Coronavirus Discussion Thread

ffemt8978

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RedBlanketRunner

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Fezman92

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I was talking to a few medics and they said that with COVID PTs the end tidal CO2 were showing up at normal levels. Wouldn’t it be different because the lungs are struggling to work? Also I didn’t know that long term intubation isn’t good because of the body becoming dependent on being vented.
 

VentMonkey

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I was talking to a few medics and they said that with COVID PTs the end tidal CO2 were showing up at normal levels. Wouldn’t it be different because the lungs are struggling to work? Also I didn’t know that long term intubation isn’t good because of the body becoming dependent on being vented.
No. The medics assessments are the end all be all with Covid. Lol kidding of course.
 

GMCmedic

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I was talking to a few medics and they said that with COVID PTs the end tidal CO2 were showing up at normal levels. Wouldn’t it be different because the lungs are struggling to work? Also I didn’t know that long term intubation isn’t good because of the body becoming dependent on being vented.
ETCO2 depends on the disease progression.

Its not that long term intubation is bad, intubation period is bad.
 

DesertMedic66

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We have been having to turn down a lot of flights recently due to HFNC or BiPAP >60% FiO2, our limitations with our current set up for flight.
 

Carlos Danger

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Wouldn’t it be different because the lungs are struggling to work? Also I didn’t know that long term intubation isn’t good because of the body becoming dependent on being vented.
People who are otherwise healthy usually wean from the vent pretty readily once the disease process that required them to be intubated resolves. However, there are all sorts of potential complications involved with intubation and mechanical ventilation, as well as the disease processes themselves. There's a lot that can go wrong with prolonged mechanical ventilation aside from developing dependence.
 

Fezman92

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Like infections and possible damage to the lungs?
 

Fezman92

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Well I have to go get the cooties test. Have had a sore throat for a few days and I woke up feeling that 'bleh' you feel before you get sick. I highly doubt it's the cooties.
 

NomadicMedic

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Well I have to go get the cooties test. Have had a sore throat for a few days and I woke up feeling that 'bleh' you feel before you get sick. I highly doubt it's the cooties.

or, COVID-19 or SARSCoV2.

act like a professional.
 

E tank

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Heard on ABC news on Christmas Eve that 30% of ICU's in California are at 80% capacity...I'm thinking to myself that is pretty darn good for any year in December let alone during a public heath crisis. But of course it was pitched as confirmation of a worsening situation.
 

DesertMedic66

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Heard on ABC news on Christmas Eve that 30% of ICU's in California are at 80% capacity...I'm thinking to myself that is pretty darn good for any year in December let alone during a public heath crisis. But of course it was pitched as confirmation of a worsening situation.
As someone who lives and works in CA, I can tell you it’s not getting better right now.
 

Summit

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Etank I think you know the difference between a physical bed and a staffed bed. Everyone was creating ICU capable surge beds willy nilly. Great... now capacity numbers sound better... but who is gonna staff? (hint, it's literally gonna be you).
As someone who lives and works in CA, I can tell you it’s not getting better right now.
Indeed this looks very very bad: https://public.tableau.com/views/COVID-19HospitalsDashboard/Hospitals?:embed=y&:showVizHome=no

It's kind of nervewracking watching that. I hope your curve bends hard and fast like it did in CO (and I hope ours stays bent).
 
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Akulahawk

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Etank I think you know the difference between a physical bed and a staffed bed. Everyone was creating ICU capable surge beds willy nilly. Great... now capacity numbers sound better... but who is gonna staff? (hint, it's literally gonna be you).

Indeed this looks very very bad: https://public.tableau.com/views/COVID-19HospitalsDashboard/Hospitals?:embed=y&:showVizHome=no

It's kind of nervewracking watching that. I hope your curve bends hard and fast like it did in CO (and I hope ours stays bent).
Good site for info.... and Sacramento County does appear to have 84 available ICU beds. However that's spread across (I think) 8 facilities and some of those facilities have no available ICU beds. And as above, it's not just the physical beds, it's the ability to staff them.
 

E tank

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Etank I think you know the difference between a physical bed and a staffed bed. Everyone was creating ICU capable surge beds willy nilly. Great... now capacity numbers sound better... but who is gonna staff? (hint, it's literally gonna be you).
My point was not that there is not a public health crisis....the point I was trying to make (poorly apparently) was that a major news organization was taking a meaningless statistic and applying it across a state of 40 million people with wildly varying demographics and population densities and implying the condition existed from the Oregon border to Mexico. That is a demonstrably false conclusion but one that the media is happy to allow its consumers to arrive at.

It is the equivalent of citing South Central LA crime statistics and concluding that Afton, Wyoming is in the midst of a crime wave. It's BS and no one but some politicians and news agencies are benefiting from it.

And if they haven't needed me for staffing so far, they're not going to need me any time soon. It's as bad as it's ever been here and they're doing just fine...
 
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SandpitMedic

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Seems the elected leaders of the biggest democratic areas now contend the lockdowns must end as they have too many unintended consequences. In a dramatic complete reversal of their opinions from only days ago, many wonder why the sudden change of heart. These lockdowns and perpetuating the lethality and dangers of COVID was not politicized whatsoever. :rolleyes:

Did something happen recently that I missed? Some change in the wind? Ohhhhhhh- the election is over... probably just a coincidence. Let's not forget everyone will surely be getting vaccine 2/2 soon... I guess opening up before we know how effective it is could also be the plan here. I'd put another eye roll, but I'm sure you guys are catching my vibe.



Meanwhile, COVID hospital admissions hit record highs and ICUs remain inundated.
 
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Akulahawk

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wonder why the sudden change of heart
Couldn't be that a certain Governor has a reasonably serious recall effort underway and should easily top 1.5M valid signatures before the deadline to force a recall election... couldn't be.
 

akflightmedic

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I am so tempted to take one of those SoCal contracts...10K a week right now.
 

SandpitMedic

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I am so tempted to take one of those SoCal contracts...10K a week right now.
There is a lot of work out there right now. Big money. Be careful of states like CA and NY, though, as they have sky high tax rates. Big money= more taxes.
 
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