COVID-19

[ubkev]

6 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Tough one. To relate it to a specific and now infamous bit of news, did those throngs of people on the beach in Florida have the right to frolick during a pandemic?

Sure. Besides, they're there spreading different infections.

Unless the beach is closed to the public. Then I suppose they'd be trespassing.

[Neo]

28 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Some actual science to counter all the conspiracy BS. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200317175442.htm

What a great article.  Step by step and methodical.  It reminded me of the @Randall Flagg dissection of the Sabres v Hurricanes breakout and puck support strategies under Dave Bylsma.

[SwampD]

27 minutes ago, Weave said:

Well, there is no entertainment value in that.

Try reading it as someone who doesn’t believe in evolution.

[Neo]

6 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Tough one. To relate it to a specific and now infamous bit of news, did those throngs of people on the beach in Florida have the right to frolick during a pandemic?

THIS will be the next great topic.  They certainly did.  They certainly will.  What happens between “did” and “will”?  I will support measurements that curtail my rights for the greater good during a catastrophe.  COVID19 helps me juxtapose powerful government vis-a-vis bloated big government.  It’s the end that matters.  To what end?  Wiping out an intruder (virus) meets my test.

Edited March 18, 2020 by Neo

[bob_sauve28]

24 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Try reading it as someone who doesn’t believe in evolution.

Email it to the creationism museum lol 

[Tondas]

47 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Try reading it as someone who doesn’t believe in evolution.

Can't we just push them off one side of the flat earth?

[SwampD]

I find myself clicking on this thread hoping for a post from @Claude_Verret, @North Buffalo, or @Wyldnwoody44.

Three stars of the game in no particular order and my barometer on this matter.

[triumph_communes]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Some actual science to counter all the conspiracy BS. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200317175442.htm

It doesn’t counter much. You can take a virus from a pangolin, split it 100-ways, subject it to light, and wait until one of the dishes takes host in humans. All they showed is that it’s likely not some CRISPR gene splice job. 

[Wyldnwoody44]

37 minutes ago, SwampD said:

I find myself clicking on this thread hoping for a post from @Claude_Verret, @North Buffalo, or @Wyldnwoody44.

Three stars of the game in no particular order and my barometer on this matter.

Aw Shucks, I'm not adding that much to this, a touch of cynicism and some stories from inside the hospital. Sadly the media doesn't quite portray what it's actually like inside the walls. 

What happened today was concerning a bit. We are ordered to no longer test for influenza and rsv as it uses the same medium that we use to test for covid-19, this is because we simply don't have enough media and tests. The caviat however, is that we are also supposed to rule out influenza first before testing for Corona. Those with positive influenza are currently considered "low risk" for Corona at this time. But we can't even do that, I am having a difficult time wrapping my head around the way things are unfolding, and they are nowhere near their peak. 

Also, to just add to it all, we don't have enough N95 masks, they are telling us that they want us to reuse them and put them in a ziploc bag, which is a f*ucking travesty. Talk about not being prepared for anything. 

[SwampD]

4 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Aw Shucks, I'm not adding that much to this, a touch of cynicism and some stories from inside the hospital. Sadly the media doesn't quite portray what it's actually like inside the walls. 

What happened today was concerning a bit. We are ordered to no longer test for influenza and rsv as it uses the same medium that we use to test for covid-19, this is because we simply don't have enough media and tests. The caviat however, is that we are also supposed to rule out influenza first before testing for Corona. Those with positive influenza are currently considered "low risk" for Corona at this time. But we can't even do that, I am having a difficult time wrapping my head around the way things are unfolding, and they are nowhere near their peak. 

Also, to just add to it all, we don't have enough N95 masks, they are telling us that they want us to reuse them and put them in a ziploc bag, which is a f*ucking travesty. Talk about not being prepared for anything. 

1st bolded - That's why I love your posts.

2nd bolded - This is exactly why the overreaction is harmful. People for whom these mask will serve little to no purpose have stockpiled them, keeping them from those who really do need them.

 

[Ogre]

5 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Also, to just add to it all, we don't have enough N95 masks, they are telling us that they want us to reuse them and put them in a ziploc bag, which is a f*ucking travesty. Talk about not being prepared for anything. 

