Covid 19 Thread for HCPs (& PH specialists, Epidemiologists, research scientists etc)

[EgonSpengler2020]

I have been following and occasionally commenting on both the AIBU and Prepping Coronavirus threads (under a different user name), but thought I would try to start a thread for HCPs and other professionals who will be on the frontline if this does turn into a Pandemic.

I'd like to keep it as evidence based as possible, so links to peer reviewed studies, or try to make a little note if it looks like the link you are posting has yet to be peer reviewed as things are moving super fast.

I also hope it can be a place for peer to peer support if/when the shit hits the fan.

For non HCPs/health science professionals, your're welcome along, but please try not to derail the thread or turn it into an AMA.

I'm a Paramedic by the way.

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MrsSneeze Thank you for that link. Excellent information
I'm still hoping and praying it fizzles out and we are all left looking like hysterical scaremongers. It beats being proved right abut our concerns

Following with interest.

MrsSneeze

Just watched the CMO and the panels taking questions (will watch the rest tomorrow) and feel massively more informed, and reassured to an extent. Well worth watching.

weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/id/e53946e2-c6c4-41e9-9a9b-fea8db1a8f51

Mortality data by age, sex, co-morbidities, occupation, inside/outside Hubei.

Interestingly both cardiovascular disease and diabetes are stronger risk factors for death than chronic respiratory disease.

A scientist (not HCP) but interested in the evidence based links so following, thank you.

I'm a student nurse and my next placement is A&E, I asked the other students if they thought the coronavirus outbreak would have an impact on our placement but they basically laughed me off.

I was being serious, I was wondering if the university would still send us.

Thoughts?

There's no way that until there is an incipient crisis a uni could change a placement, noise. There would never be a chance to catch you up otherwise, you'd lose the clinical time and the learning. Students would complain very loudly if they were taken off and no crisis happened. Sorry if this isn't reassuring for you but I'd rather be honest.

Not drinking is very simplistic Women still end up needing to pee

I'm a bit nervous - I'm a junior doctor, and my next rotation is A&E, starting at the beginning of April. I'm also currently off sick having had glandular fever, and am fairly sure my immune system is still not going to be up to much by then. To be honest I don't know how the hospital will cope - it's a good hospital, but there's already an ambulance queue down the corridor to A&E on normal days, and the pressure for beds is enormous. I don't really have a clue about PPE beyond the basics, and suspect I'm not alone .

Hi all!

Im an A+E nurse. Today we had 2 people present with 'coronavirus'. Neither of them tested positive. In our department we have a fairly good set up that can cope with one or two positive patients, however we categorically could not cope with anything more. Its a concern.

Hi, I'm an AHP working in A&E and the acute wards. Over the last few weeks we have had several people present with 'coronavirus' but like pp experienced, all have thankfully tested negative.

My hospital is close to a major airport so I suspect it won't be long before we get our 1st case. I am worried about how we will cope with an increase in patients if staff (which everywhere is short of in the NHS) staff catching it and have to be isolated.

Sorry if this isn't reassuring for you but I'd rather be honest.

That is reassuring! I can't afford to lose my practice hours and I've been looking forward to A&E since I started the degree.

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

Sorry non-medic here but I've been following COVID closely.

Many of the confirmed cases have tested negative prior to being confirmed cases, some have tested negative up to three times.

Are potential COVID cases just being tested once?

Is there any later follow up to re-test them?

(A recent example would be the American woman who tested negative on the Westerdam cruise and then came down with symptoms two days later and tested positive. There are several more examples which I can dig out and link to)

Its not just based on a negative test, its based on signs/symptoms/risk factors.

We simply do not have the capacity to admit people 'just in case' based on a negative test result. The negative result must be looked at in conjunction with other factors.

Dentist here.
Finding it all very scary.
TBH I don’t want to risk catching at work and bringing it home, hoping DS school would close if it were circulating (independent school and therefore sensible about attendance) so I have an excuse to stay off.
The mask issue is scary too.

Today we had 2 people present with 'coronavirus'. Neither of them tested positive.

I didn't realise you could get same-day test results! Why do I keep reading about results being delayed by several days or even a week?

I forgot to mention, when I asked about A&E placements, I'm Brighton where the outbreak is. So it's not highly unlikely that someone might rock up in A&E.
I have a baby and two older kids.

I swing from being a bit worried for their sake, and worried about not getting the placement done.

'tested' positive was probably the wrong word.

'proved' positive is probably more accurate.

Patients were ruled out based on inclusion criteria/symptoms in these cases.

Not everyone is tested, and by that I mean physically swabbed. I should have clearer, sorry.

EgonSpengler2020 I can't get your mortality figures link to load, can you tell me how I could get to that another way please? As a severe asthmatic I could do with a ray of hope, even if it is schadenfreude

@CalmYoBadSelf
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/

Original article is linked under 'sources'.

@EgonSpengler Thank you.
I'm mildly cheered by asthma, possibly, not being the end of the world but pissed off that I have a big birthday looming which boosts me into a higher risk category!

Watching with interest.

Are we out of the woods? Or is it a bored media (read better bones to pick over) and actually it is still on its way?

To the casual observer (non expert in infectious diseases) it appears there’s a large slowdown of cases in China, and no significant increases in anywhere other than there or the cruise ship?

Or is this just December in Wuhan as was?

It's hard to tell with the conflicting stories coming out of Iran. South Korea's numbers seem to be climbing too.