Medical Discussion of Coronavirus

[HikingDO]

What about underreach?

Has that ever happened?

[StarTrekDoc]

Has that ever happened?

Ethopia 1970s+ ; lebanon 1970s+; afghanistan 1980s+

[CordMcNally]

What about underreach?

No such thing.

[HikingDO]

Ethopia 1970s+ ; lebanon 1970s+; afghanistan 1980s+

Their government’s under reach or ours? If you believe ours, then I completely disagree.

[Tim]

Yep. Just like the autistic 4 year old banned from Frontier airline for life for refusing to wear a mask. Going to his twice monthly doctors appointment. Punish that kid ! Everyone must comply!
Except for .....
A lot of political advocacy has contaminated our healthcare decisions.

All for messaging. A mandate that lasts is not for results since the effectiveness is for four days. It won’t make it to court.
Regardless of whatever issue, the process of intentionally not following or changing laws will not end well.
Politics right now sucks on just about everything.

[StarTrekDoc]

Their government’s under reach or ours? If you believe ours, then I completely disagree.

Lol. Theirs. Just examples of extremes lack of government devolves into chaos. Same as the other way around.

We need to strike a balance that fits us without sinking us. That's not happening.

[StarTrekDoc]

Lordosis - what's going up there upstate? National Guard being deployed? Sensational news or something there there? So that letting go of unvaccinated staff hit a bit harder than anticipated?

[Lordosis]

Lordosis - what's going up there upstate? National Guard being deployed? Sensational news or something there there? So that letting go of unvaccinated staff hit a bit harder than anticipated?

Long term care facilities seem to be the hold up. About 25% of our hospital census is patients awaiting placement. These places were short staffed before the mandates took effect. It is kinda a mess out here now.

Today unless your spo2 was under 80% you were getting sent home...

[MaxPower]

Long term care facilities seem to be the hold up. About 25% of our hospital census is patients awaiting placement. These places were short staffed before the mandates took effect. It is kinda a mess out here now.

Today unless your spo2 was under 80% you were getting sent home...

Same thing happened earlier this fall where I am as well. Our covid census was about 1/3 the hospital capacity, so there were lots of long-term players, but our regular patients that would usually have been admitted, treated, and discharged to rehab or SNF were staying twice as long as normal due to nowhere for them to go. And taking in patients from surrounding states didn’t help the problem either.

[Tim]

Same thing happened earlier this fall where I am as well. Our covid census was about 1/3 the hospital capacity, so there were lots of long-term players, but our regular patients that would usually have been admitted, treated, and discharged to rehab or SNF were staying twice as long as normal due to nowhere for them to go. And taking in patients from surrounding states didn’t help the problem either.

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/no-end-sight-massachusetts-hospital-110505921.html

It would be nice to have data. Not sure if the anecdotal experience or "news" tells the whole story. Seems like the supply chain crisis in manpower impacts those stuck in the ER or awaiting exit are impacted the most (with the exception of those that have to deal with the backlogs).

[Rando]

Haven't posted in a while.Things are pretty bad in Eastern Iowa. The hospitals are full and pts are being held in the ED 24-36 hours waiting for a room. This of course increases the delays for non-COVID and non-urgent patients. I am seeing patients in the office that would normally have been admitted but we're trying to handle as outpatients. I would say 75% of admissions are unvaccinated but there is a significant number of vaccinated too.

We're still doing elective procedures except for ones where post-op ICU is likely. I am not involved with the inner workings of the hospital but my impression is we are limited more by lack of staff than lack of rooms. In past peaks the plan was to create more temporary inpatient and ICU rooms but that's not really being discussed now.

[CordMcNally]

my impression is we are limited more by lack of staff than lack of rooms.

Bingo.

[StarTrekDoc]

Yeah, this is now a war of attrition. It's not that we don't have enough tanks or guns. Just not enough infantry to man it. Same result - enemy overwhelms.

We've been in this transition stage of 'living with the virus' since June and I liken it to how our all volunteer military composition changed during the 10+ year war.

The VA had to change the way we handled both the initial surge of former peacetime soldiers exiting the military and then type of veteran that came with its own unique set of issues over the following years of sustained conflict. So will our health system in the nation change.

The great resignation has hit us already. 5 open nursing positions (25%) and climbing. Few quality candidates backfilling. VA staffing even worse at 33% openings and climbing -- all resulting in current staff pulling that much more duties and burning out more easily.

All this will ultimately lead to higher costs and passed onwards. Insurances/carriers are past incentives to vaccinate. Surcharges are now starting for unvaccinated and will probably become the norm for 2022 and certainly 2023 as we continue to settle into this new normal.

[CordMcNally]

Surcharges are now starting for unvaccinated and will probably become the norm for 2022 and certainly 2023 as we continue to settle into this new normal.

This is a really bad precedent to go down.

[StarTrekDoc]

This is a really bad precedent to go down.

Yes - Just like bag charges for air travel.

Still coming and staying if clear cost differences remain. $20 vaccine vs $1000 MAB infusion resulting in a 10:1+ attack rate differential. Bean counters will do the math on that