Well, its hit closer to home for me. I know someone who’s father was taken by covid last night. He was just 51 and in perfect health. After seeking medical, he was sent home, he returned in 24 hours- and died within 12 hours.
This is hard for me to wrap my head around. When they are saying its kills mostly old people. or people with comorbidity. It just doesnt follow. I know there are supposed to be very few healthy young that can die. But it sure doesnt feel like this.
Somewhere I saw a chart that showed the 50-59 age group forming 19% of the total deaths, and the 40-49 group not far behind, at 17 or 18% if I remember correctly. The 60 and up group are still the largest demographic, but that’s for a 40 year stretch. Younger people are for sure very susceptible. If anyone else saw that chart and can point me to it again, please do. I’d like to hang onto it this time, and compare with how the numbers develop.
Our hospital lab has noticed an interesting (and hopeful) drop in cases sent out for testing for the last 3 days. Time will tell if this means anything…
Karen
seems to be flattening the curve. We follow Richmond, Chesterfield and Amelia the growth has slowed.
http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/
The lady is part of the problem- like many in public health, academia, and hospital administration. As Chris has stated previously, “you are on your own.” Or at least we are on our own. She, Faucci, Birx, and all those who kneel at the altar of WHO and CDC are a an adverse factor in this whole thing.
I have been sterilizing the 7 N95 masks I purchased back in January. I have a gas range and the lowest temp setting is 175F. I bake them in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. I expect they will have a limited lifespan, but so far they are unharmed by the baking. If COVID19 can survive 175F for 30 minutes then it may as well be game over. I place the masks on a cookie sheet to make them easier to put in the oven. Gloves are not needed while handling the “dirty” masks in my opinion, I just immediately wash my hands as prescribed and sanitize the oven handle and sink faucet that I touched before washing.
My wife has worked in biomedical labs so she showed my how to properly take them off after wearing. The one thing you don’t want to do is put one back on before sterilization. So if I have to go out, I either wear just one continuously for my entire journey, or I bring fresh masks with me.
Have you heard of any medical centers sterilizing their masks?
We are constantly being warned about how masks can be improperly used by amateurs, and result in infection. The rationale is that the exterior of the mask will become contaminated with virus particles, and then if the mask is not properly removed the hands can become infected and then from there to the mouth.
Has any of these experts ever realized that the exterior of the mask becoming contaminated with virus droplets is exactly why the mask needs to be worn in the first place? If the mask had not been worn, then where would those droplets have ended up? Obviously in the respiratory tract of the person, since the mask is covering that opening and restricting the droplets from direct access to the respiratory tract.
So now you have a used mask that is contaminated on the exterior but has prevented virus droplets from entering into your body. There are now 3 scenarios that could present themselves.
Scenario 1, you remove the mask and reverse so the exterior is now on the inside touching your lips and nose, and inhale deeply and suck the surface of the mask so as to be able to ingest all the virus droplets on the previously trapped on the exterior surface. No one is going to do this.
Scenario 2 is that you remove the mask incorrectly, and contaminate your hands. From there you can either lick the virus off your fingers directly, at a later time touch your face and infect yourself (but probably with a smaller innoculum than if you wore no mask and inhaled the droplets directly), or else you could sanitize and wash your hands after removing the mask, thereby preventing infection.
Scenario 3 is that you watch a short YouTube video on how to remove a mask properly, and do no harm.
Ok, so there’s not enough masks, I understand that. But to use ignorance as a basis of a recommendation leaves much to be desired. Sorry, it’s too late to cut any expert slack for not seeing this.
Dr. Rasmussen knows well what she learned; but she is too inexperienced to know that she can go far beyond what she was taught. It would be interesting to interview her in ten years and see if her world has expanded.
My daughter’s an RN, who is training in PPE use, right now. She says N95s are probably good for 1/2 dozen sterilization/ reuse cycles. She says the valve will become clogged.
Masks are so easy to make that you don’t even need a sewing machine. A needle and thread would be perfectly adequate.
https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Cloth-Face-Mask/
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2020/04/04/coronavirus-face-mask-tips-how-make-fabric-instructions/2945209001/
https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/san-antonio/news/2020/04/04/you-can-make-a-simple-face-mask-without-sewing-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-gjBR_TT2w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-gjBR_TT2w
Any of these can be altered, if needed, to hold a filter. And filters are available.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=n95+filters+for+masks&crid=3GZPOPD20IZ2V&sprefix=N95+filt%2Caps%2C309&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_8
The thing is–how up close and personal are you going to be to others when you are out and about? If you don’t have the regulation, store-bought mask are you going to go out among the public anyway? Any barrier between you and the suspect air is better than no barrier at all.