OMFG! That practice might get a pass if you were using the vinyl half mask that had removable filters so long as the filters were properly removed and the mating surface was capped to prevent contamination. Everything would have to be deconned. I saw the pic @North Buffalo posted of his PPE in the doffed state, waiting to be donned. I fear you guys are not receiving proper training in N95. If the provider of the PPE doesn’t even understand the proper technique, how the hell can they provide you with the proper info? I’m sorry man. I’d love to give better advice for reusing that one time use PPE you have but I can’t. Those masks are one time use. If you could get you’re hands on one like this you could use the pink P100 filter. It’s going to filter those organic particulates and at a higher percentage than that white N95 you’re given. Sanitize the outside before removing, remove/cap the filters and store them in the bag. Sanitize the inside of the half mask and store that in a separate bag. Good luck you guys.

[Brawndo]

24 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Aw Shucks, I'm not adding that much to this, a touch of cynicism and some stories from inside the hospital. Sadly the media doesn't quite portray what it's actually like inside the walls. 

What happened today was concerning a bit. We are ordered to no longer test for influenza and rsv as it uses the same medium that we use to test for covid-19, this is because we simply don't have enough media and tests. The caviat however, is that we are also supposed to rule out influenza first before testing for Corona. Those with positive influenza are currently considered "low risk" for Corona at this time. But we can't even do that, I am having a difficult time wrapping my head around the way things are unfolding, and they are nowhere near their peak. 

Also, to just add to it all, we don't have enough N95 masks, they are telling us that they want us to reuse them and put them in a ziploc bag, which is a f*ucking travesty. Talk about not being prepared for anything. 

Are you using the same medium for rapid influenza tests as you do for respiratory screens? 
 

And what hospital are you working at where you are rationing N95 Masks?  PM if you like. 

[Wyldnwoody44]

1 hour ago, Ogre said:

OMFG! That practice might get a pass if you were using the vinyl half mask that had removable filters so long as the filters were properly removed and the mating surface was capped to prevent contamination. Everything would have to be deconned. I saw the pic @North Buffalo

I know man, it's just crazy, the person that ordered that to happen doesn't even really work clinically, so obviously we have a issue. We refused, but if we have no masks we don't have a choice. We do have some papers in the decon room if we absolutley need to use them. 

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

1st bolded - That's why I love your posts.

2nd bolded - This is exactly why the overreaction is harmful. People for whom these mask will serve little to no purpose have stockpiled them, keeping them from those who really do need them.

 

The number of people I've seen wearing them incorrectly makes me want to institute a 361 day school year. 

[TheAud]

2 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

It doesn’t counter much. You can take a virus from a pangolin, split it 100-ways, subject it to light, and wait until one of the dishes takes host in humans. All they showed is that it’s likely not some CRISPR gene splice job. 

It doesn't have to "counter" anything because there is nothing to counter. No actual evidence, as in tangible data linking this virus to any man made conspiracy. 

Rather, it's another data point indicating the most likely hypothesis of a virus jumping from one species to another, just like the epicenter of the infection starting around a market with wild animals for sale. Love your reference to pangolins though. They just look so tasty. 

[Indabuff]

39 minutes ago, Sakman said:

It doesn't have to "counter" anything because there is nothing to counter. No actual evidence, as in tangible data linking this virus to any man made conspiracy. 

Rather, it's another data point indicating the most likely hypothesis of a virus jumping from one species to another, just like the epicenter of the infection starting around a market with wild animals for sale. Love your reference to pangolins though. They just look so tasty. 

It will be interesting to see whether their critically endangered status is helped or hindered by all of this.  If anyone is interested, National Geographic had a series of articles about pangolins within the last year.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Indabuff
I'll stick with venison

[triumph_communes]

53 minutes ago, Sakman said:

It doesn't have to "counter" anything because there is nothing to counter. No actual evidence, as in tangible data linking this virus to any man made conspiracy. 

Rather, it's another data point indicating the most likely hypothesis of a virus jumping from one species to another, just like the epicenter of the infection starting around a market with wild animals for sale. Love your reference to pangolins though. They just look so tasty. 

Starting next to the only Level 4 lab in the country is more suspicious than the Sunda pangolin whose habitat isn’t even in Wuhan.

[Indabuff]

I'm sure most are aware or it may not affect you directly but be cognizant of border restrictions in the works. 

[SwampD]

Just now, Indabuff said:

I'm sure most are aware or it may not affect you directly but be cognizant of border restrictions in the works. 

Absolutely. Now that China is on the rebound, no way they are letting Americans in.

[Indabuff]

7 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Absolutely. Now that China is on the rebound, no way they are letting Americans in.

I was thinking it might be a good time to visit China...

