest.


Avoid drinking ice water or drinks with ice cubes.


Ensure that your mouth and throat are always wet, never DRY. You should drink a sip of water at least every 15 minutes. WHY? Even when the virus enters water or other liquids through the mouth, it will get flushed through the oesophagus directly into the stomach where gastric acids destroy the virus. If there is not enough water, the virus can pass into the trachea and from there to the lungs, where it is very dangerous.


For those who can, sunbathe. The Sun's UV rays kill the virus and the vitamin D is good for you.


The Coronavirus has a large size (diameter of 400-500 nanometers) so face masks can stop it, no special face masks are needed in daily life.


If an infected person sneezes near us, stay 10 feet (3.3 meters) away to allow the virus fall to the ground and prevent it from falling on you.


When the virus is on hard surfaces, it survives about 12 hours, therefore when hard surfaces such as doors, appliances, railings, etc. are touched, hands should be washed thoroughly and/or disinfected with alcoholic gel The virus can live nested in clothes and tissues between 6 and 12 hours. Common detergents can kill it. Things that cannot be washed should be exposed to the Sun and the virus will die.


The transmission of the virus usually occurs by direct infection, touching fabrics, tissues or materials on which the virus is present.


Washing your hands is essential.


The virus survives on our hands for only about 10 minutes. In that time many things can happen, rubbing the eyes, touching the nose or lips. This allows the virus to enter your throat. Therefore, for your good and the good of all, wash your hands very often and disinfect them.


You can gargle with disinfectant solutions (i.e. Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide) that eliminate or minimize the amount of virus that can enter the throat. Doing so removes the virus before it goes down to the trachea and then to the lungs.


Disinfect things touched often: cellphone, keyboard, mouse, car steering wheel, door handles, etc

I hope some people find some of this useful

Stay well.

 

It is believed by some that there are potential problems with social distancing, self isolating etc

ie:
killing each other due to cabin fever
the old infirm disabled etc living alone starving to death unnoticed.
once it is deemed to cease these measures that the rate of new infections will soar.

a major plus of social distancing is that people will not be meeting up and discussing all of this in person but will be doing so on line whare it can allbe monitored far more easily.

militant/ aggressive groups of people arising to take food and supplies from others are less likely to be formed
people are less likely to comment on and discuss what are the possible long term consequences of some of the 'temporary' or 'crisis' related legislation and even less likely to unite to oppose any of that.

i do not necessarily subscribe to any of these ideas But I do find them interesting

As I do the suggestion that China's real death toll is over 3.5 million and the specualtion that the figure for total rest of the world deaths is actually more than that already.

 

Just over a fortnight ago I developed the sniffles and had a gummy throat. Shortly thereafter I developed a light, dry cough. I spoke to a coworker and asked her if she'd be more comfortable with me coming into the office, or me working from home. She advised me to work from home, so I grabbed my laptop and did just that.

There was one night when I woke up hot and sweating, in dire need of a call of nature to the point of almost cramping. If it was a fever, I'd be surprised if it lasted a full hour - maybe it only seemed that long at the time?

The first week, I was getting lunch delivered regularly. I also learned that I cannot stop touching my face.

On day four, I placed an order with Whole Foods to get my weekly groceries delivered.

A few days into telecommuting, and the payroll person advised me to check with my doctor regarding my symptoms, so I did through my clinic's portal app. I got back a response from my default nurse suggesting that I continue to stay home and monitor my symptoms, so I sent screenshots to the payroll person. I got cleared for continued work from home.

I pre-made lunches last weekend so that I wouldn't be so dependent on food delivery. Between the expense and the sodium, I'm saving future deliveries for when I have a specific craving that I can't satisfy through my own cooking.

I forgot or couldn't get certain items from my grocery order, so I went to the grocery store on Sunday. It was odd: certain sections look normal and others looked like they'd been hit by panic buyers. I found pretty much everything I wanted.

This week I realized that I probably need more work clothes, so I ordered some pajama sets from Roman's. Now I look more coordinated if someone knocks on my door.

I go for a walk every day after work, making sure to give other people a wide berth. I've been chatting with friends online, and had a phone call with my sister and niece the other day. I've also been doing more fiddly projects at home.

My symptoms have gotten a little worse, so I've deployed hot and sour or tom kha soup and had to blow my nose. No more fevers. Every time I get paranoid about my health, I take a deep breath - not only as a symptom check, but because it's supposed to calm down people when they freak out. So far, so good. I suspect that this is just a weird version of a virus that I swap with someone on public transit every few months, but this one has a slower development rate.

However, my best friend has informed me that if I do end up experiencing shortness of breath, I am to contact 911, then text her and keep her appraised so ... there's a plan in action.

As to supplies, ... it's odd. I'd bought a large package of toilet paper weeks before the panic buying started. I already have a huge container of disinfecting wipes. I bought a box of nitrile gloves off from Amazon recently, but I've been out of those for yoinks and intended to buy more eventually anyway. I have no room to stock-pile anything, but I'm not worried. Plenty of companies have warehouses full of goods to sell, and essential workers are creating more as I write this.

I expect that I'll go a bit squirrely if recommended quarantine is advised for another month or two, but so far ... I'm good.

 

I would still like to meet you Lucy

 

South Korea and the U.S. had their first cases the same day. South Korea recognized the magnitude of the situation and started making test kits. The U.S. was busy calling it a hoax.