The advantage of these homemade masks is that you can take them off when you return home, toss them into a disinfecting solution, or just straight into the washing machine. You can make so many that you will always have a clean one. Just remember to wash your hands thoroughly before you bite your fingernails or pick your nose.
And you can use cool fabrics and be truly unique…just sayin’
Ok, Ok, Dr. Rasmussen wandered off her professional reservation a few times to give her personal opinion. That’s fine with me, gives me a chance to hone my discretionary skills. Really nice interview.
Re: Masks. I’m in Costco, wearing my mask. I walk through a cloud of contaminated, airborne snot from the person who just walked past. I take extreme care to carefully remove my mask when home. But my clothes are covered by the same contaminates. I know here on PP we’ve discussed the complete, appropriate personal/household decon proceedure. But, really, who’s actually doing that after a trip to the store? Getting hot and bothered about the “proper” way to remove a mask? Your clothes are contaminated! I guess easy for me to say. No community spread- so far- here on Kauai…Aloha, Steve. Be well.
i wonder if otherwise intelligent people’s twisted logic (finding excuses not to wear them, however thin) regarding masks is tied up with the fear of not being able to read another persons body language, given that body language is the primary way in which people communicate fact to face
For years medical professionals wore masks for all types of procedures. Now we are to believe they do nothing and its not going to help? Of course we know the method of transmission for flu, cold and most highly contagious diseases… Its by respiratory and salivary/mucosal secretions. Slow speed cameras catch what a sneeze, cough and even speaking communicates… Lets just play dumb…
In the rare instance we go into town, we take our shoes off outside, remove our clothes and put them in a plastic bag. Either straight to the washing machine or drier for 30 minutes to kill the virus. Then take off the gloves and shower. I guess 30 minutes in the drier is enough time?
Interesting points were:
- They still had no good idea of the true infection fatality rate - actually knew less than I did
- They have emptied the hospital except for Covid-19 and emergencies. They have increased the ICU capacity by 50% and it is full but not overwhelmed. They are managing OK.
- Only two groups are seriously affected, the elderly with co-morbidities and the obese. Except for a statistically insigificant tiny handful that you get with any disease, people under 50 who are getting seriously ill are 130kgs or more (~290 lbs).
So if you’re overweight start dieting and exercising immediately!. It’s a good thing to do anyway.
FWIW they were concerned about the possibility that the social distancing measures and lockdowns might end up costing more lives than the virus would have done had we just let it run its course.
PS They also estimated that possibly as many as 1/3 of Londoners had been exposed to the virus - but that was just a finger in the air estimate.
PPS I would trust this info over anything else. This doctor lived next door to me at college and we were pretty good friends although we haven’t spoken in twenty odd years. I’m absolutely certain that this doctor was telling me the truth as they understood it. They also are in a senior position in a large city with a substantial outbreak so will be looking at statistically significant numbers of patients.
A very well written article by a representative from the ED and ICU on the state of treatments for COVID in NYC. So this approach is leaking into the mainstream
Summary
- Keep ’em dry. (No IV fluids)
- Don’t intubate (even if look crappy) until CO2 is elevated on ABG.
- Both high flow nasal cannula AND non-rebreathing mask for oxygenation. Position prone.
- Yes on Vitamin C 1,500 mg IV q6h, Thiamine, Mg, K+, azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine
- Avoid Vancomycin. Avoid steroids.
- Avoid CTA R/O PE as contrast load especially harmful.
- Give a first dose community acquired pneumonia antibiotics (rocephin & azithromycin)
- Lovenox as microangiopathic disease and DVT risk high.
- Discuss withholding ventilator care in patient where bad outcome is expected even with ventilator care.
When you have a minute, sand_puppy, could you explain why the “position - prone” is part of the necessary process? Whenever I’ve had breathing issues, it’s a lot easier to be slightly sitting up. Lying prone makes me start to cough in those situation, which doesn’t sound ideal with CoV19.
A 4 year old tiger at the Bronx Zoo has tested positive for Covid-19.
The tiger, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger named Nadia, developed a dry cough and a decrease in appetite. She was tested out of an abundance of caution, and the results were confirmed by the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa, the society said.Well, that adds another wrinkle to this whole story.
The interview was informative and format was well done. Dr Martenson always presents well and coherent. Dr Rasmussen was clear. But she still seems biased to medical profession and mask wearing… wont really control infection or protect us ( for the masses to wear ). The same with alternative and natural supplementation and support. Though she seems fine so long as its safe, but my feeling in that,her opinion, is its all benign in effectiveness as well.
The choice should be left up to the patient. But based on the evidence we have now on how effective hydroxychloroquine and azithromax have been even in high-risk patients, it would be an intelligent choice now, even without the extensive testing. I know I’ll ask for it if I’m in that situation.