Coronavirus

[CincySportsFan]

I haven't been able to find any daily figures....the latest I saw about testing in NZ was that as of 04/18/20 they had performed 83,859 tests in the country.

 

Yeah, that's the thing about some of these results we see...there's not always the full context. (Not blaming you, btw.) In my perfect world, not only would we know each day how many positives showed up, but also how many tests were performed that day AND (most importantly, in my mind) when the test was actually taken. Heck, we get 5 positive test results, we don't know if they're actually "new" (in the past 24 hours), or 10 days old.

[bugatti]

Saw where Iceland had 0 new cases as of last Friday. They have tested 10% of their population for a USA Today article I read a couple weeks ago.

 

Granted most of their population is in Reykjavik and country wide are about 360,000 people.

 

Also, I miss Iceland. :(

[Voice of Reason]

I'm curious, how many test results are they getting in each of those two days?

 

I did a Google search and found this link that provides details on New Zealand:

 

New Zealand claims 'elimination' of coronavirus with new cases in single digits - CNN

 

- One of the highest testing rates in the world.

 

- Early shutdown, before they had even one death.

 

- Still in restrictions now even as the near zero new cases.

[PurplePride92]

I'm curious, how many test results are they getting in each of those two days?

 

IMO it doesn’t matter. The measures they took to get where they are aren’t anything that would be accepted in the US.

[Randy Parker]

Facebook post from a friend in Tennessee currently recovering from the virus. It's long, but informative for those interested.

 

Just a heads up. THIS IS A LENGTHY POST. It will be boring to some but may be interesting to others.

 

Twelve days ago I tested positive for COVID-19. A surprising number of friends have told me I am the first individual they know personally to have contracted the disease. I have also received nearly daily messages asking about my symptoms. So, for anyone who might be curious, I’ve decided to share them here.

 

From what I’ve learned, this illness doesn’t always manifest itself the same way in everyone. There is no cookie-cutter checklist of symptoms that says, “First you get this, then you get this” and so on. It can play out differently for different folks. By sharing my symptoms, I am simply explaining how it played out for ME. I’m not saying this is how it shows up in every case. I’m not trying to be dramatic but I will provide more specific details than I did in my original post over a week ago.

 

Here is my timeline.

 

Easter Sunday, April 12 – I shared a Facebook Live music event and had absolutely no issues breathing and no problem singing. No symptoms at all.

 

Monday, April 13 – I went to work and felt fine all day. Monday evening, I began having shaking chills. No fever. I slept in a separate room to protect Lara, in case I was coming down with something. I monitored my temperature throughout the night and I never had a fever.

 

Tuesday, April 14 – I woke up with extreme muscle fatigue in my legs as if I had worked out hard. By the time I showered and got ready for work, the fatigue was gone and I felt fine the rest of the day.

 

On Tuesday evening, I suddenly lost my sense of taste but not my sense of smell. I fixed a cheeseburger for supper but could taste nothing. I experienced lower back pain, which I attributed to having slept in the recliner the night before. Chills returned in the evening, but still no fever. Extreme muscle fatigue also returned…not just to my legs, but to my entire body. Shortness of breath. Attempts to take a deep breath would result in a coughing fit. Again, I slept in a separate room.

 

Wednesday, April 15 – I took a personal day from work. I had been taking extra time off for each of the last few weeks just to limit my exposure since I was around hundreds of people each day (I work at Costco). But today, I took the day off because I wasn’t feeling 100%. Lower back pain, muscle fatigue persisted. My breathing and coughing were getting worse.

 

A dear friend of ours who is a medical professional urged me to get tested. Thankfully, there is a clinic a couple of miles from our home that offers testing. However, you couldn’t just show up and get tested. I had to fill out an 8-page online questionnaire. After reviewing my symptoms, they suggested I come in. They had one appointment left at 5:30 pm.

