Two Young Women Fell Sick From the Coronavirus. One Survived.

[wing2000]

Our health workers are going to need our support...another reason we need to "flatten the infection curve" to avoid overwhelming our health care system and providers.

The young medical professionals, who worked long hours on the front lines in Wuhan, first came down with fevers. Within weeks, both were in hospital beds, hooked up to IVs or oxygen machines.

Two Women Fell Sick From the Coronavirus. One Survived.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Our health workers are going to need our support...another reason we need to "flatten the infection curve" to avoid overwhelming our health care system and providers.

The young medical professionals, who worked long hours on the front lines in Wuhan, first came down with fevers. Within weeks, both were in hospital beds, hooked up to IVs or oxygen machines.

Two Women Fell Sick From the Coronavirus. One Survived.

So sad.

Just think how we could have been prepared for this if we had developed programs to reduce the severity of the annual flu epidemics years ago. Schools, homes, and businesses would have been well stocked with masks, gloves, and sanitizers.

 

[JCFantasy23]

What a sad story!

Informative (Both women rushed to see doctors. Chest scans showed damage to their lungs, a tell-tale sign of the coronavirus that is present in at least 85 percent of patients, according to one study.) - if this is true, it's much worse than we are being told. I keep reading about lung scarring in recovered patients, is this why?

The ending with the 2 year old still not knowing his mother is dead is so depressing, I can understand how hard it is to explain to someone so young.

 

[expos4ever]

deleted own post.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Many nursing home patients die of respiratory failure sans any infection. My mother died of such at 94. The doctor told me that you can set your clock at the outset of labored breathing until the death of the patient, about 6-8 hours.

 

[wing2000]

Informative (Both women rushed to see doctors. Chest scans showed damage to their lungs, a tell-tale sign of the coronavirus that is present in at least 85 percent of patients, according to one study.) - if this is true, it's much worse than we are being told. I keep reading about lung scarring in recovered patients, is this why?

At this stage, we have not yet heard about the long term effects - such as lung scarring - for survivors. That understanding will come with time....

 

[wing2000]

So sad.

Just think how we could have been prepared for this if we had developed programs to reduce the severity of the annual flu epidemics years ago. Schools, homes, and businesses would have been well stocked with masks, gloves, and sanitizers.

I agree, public health policy and resources are not prioritized as it should be in our country.

 

[d taylor]

What a sad story!

Informative (Both women rushed to see doctors. Chest scans showed damage to their lungs, a tell-tale sign of the coronavirus that is present in at least 85 percent of patients, according to one study.) - if this is true, it's much worse than we are being told. I keep reading about lung scarring in recovered patients, is this why?

The ending with the 2 year old still not knowing his mother is dead is so depressing, I can understand how hard it is to explain to someone so young.

That is the big question is this true or what is actually true.

 

[blackribbon]

The one thing that comes to note on this story is the assumption that these young women were "otherwise healthy". This does not take in account that the stresses that healthcare workers experience taking care of a large population of sick people. Both women probably did not eat well because they simply wouldn't stop taking care of patients to take a break. They likely didn't get to sleep for a full night but rather only took naps when their bodies wouldn't let them go on anymore. And even knowing how important self-protective devices such as masks, gloves, and isolation gowns are, if the patient started to vomit suddenly or suddenly couldn't breathe...they likely risked their safety to provide emergent care instead of standing at the door saying "I'll get to you in a minute" watching their patient suffer. This means they were exposed, tired, and not well nourished and highly stressed with no down time.

This is a recipe that makes for immune deficiency in an otherwise medically healthy person. I know I see this kind of situation on a regular basis in American hospitals. Most nurse never get to take all their breaks. Most nurses have a lot of days where they don't even get to eat on a 12 hour shift. We are required to break and eat by law but we are not going to eat if we have a patient that is unstable or just too many patients assigned to us and we need the time to provide care. Nurses often go for hours not going to the bathroom...simply because they don't have time to stop...this is not healthy for the kidneys and can lead to bladder infections. Many nurses I know deal with gastric ulcers from the stress of their jobs. The list goes on. Young doctors often have worse expectations on them and more patients they are trying to care for. I suspect that the reason this young doctor died was because she was so run down from providing care that her body simply ran out of the energy it needed to heal.

I feel for her husband. I know exactly how he feels.