[Claude_Verret]

10 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

 

What happened today was concerning a bit. We are ordered to no longer test for influenza and rsv as it uses the same medium that we use to test for covid-19, this is because we simply don't have enough media and tests. The caviat however, is that we are also supposed to rule out influenza first before testing for Corona. Those with positive influenza are currently considered "low risk" for Corona at this time. But we can't even do that, I am having a difficult time wrapping my head around the way things are unfolding, and they are nowhere near their peak. 

This is interesting and unfortunately not all that surprising to me. I did wonder if a lack of adequate supply of viral transport media might also be contributing to the bottleneck in testing. We often found it difficult to come by at times for our relatively small scale research projects. I know that hospitals usually run molecular tests that require this media for influenza testing, but given the shortage  I wonder if they can allow antigen based immuno diagnostics like they use in primary care settings? Those type of tests can use samples collected in VTM, but it's not required since the patient swab can be put directly into the extraction media included in the rapid test kit.

My wife is an NP in a pediatrician's office and they have 75 tests available to them, no more. So far this week they have been down over 50% in the number of patients that they typically see. A few have requested covid19 testing but they did not meet the symptom criteria for testing. Shes even had to do a couple curb side visits of patients that ended up as ear infections.

 

[Claude_Verret]

12 hours ago, SwampD said:

I find myself clicking on this thread hoping for a post from @Claude_Verret, @North Buffalo, or @Wyldnwoody44.

Three stars of the game in no particular order and my barometer on this matter.

Appreciate that man. Although I have dumped on the CDC for dropping the ball here, and they have, I must say that I have worked with good people in that and other government organizations who work solely on pandemic preparedness. The project I was working on at my former company in conjunction with the government was a test for flu antiviral susceptibility.  It was around the 2013-2014 time frame and I remember there were reported cases of H7N9 flu in China. When this happened the small team of people in the government that we would communicate with daily went silent for a few weeks. It was all hands on deck to deal with that potential outbreak. Fortunately, it ended up that strain did not readily transmit human to human. Based on my experience I have little doubt that things would have gone way better on the testing front if this was another flu pandemic, they just got caught with their pants down with this novel coronavirus.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Claude_Verret

[North Buffalo]

11 hours ago, Ogre said:

OMFG! That practice might get a pass if you were using the vinyl half mask that had removable filters so long as the filters were properly removed and the mating surface was capped to prevent contamination. Everything would have to be deconned. I saw the pic @North Buffalo posted of his PPE in the doffed state, waiting to be donned. I fear you guys are not receiving proper training in N95. If the provider of the PPE doesn’t even understand the proper technique, how the hell can they provide you with the proper info? I’m sorry man. I’d love to give better advice for reusing that one time use PPE you have but I can’t. Those masks are one time use. If you could get you’re hands on one like this you could use the pink P100 filter. It’s going to filter those organic particulates and at a higher percentage than that white N95 you’re given. Sanitize the outside before removing, remove/cap the filters and store them in the bag. Sanitize the inside of the half mask and store that in a separate bag. Good luck you guys.

Yeah I know, taken to wearing another mask on outside of mask so I dont contaminate outside of it with my hands but yup shortage we are told to keep up to a week.  If pt is coughing i ditch it... and have squirreled away a few... best I can do.

And nfw we are getting the above mask.  Decon room ha... Bio hazard suit ha. Its a bigger shiite show then you might have imagined.

Edited March 19, 2020 by North Buffalo

[TheAud]

8 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

Starting next to the only Level 4 lab in the country is more suspicious than the Sunda pangolin whose habitat isn’t even in Wuhan.

Pangolin's travel pretty easily.  They are highly sought after for a bunch of ridiculous reasons in Chinese culture. Not sure why pangolins are the discussion anyway. Could be bats, something else. 

Edited March 19, 2020 by Sakman

[North Buffalo]

11 hours ago, SwampD said:

1st bolded - That's why I love your posts.

2nd bolded - This is exactly why the overreaction is harmful. People for whom these mask will serve little to no purpose have stockpiled them, keeping them from those who really do need them.

 

Agreed never reused an n95 in my life before this bs and its the best our hospitals can do.  Yet NBA stars and rich and famous get tested when our hospital just got a few.  CDC budgeting screwed this royally and folks can decide who to blame but what a ***** show.  PS argued with hospital admin and nursing supervisors and been told to do my job. My wife and I assume we will get the virus.  

[Tondas]

I just want to say to all the health care providers on this board and their significant others.  THANK YOU!  You are heroes.