 

I wore a mask and gloves to my appointment. They told me to call them when I arrived in the parking lot. They directed me to pull into a numbered parking spot at the back of the building. A nurse came out wearing a mask and gloves, took my vitals and conducted the two nasal swabs (which weren’t nearly as bad as I’d heard). My blood oxygen was 94. She said normal is 96-97. My temperature was 99.7. This was the first time I’d exhibited a fever.

 

About twenty minutes later, a doctor came out and gave me the test results. I was positive for COVID-19.

 

She asked me to follow her into the rear entrance of the building. She noticed my breathing was labored and it was difficult for me to walk. A lot had changed in 24 hours.

She asked more than once, “Mr. Harris, are you OK?” I could only nod. She took me into an exam room where she stayed in the opposite corner farthest away from me. She wore a mask and gloves. She explained the 14-day in-home quarantine and told me to closely monitor my symptoms. She cautioned me that some people regress very quickly with this disease and told me if I got worse at all, I should go directly to the closest ER and that I should call them ahead of my arrival to tell them I had tested positive. Thankfully, that would never be necessary.

 

She sent me home with a prescription for a Z-Pack of azithromycin but, to be honest, I’m not sure how much good it did.

 

Thursday, April 16 – All symptoms continued but my sense of taste returned. Still had a low-grade fever. I informed my manager at work about my diagnosis.

 

Friday, April 17 – My fever was gone. Back pain was better. I made my diagnosis public on facebook.

 

Since then, I have experienced a mix of the following symptoms:

• Extreme loss of appetite. For the better part of a week, if I have eaten at all, it has typically been only one small meal each day. Food just hasn’t sounded good.

• Difficulty breathing and speaking. But this has SLOWLY been improving.

• Sensitive lungs. Each deep breath was like taking a deep breath of cold air in the winter.

• Dry, painful cough.

• Severe headache nearly every day.

• Extreme fatigue in my legs. Difficulty standing.

• Overall weakness.

• Night sweats. No fever, just waking up some nights drenched in sweat.

• Diarrhea

• This last one is one I haven’t heard anyone else talk about. For eight days, there was a foul stench that seemed to be coming from deep within my lungs. I’m not talking about halitosis. I have been showering and brushing my teeth every day. This was something different. It was a sour, sick smell that I could not escape. It was in my clothes, my blankets, my pillowcase, my hair, my skin. Lara and our medical professional friend suggested it could have been some sort of reaction to the medication I was given. I think they may be right because once I finished the Z-Pack and it worked its way out of my system, that stench eventually disappeared. Thank goodness. Because It. Was. Awful.

 

Since I tested positive, I have been isolated on the couch in our bonus room. I do absolutely nothing. I rest all day and sleep when I can. I watch TV, Netflix and Prime Video. It’s pretty boring. Lara is taking amazing care of me and she brings me food on those rare occasions when I feel like eating. When she enters my zone, she wears a mask and gloves. I miss her. I miss being in the same room with her and spending time with her. But we will again soon.

 

This has been the sickest I’ve been in my entire life. I’ve had double pneumonia before and COVID-19 is worse than that (at least for me). Not being able to breathe well is scary business. I mean, as of yesterday, nearly 54,000 people have died from this disease in the US. Yes, I know the flu kills more people annually. And yes, I know that more than 80% of COVID patients fully recover. I understand all that. But when you HAVE it…and you have trouble breathing in the middle of the night…it’s easy to let fear creep in. There have been several moments where fear has outweighed my faith. Just being honest.

 

My strength and my appetite are returning. My breathing and my cough are improving. The headaches are gone. I would say I have turned a corner and I am doing better but I still have a way to go. I would put me at a solid 60-65%. It’s still hard for me to talk for long periods of time so texting/messaging is still better for me.

 

The outpouring of support has been staggering. Neighbors check on us. Folks have cooked food for us, had meals delivered to us, brought flowers, plants, gift cards. People offer to pick up groceries for us. I’ve received get well cards in the mail. Some friends drove from Mt. Juliet just to leave a care package on our doorstep. I get daily messages and texts from friends saying they are praying for me and asking if we need anything. I’ve received texts from some of my personal heroes. Seriously. I even received an email from Clarence Oddbody, the Angel who saved George Bailey in one of my favorite movies, “It’s A Wonderful Life”.

