Is the Corona Virus really all what it's made to be?

[Tanj]

You get the test when you need the test. The test doesn't flatten the curve. Good respiratory hygiene habits flatten the curve. The test measures the success of the general population at following good respiratory hygiene habits. A spike might scare the general population into following the recommendations better.

You just wont admit you no nothing about public health, and insist with this made up rubbish.

I am not going to respond to the off topic stuff about mass hysteria, I will, however, continue to pull you up and call you out every time you utter dangerous nonsense.

 

[blackribbon]

You just wont admit you no nothing about public health, and insist with this made up rubbish.

I am not going to respond to the off topic stuff about mass hysteria, I will, however, continue to pull you up and call you out every time you utter dangerous nonsense.

I am not a public health expert but community health is part of my job responsibility as a nurse. My info isn't nonsense or dangerous.

Do you disagree that the best way to prevent a viral spread (any respiratory virus) is to limit close contact with others, wash your hands frequently to remove any viruses from your hands that you may have picked up for surfaces that others have touched, and stay home if you are feeling sick or showing flu-like symptoms. And don't freak out and over-react but pay attention to what your health officials are recommending you to do.

 

[Tanj]

I am not a public health expert

And you wont take advice from someone who is.

but community health is part of my job responsibility as a nurse.

You need retraining in that area.

My info isn't nonsense or dangerous.

It is both.

Do you disagree that the best way to prevent a viral spread (any respiratory virus) is to limit close contact with others, wash your hands frequently to remove any viruses from your hands that you may have picked up for surfaces that others have touched, and stay home if you are feeling sick or showing flu-like symptoms.

You once again bring it back to the individual. How can anyone that works in health be this incapable of comprehending population based measures?

 

[blackribbon]

And you wont take advice from someone who is.



You need retraining in that area.



It is both.



You once again bring it back to the individual. How can anyone that works in health be this incapable of comprehending population based measures?

You have never stated your expertise.

This forum and its post are not a abstract study on the way this virus is spreading. It is lots of posts from people who are afraid and want to know "how does this affect me and the people I love." Your expertise doesn't change that.

 

[Tanj]

You have never stated your expertise.

I have stated repeatedly that I have a PhD in viral epidemiology and 30 years experience in biomedical science most recently public health and epidemiology.

 

[hedrick]

I never said don't test some people...especially those who are very sick (so we can tell whether they have the flu or Covid19 or something else). I said it is ridiculous for everyone to test just because they want to be tested.

And I am a nurse. I never claimed to know how the test works or which test it was. I will totally claim I am ignorant on the exact test or the process. So "my bad" if it doesn't measure antibodies. Not in my scope of practice.

Do you know for a fact that you can't test negative while still incubating this virus and really be positive? Really asking if you know about these tests.

According to a Livescience site both types of test exist. The Chinese mostly tested antibodies. It sounds like we are mostly doing PCR. As I understand it the throat swab is PCR. They warn that either type could miss if its done too early, when the viral load is too small or not enough antibodies have been produced. But I’m prepared to believe that the PCR test shows up earlier.

they say an advantage of an antibody test is that it will show you had it even after you recover.

How do the new coronavirus tests work? | Live Science

 

[blackribbon]

According to a Livescience site both types of test exist. The Chinese mostly tested antibodies. It sounds like we are mostly doing PCR. As I understand it the throat swab is PCR. They warn that either type could miss if its done too early, when the viral load is too small or not enough antibodies have been produced. But I’m prepared to believe that the PCR test shows up earlier.

they say an advantage of an antibody test is that it will show you had it even after you recover.

How do the new coronavirus tests work? | Live Science

Thank you. Useful information.

 

[ZNP]

In the US the tests are free. Also, for government employees in NY and I assume many other places, you are not docked sick days if you are required to be quarantined (say a coworker tested positive) and this quarantine will last for 14 days. On the surface this is very reasonable and fair.

The problem is you can't get tested. The requirements are not like other diseases -- do you have the symptoms, no for almost everyone who were to have the symptoms you would have to have come in contact with someone who was confirmed to have the disease. But you can't confirm that without testing them. Why is it that the US had so much difficulty testing 15,000 people when China not only could test their people but had an extra 500,000 tests that they so kindly sent us for free? That generous gift from China was the middle finger to our government.

I am a school teacher. I had all the symptoms. I worked with a teacher from New Rochelle (an area especially hard hit by this) and others from Nassau (the other area in NY that is a declared "state of emergency"). All three of us got this yet none of us could get tested. If one of us were confirmed then they would have to quarantine the entire school of over 2,000 kids and several hundred adults. Many more would get sick and since they had come in contact with a confirmed case this would spread like dominoes. So when the Mayor said he was holding out closing the schools to the last possible moment what that last possible moment turned out to be in effect is the moment that people would actually get to be tested. Because once that testing takes place they would wind up quarantining every school for the next 14 days. Instead they are closing them and if you get sick now, that is on you.

 

[JCFantasy23]

In the US the tests are free. Also, for government employees in NY and I assume many other places, you are not docked sick days if you are required to be quarantined (say a coworker tested positive) and this quarantine will last for 14 days. On the surface this is very reasonable and fair.

On the surface perhaps these tests are free, if you can get them. But here you have to pay a doctor to get a recommendation, or if you go to the hospital the fees there, and then call a hotline. If they then approve you, you then go get the test (I have no idea where that is in this area). The procedure in itself is not free, at least not yet.

I have no idea how companies will handle forced quarantine, I'd say it depends on the company. A lot of people will just not get paid anything I'd wager. Many don't get sick pay.

