Medical Discussion of Coronavirus

[Tim]

StarTrekDoc it was the vogmask without the valves that they still asked her to switch out of. Insane blanket "use our mask" policy at one of the major centers in my area.

This.
And zero communication to the general public. I realize that sophisticated healthcare workers need a break and a mandate is impractical. Thus a recommendation, not a requirement. Just an observation that even the quality of masks has not been addressed. Your year old is required to have a mask or denied access. Blanket policies need to be based on useful requirements. The "punishments" do not match the violation and the "policies" are inconsistent and largely ineffective or more accurately not achieving the desired objective or at best minimal impact. I wonder how many people are keeping old masks in the car, just to have one available?
I am, my wife does, my daughter does. Did you forget your mask? Here is one, the sign on the pet store is asking people to mask. This is the behavior I speculate that is occurring all over in the increased mobility. I view our masking approach as being off target. Much political strife over ineffective decisions.

[G]

surgical mask over vogmask.

just re-read this and it be unclear. literally, put a surgical mask over the vog mask.

[StarTrekDoc]

just re-read this and it be unclear. literally, put a surgical mask over the vog mask.

Yep; that's my solution on the planes too ; frontline folk don't know the vogmask is essentially a pretty n95 (if fitted correctly). I just let the surgical loops dangle inside the vogmask loops to 'fit' over the vogmask to satisfy la policia

[burritos]

Our clinics are being overrun with omni, curious are hospitals being overrun yet(again)? How about mortality? Or are the vaccines the seatbelts we were all hoping for?

[Sundance]

Haven’t seen omicron do anything serious where I’m at for the vaccinated/unvaccinated.. we had a bad delta surge that just fell off a cliff.. not a lot of Covid in the hospital since.

[jacoavlu]

how do you all know folks have omicron variant? I thought labs didn’t report variants on any particular patient. Is it just that you’re seeing covid positive patients with less severe symptoms, and local or state health dept reporting overall numbers?

[StateOfMyHead]

how do you all know folks have omicron variant? I thought labs didn’t report variants on any particular patient. Is it just that you’re seeing covid positive patients with less severe symptoms, and local or state health dept reporting overall numbers?

No clue which variant but ED has been slammed with mostly minor symptoms but many positives of both vaccinated and unvaccinated over past three weeks. Anecdotally many are being discharged rather than admitted but 2-3xs the ICU beds are occupied as compared to two months ago. Several hospitals have declared a state of emergency so what does that mean exactly that EVS can take vitals and start IVs? It is an ongoing cluster. I'm tired.

[legobikes]

Can I just tell you guys that I had the viral illness from heļl and it wasn't covid?

Started with the kind of conjunctivitis that I've never actually seen in my patients but which I tell parents would be a reason to do antibiotic drops. Injected with subconjunctival hemorrhage and nonstop mucopurulent discharge x3d. Then I got the kind of bad sore throat I haven't had since I was a kid, nasal congestion, intense ear pressure, muffled hearing and tinnitus (which still haven't resolved), an episode of dizziness causing emesis, then headaches fever myalgia chills nausea diarrhea. Day 6 I thought I was mostly clear except then my airways got super sensitive and triggered coughing paroxysms bring up scant but superthick phlegm.

Think it might be adenovirus.

[snowcanyon]

No clue which variant but ED has been slammed with mostly minor symptoms but many positives of both vaccinated and unvaccinated over past three weeks. Anecdotally many are being discharged rather than admitted but 2-3xs the ICU beds are occupied as compared to two months ago. Several hospitals have declared a state of emergency so what does that mean exactly that EVS can take vitals and start IVs? It is an ongoing cluster. I'm tired.

EVS? Really?
Well, except for NYC, we wouldn't really expect an increase in hospitalizations yet. Which the are having. Lower percent admitted, but with the high prevalence it's taxing their system.

[StarTrekDoc]

We're slowly increasing covid census hosp. skewing a little more unvac now. been doing 75/25; now 80/20. ICU all unvac.

positives everywhere, including boosted. Most boosted asx/minimal 2-3 days. Most vac minimal/cold level. Unvacc is all over the place.

[snowcanyon]

We're slowly increasing covid census hosp. skewing a little more unvac now. been doing 75/25; now 80/20. ICU all unvac.

positives everywhere, including boosted. Most boosted asx/minimal 2-3 days. Most vac minimal/cold level. Unvacc is all over the place.

I like anything that skews unvaxxed, I guess!
Any commonalities of the vaxxed admits/ICU players?

[Tim]

how do you all know folks have omicron variant? I thought labs didn’t report variants on any particular patient. Is it just that you’re seeing covid positive patients with less severe symptoms, and local or state health dept reporting overall numbers?

I think the genomic sequence surveillance process is separate from the PCR process. Same lab, but not ran on every sample.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...veillance.html
My limited understanding using a specific location results and projecting are not felt to be as accurate, sampling used.

There has always been less accurate results from the rapid tests.
https://www.medtechdive.com/news/fda...ariant/611617/
Realistically, the process for testing is behind the curve. Omicron seems to need a slightly different process with different critical path points.

I am certainly glad rapid hone test kits weren’t distributed to everyone and NOW we find out they didn’t detect Omicron.

“FYI - Mxxxx & Axxxx have tested positive for COVID. Mxxxx, are you still at hospital? Axxxx says she doesn't feel as bad.”
From San Diego yesterday. Two at risk relatives vaccinated and boosted. The healthcare system is still adjusting, but is working although not optimized.. Looks like Omicron, walks like Omicron, talks like Omicron. Maybe it’s not. Not hospitalized but clogged up the ED.
Covid tests have a lot of similarities to the 70’s gas lines. The main difference now is many more pumps and self serve. It didn’t fix the supply, but it vastly accelerated the distribution.. Time at the pump.

ER’s, pharmacies and people will find a way to adapt for efficient tests and hopefully treatments.

It’s interesting to see some school boards are mandating testing for a return to class.
Which test and where? If they had to personally pay for the mandate, they would resign of course.

2022 is coming in with storms. The sun will shine eventually.

[StarTrekDoc]

We sequence inhouse looking specifically for N501Y deletion that tracks with Omicron.

Vaccinated ones getting into trouble are the typical older with comorbid underlying - little reserve or high risk (BMI>35, uncontrolled DM)

Uptick in nursing callouts. been about 10% throughout pandemic now 16% and rising. Admissions creeping up too now as anticipated with week three of surge.

[triad]

so entering year 3 of the pandemic and it is pretty much impossible to find a walkin clinic for covid jabs in my county. consider my mind blown. appts 2 weeks out... i don't understand, we really need to make getting jabs super easy right now

[snowcanyon]

so entering year 3 of the pandemic and it is pretty much impossible to find a walkin clinic for covid jabs in my county. consider my mind blown. appts 2 weeks out... i don't understand, we really need to make getting jabs super easy right now

Wow, you can get them at any drugstore here within just a few days because...no one wants them here.