 

It has been sweet, humbling, emotional, overwhelming and deeply encouraging. You have no idea how loved and supported you have made me feel through this process.

 

When Clarence gives George Bailey a copy of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” at the end of IAWL, the inscription reads, “Remember…no man is a failure who has friends.”

 

Well, George…I know EXACTLY how you feel. And it’s wonderful.

 

I love you all. So much.

[Bluegrasscard]

Be careful with masks.

 

No good choices: A mask may block out some pollution but have other ill health effects

 

While ill-fitting masks let in pollutants, mask that fit too tightly can also be problematic. A person wearing any kind of mask faces breathing resistance as air filters through the device, making the wearer work harder to inhale than he would without the mask. This can have several adverse physiological effects when the mask is worn for long periods of time. Moreover, carbon dioxide that is exhaled can get trapped in the chamber of the mask the re-enter the body each time the mask user inhales. This delivers less oxygen into the body than when the person is not wearing a mask.

 

 

“It can lead to oxygen shortage, suffocation, respiration trouble, and heart attacks,” said Dr D Saha, scientist and additional director at the Central Pollution Control Board.

 

 

He pointed out that masks are a potential source of bacteria and viruses. “The moisture from exhalation inside the mask, when in constant contact with the 37 degrees Celsius warm human body, becomes ideal place for virus and bacteria to thrive,” he said. This could result in the growth of microbes on masks and aid the spread of airborne diseases like influenza.

 

 

Emphasis added.

 

If you are using a mask - be careful. There are downsides to masks. Some are serious.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Be careful with masks.

 

No good choices: A mask may block out some pollution but have other ill health effects

 

While ill-fitting masks let in pollutants, mask that fit too tightly can also be problematic. A person wearing any kind of mask faces breathing resistance as air filters through the device, making the wearer work harder to inhale than he would without the mask. This can have several adverse physiological effects when the mask is worn for long periods of time. Moreover, carbon dioxide that is exhaled can get trapped in the chamber of the mask the re-enter the body each time the mask user inhales. This delivers less oxygen into the body than when the person is not wearing a mask.

 

 

“It can lead to oxygen shortage, suffocation, respiration trouble, and heart attacks,” said Dr D Saha, scientist and additional director at the Central Pollution Control Board.

 

 

He pointed out that masks are a potential source of bacteria and viruses. “The moisture from exhalation inside the mask, when in constant contact with the 37 degrees Celsius warm human body, becomes ideal place for virus and bacteria to thrive,” he said. This could result in the growth of microbes on masks and aid the spread of airborne diseases like influenza.

 

 

Emphasis added.

 

If you are using a mask - be careful. There are downsides to masks. Some are serious.

 

The chief of pulmonology and critical care at UofL Medicine shared the article you quoted with the MD's at the hospital yesterday. Words he included to describe the article include but are not limited to: "bunk" "complete falsehood" "despicable" and "ridiculous".

[Bluegrasscard]

The chief of pulmonology and critical care at UofL Medicine shared the article you quoted with the MD's at the hospital yesterday. Words he included to describe the article include but are not limited to: "bunk" "complete falsehood" "despicable" and "ridiculous".

 

So he has never seen employees doing hard work in a store with their mask pulled down - so they can get the O2 needed when lifting heavy items? They are definitely constricting to someone who is doing hard work. And constricted breathing can trigger heart-related ailments. I know this from unfortunate condition and experience.

 

The cleanliness aspect seems self evidence. Like a CPAP, reusable masks will need cleaning daily or so.

 

Link with more information - based respirators that should have better performance than homemade masks.

 

Respirator masks protect health but impact performance: a review

 

From link:

 

There are two basic principles relevant to respirator use:

 

 

 

• Work cannot usually be performed as long or as hard while wearing a respirator compared to when respirators are not worn. Wearing protective clothing plus respirators makes this situation even worse. Either more time must be allowed for a particular task or more workers must be assigned to the same task.
   