 

[wing2000]

The one thing that comes to note on this story is the assumption that these young women were "otherwise healthy". This does not take in account that the stresses that healthcare workers experience taking care of a large population of sick people. Both women probably did not eat well because they simply wouldn't stop taking care of patients to take a break. They likely didn't get to sleep for a full night but rather only took naps when their bodies wouldn't let them go on anymore. And even knowing how important self-protective devices such as masks, gloves, and isolation gowns are, if the patient started to vomit suddenly or suddenly couldn't breathe...they likely risked their safety to provide emergent care instead of standing at the door saying "I'll get to you in a minute" watching their patient suffer. This means they were exposed, tired, and not well nourished and highly stressed with no down time.

This is a recipe that makes for immune deficiency in an otherwise medically healthy person. I know I see this kind of situation on a regular basis in American hospitals. Most nurse never get to take all their breaks. Most nurses have a lot of days where they don't even get to eat on a 12 hour shift. We are required to break and eat by law but we are not going to eat if we have a patient that is unstable or just too many patients assigned to us and we need the time to provide care. Nurses often go for hours not going to the bathroom...simply because they don't have time to stop...this is not healthy for the kidneys and can lead to bladder infections. Many nurses I know deal with gastric ulcers from the stress of their jobs. The list goes on. Young doctors often have worse expectations on them and more patients they are trying to care for. I suspect that the reason this young doctor died was because she was so run down from providing care that her body simply ran out of the energy it needed to heal.

I feel for her husband. I know exactly how he feels.

Good points. The stress of caring for others takes a toll on one immune system.

 

[FireDragon76]

We are being told it's "mild", but from survivors I have heard from, they get high fevers, which is reason enough to be concerned. I haven't had a fever of over 101 since I was a small child. Normal cold and flu viruses simply don't do that sort of thing.

It sounds like in Dr. Xia's case, she may have died from a cytokine storm, which is a condition which is still not thoroughly understood, but is a risk from any kind of severe infection that provokes an immune response.

 

[blackribbon]

We are being told it's "mild", but from survivors I have heard from, they get high fevers, which is reason enough to be concerned. I haven't had a fever of over 101 since I was a small child. Normal cold and flu viruses simply don't do that sort of thing.

It sounds like in Dr. Xia's case, she may have died from a cytokine storm, which is a condition which is still not thoroughly understood, but is a risk from any kind of severe infection that provokes an immune response.

High fevers alone are not necessarily dangerous. It is the body's way of trying to kill off an infection. The issue is when it gets too high. I believe the top "safe" number is 104 but am not positive at this point. In the hospital, we are not to treat a fever with tylenol until 102.5. If you are at home and start going over the 103 temp, you can get in a room temperature bath (which will feel like ice water) or pack ice bags (ice in ziplock bags wrapped in a pillow case to protect your skin) in your arm pits and behind your neck to help drop your temperature.

Influenza can definitely cause high fevers. Colds don't cause any fever.

 

[blackribbon]

I am not happy. The CDC is now recommended a lower grade mask for Covid-19 because there aren't enough N95 masks. That means front line caregivers are not really wearing the personal protective equipment that they really want to recommend. I hate the N95 mask but if we need it to be safe, then there is something wrong if we are expected to provide care but aren't being protected ourselves.

 

[JCFantasy23]

I am not happy. The CDC is now recommended a lower grade mask for Covid-19 because there aren't enough N95 masks. That means front line caregivers are not really wearing the personal protective equipment that they really want to recommend. I hate the N95 mask but if we need it to be safe, then there is something wrong if we are expected to provide care but aren't being protected ourselves.

Ugh, I'm sorry. I was just telling my friend tonight I'm fine not wearing a mask like some people do to save them for medical personnel in case there is a shortage. No one is wearing masks around here - yet - and I'd rather them be saved. Plus with how my day at work went (explained in another post), I'm not the best at avoiding catching it anyway, even with a mask most likely.

 

[Johnboy60]

Does China have socialized medicine for it's citizen's?

 

[FireDragon76]

Does China have socialized medicine for it's citizen's?

"Socialized medicine" is a term that was used primarily by detractors of expansion of government regulation and administration of healthcare.

Healthcare in China seems to be a combination of public and private, and varies in quality by region.

Health in China - Wikipedia

China also uses a combination of western medicine and traditional medicine.