 

[blackribbon]

The tests are free to the person getting them. They do have a cost but our government will be billed and our taxes will pay for them. I was asking if people would be interested in self paying if they didn't meet the government requirements for a test and there were enough extra tests to do this.

We have had a couple teachers test positive. I know they are doing more than the state wide school cancellation by our governor for these schools...I just didn't really pay attention to that report.

The "state of emergency" declarations are not related to the actual number of cases but are to free up money fast to help prevent the spread of the virus.

I hope you are feeling better now.

 

[blackribbon]

My son will not get a paycheck from one job for 3 weeks, or until schools open again. Luckily, he has another job that won't likely close down so he gets some money.

My daughter is going to work tomorrow to collect her computer so she can work from home.

I don't know if nurses are getting paid if they get sick or need to be quarantined. It probably depends on the hospital system. I know that my old hospital hasn't addressed this and the nurses are all panicking. I know I won't have any CTOs saved up at my new job and I hope if I do get sick during my 90 day evaluation, that it won't mean I get let go. I really can't afford to be off work for another two weeks because my savings is empty from being off 3 months for a surgery and now waiting to get this job.

 

[ZNP]

On the surface perhaps these tests are free, if you can get them. But here you have to pay a doctor to get a recommendation, or if you go to the hospital the fees there, and then call a hotline. If they then approve you, you then go get the test (I have no idea where that is in this area). The procedure in itself is not free, at least not yet.

I have no idea how companies will handle forced quarantine, I'd say it depends on the company. A lot of people will just not get paid anything I'd wager. Many don't get sick pay.

I was very sick, 102.3 fever, and had to spend 6 hours on the phone to learn that I would have to wait another day and go through this again. Just a easy way for the doctor to tell me they wouldn't "prioritize" me. She apologized saying it was based on what "she had to work with".

 

[ZNP]

Is there really that big of a threat like CNN says, or is it taken out of proportion like Donald Trump says?

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Now Exceed 3,000, Up Nearly 675 in a Day, Johns Hopkins Data Show

To go from 2,400 to 3,000 in a single day is a 25% increase. This number of 3,000 is not the important number, since very few people are tested we know that this number is far below how many actually have it, what is important is that the number of those they can't hide (the tip of the iceberg), those that are going to the hospital with severe symptoms, is increasing at an astronomically high rate of growth. In a month we are very likely to have over 100 million people in the US exposed to this virus. 1% of those will likely die. The majority of those that die will probably die 5-6 weeks from now. It is like watching a tsunami approach.

 

[blackribbon]

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Now Exceed 3,000, Up Nearly 675 in a Day, Johns Hopkins Data Show

To go from 2,400 to 3,000 in a single day is a 25% increase. This number of 3,000 is not the important number, since very few people are tested we know that this number is far below how many actually have it, what is important is that the number of those they can't hide (the tip of the iceberg), those that are going to the hospital with severe symptoms, is increasing at an astronomically high rate of growth. In a month we are very likely to have over 100 million people in the US exposed to this virus. 1% of those will likely die. The majority of those that die will probably die 5-6 weeks from now. It is like watching a tsunami approach.

What is the source of this quote? (not challenging but would like to read the article)

 

[blackribbon]

I was very sick, 102.3 fever, and had to spend 6 hours on the phone to learn that I would have to wait another day and go through this again. Just a easy way for the doctor to tell me they wouldn't "prioritize" me. She apologized saying it was based on what "she had to work with".

I know you don't want to hear this but 102.3 isn't considered "very sick" in a hospital. I am not even supposed to give tylenol to break a fever until it is a 102.2 (39 C). The reason is that the fever is a good thing and it fights off the virus. You do feel horrible with a temperature that is high. There isn't anything they could do in a hospital for you that you couldn't do at home. I personally hope it was the Covid19 and not the flu because then you are not likely to get it again...at least this season.

I hope you are feeling better. I am sorry that you didn't feel cared for when you needed it most.

 

[ZNP]

I know you don't want to hear this but 102.3 isn't considered "very sick" in a hospital. I am not even supposed to give tylenol to break a fever until it is a 102.2 (39 C). The reason is that the fever is a good thing and it fights off the virus. You do feel horrible with a temperature that is high. There isn't anything they could do in a hospital for you that you couldn't do at home. I personally hope it was the Covid19 and not the flu because then you are not likely to get it again...at least this season.

I hope you are feeling better. I am sorry that you didn't feel cared for when you needed it most.

Are you kidding, I am thrilled. I had no intention of breaking the fever, and it is great to have had this and to now be immune. My point is that the reason I was tested was not because I didn't have the symptoms but because if I was confirmed to have it then they would have to quarantine hundreds, if not thousands of people that I work with.

 

[ZNP]

What is the source of this quote? (not challenging but would like to read the article)

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Now Exceed 3,000, Up Nearly 675 in a Day, Johns Hopkins Data Show

 

[hedrick]

At the moment it is doubling every 3 days. 100 million in a month is unlikely. 3 million maybe. I’m skeptical, but I admit I don’t have good reason to be.

 

[JCFantasy23]

I was very sick, 102.3 fever, and had to spend 6 hours on the phone to learn that I would have to wait another day and go through this again. Just a easy way for the doctor to tell me they wouldn't "prioritize" me. She apologized saying it was based on what "she had to work with".

I know a lot of doctors are frustrated too and know it's not their fault, I think this is frustrating for everyone. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[blackribbon]

Are you kidding, I am thrilled. I had no intention of breaking the fever, and it is great to have had this and to now be immune. My point is that the reason I was tested was not because I didn't have the symptoms but because if I was confirmed to have it then they would have to quarantine hundreds, if not thousands of people that I work with.

That is politics at play and it has no place in medicine. Hold your leaders accountable at election time for gambling with your safety like that.