   
   
  
• There is a great deal of wearer variability. Some wearers can tolerate respirator high inspiratory or expiratory resistance or pressure levels, while others cannot. Some wearers are much more anxious about wearing respirators than others. Some wearers can tolerate hot, humid conditions inside respirators, whereas others cannot. Because of this variability, each wearer must be treated as an individual.
   
  

Edited April 28, 2020 by Bluegrasscard
Added link

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

So he has never seen employees doing hard work in a store with their mask pulled down - so they can get the O2 needed when lifting heavy items? They are definitely constricting to someone who is doing hard work. And constricted breathing can trigger heart-related ailments. I know this from unfortunate condition and experience.

 

The cleanliness aspect seems self evidence. Like a CPAP, reusable masks will need cleaning daily or so.

 

Link with more information - based respirators that should have better performance than homemade masks.

 

Respirator masks protect health but impact performance: a review

 

From link:

 

There are two basic principles relevant to respirator use:

 

 

 

• Work cannot usually be performed as long or as hard while wearing a respirator compared to when respirators are not worn. Wearing protective clothing plus respirators makes this situation even worse. Either more time must be allowed for a particular task or more workers must be assigned to the same task.
  
• There is a great deal of wearer variability. Some wearers can tolerate respirator high inspiratory or expiratory resistance or pressure levels, while others cannot. Some wearers are much more anxious about wearing respirators than others. Some wearers can tolerate hot, humid conditions inside respirators, whereas others cannot. Because of this variability, each wearer must be treated as an individual.
  

 

Perhaps a few more quotes from the doctor would be more helpful:

 

"This article pre-dates the existence of COVID19 by nearly two calendar years. As such, its title "no good choices" is absolute bunk when taken in the context of a world that is fighting COVID19. Surgical face masks are a good choice."

 

 

"As a medical professional, anyone whose respiration is impacted severely enough by the wearing of a surgical face mask that their health is at risk should, quite frankly, not be out in the general public and putting themselves at risk. And if an individual's job requires enough physical exertion that their blood oxygenation is significantly hindered by the wearing of a surgical mask, it would more than likely be my recommendation as a pulmonologist that the individual not be performing that task in the first place, whether with or without a mask.

 

I have gone back and reviewed the statement from the doctor at India's CPCB several times, and I can't help but think that the article's author either used that statement grossly out of context, or I would have to question whether or not that individual's doctorate is actually in medicine. To state that a face mask puts a normal person at risk of heart attack is a complete falsehood. Exercising, to some individuals in specific states of at-risk or ill-health, puts them at risk of heart attack. That does not mean that the general health recommendation for regular exercise should be detracted. It means a very specific group of people should be wary and may need to follow different recommendations."

 

 

"When we are having a conversation which incorporates an overall recommendation that the general public wear masks whilst in public environments, that recommendation is based upon the average individual in the general public utilizing a normal surgical masks and specifically not respirator masks - either N95 or any others. The use of a relatively loose but properly fitted surgical mask is exactly what we are asking and is a vital way to reduce transmission of the virus.

 

People who are choosing to circulate this article, now, in these circumstances, are attempting to make use of a despicable scare tactic that will urge others to disregard sound medical advice, and they are trying to cast doubt onto the overall face of science. The general medical recommendation in response to COVID19 is, specifically, that individuals do not wear N95 or N99 face masks while performing normal day to day activities in public. Yet the individuals circulating this article about "masks" are willfully spreading years-old information from an article that article spends nearly its entirety dedicated to specifically discussing N95 and N99 face masks."

[theguru]

Fox19 reported today that homicides in the city of Cincinnati are up 115% so far this year compared to 2019 and shootings are up 52%.

 

They also gave some other stats, auto thefts are up, burglaries are down, aggravated assaults are up, robberies are up, and thankfully rapes are down.

 

Oh, and finally the city’s police and fire departments could face cuts...

[Bluegrasscard]

Perhaps a few more quotes from the doctor would be more helpful:

 

"This article pre-dates the existence of COVID19 by nearly two calendar years. As such, its title "no good choices" is absolute bunk when taken in the context of a world that is fighting COVID19. Surgical face masks are a good choice."

 

 

"As a medical professional, anyone whose respiration is impacted severely enough by the wearing of a surgical face mask that their health is at risk should, quite frankly, not be out in the general public and putting themselves at risk. And if an individual's job requires enough physical exertion that their blood oxygenation is significantly hindered by the wearing of a surgical mask, it would more than likely be my recommendation as a pulmonologist that the individual not be performing that task in the first place, whether with or without a mask.

 

I have gone back and reviewed the statement from the doctor at India's CPCB several times, and I can't help but think that the article's author either used that statement grossly out of context, or I would have to question whether or not that individual's doctorate is actually in medicine. To state that a face mask puts a normal person at risk of heart attack is a complete falsehood. Exercising, to some individuals in specific states of at-risk or ill-health, puts them at risk of heart attack. That does not mean that the general health recommendation for regular exercise should be detracted. It means a very specific group of people should be wary and may need to follow different recommendations."

 

 

"When we are having a conversation which incorporates an overall recommendation that the general public wear masks whilst in public environments, that recommendation is based upon the average individual in the general public utilizing a normal surgical masks and specifically not respirator masks - either N95 or any others. The use of a relatively loose but properly fitted surgical mask is exactly what we are asking and is a vital way to reduce transmission of the virus.

 

People who are choosing to circulate this article, now, in these circumstances, are attempting to make use of a despicable scare tactic that will urge others to disregard sound medical advice, and they are trying to cast doubt onto the overall face of science. The general medical recommendation in response to COVID19 is, specifically, that individuals do not wear N95 or N99 face masks while performing normal day to day activities in public. Yet the individuals circulating this article about "masks" are willfully spreading years-old information from an article that article spends nearly its entirety dedicated to specifically discussing N95 and N99 face masks."

 

Now that people are making home-made mask out of all sorts of materials there POTENTIAL issues - especially to those in 'at risk' status and I would say workers to are working hard and trying to follow guidelines/rules/etc.

 

If people are going to do this they should have some information on materials, etc. Here is a link.

 

The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Face Masks for Coronavirus - Smart Air Filters

 

My mother is making sewn homemade masks for others. Personally, I have some workmans dust mask and even a replaceable filter respirator for working in an attic with cellulose insulation.

[swamprat]

Now that people are making home-made mask out of all sorts of materials there POTENTIAL issues - especially to those in 'at risk' status and I would say workers to are working hard and trying to follow guidelines/rules/etc.

 

If people are going to do this they should have some information on materials, etc. Here is a link.

 

The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Face Masks for Coronavirus - Smart Air Filters

 

My mother is making sewn homemade masks for others. Personally, I have some workmans dust mask and even a replaceable filter respirator for working in an attic with cellulose insulation.

 

I have N95 masks, rubber gloves galore, a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol, and a gallon of hand sanitizer.

[swamprat]

As of today, BayCare had 70 covid-19 patients in all of their hospitals (15) and 17 in all of their ICUs (300 ICU beds system wide). Tampa General had 30 cases, none in ICU. The TBA has more than 9,000 hospital beds between 30+ hospitals.

 

HCA, BayCare, and Advent furloughed more doctors, nurses, and staff last Friday.

 

So far in the TBA...

 

45,268 Tests

2,574 Positive Cases (5.7% of those tested)

83 Deaths (3.2% of positive cases.)

585 Hospitalized (22.7% of positive cases. 6% of all hospital beds in the area.)

 

Tampa has opened testing centers at multiple locations, including Raymond James Stadium. They are testing anybody who wants to be tested, regardless of symptoms or lack thereof.

[swamprat]

Publix Supermarkets have purchased over 430,000 lbs of produce from local farmers in the southeast who have nobody to sell it to with restaurants and hotels closing and have donated it to food banks all over the south.

[Voice of Reason]

Possible good news coming out on Gilead's Remdesivir treatment. An effective treatment throws the door open. Let's hope this treatment proves effective.