My BMI is 40 are they less likely to ventilate me?

[FuckADuckie]

If I did get it because I'm on the list of secondary issues?

I just read this somewhere and am terrified now :(

I certainly hope they don't prioritise parents over childless people as a previous poster hinted at. Having children doesn't make you more or less likely to survive, so it'd be saying that your life was worth more than that of someone without children.

I understand your worry, OP. I have a couple of 'underlying health conditions' and really hope that I don't end up getting seriously ill with this.

"Totally agree no need for nasty comments"

What nasty comments? OP has asked a question and people have given honest opinions. Good grief.

Funny how people woth anorexia get much sympathy for their eating disorder and mental health but people with other eating disorders "made a choice".

Clinicians make these kind of decisions all the time, irrespective of Covid-19, when they work out how best to treat patients. For example, in normal times, for a patient with a very high BMI they might chose not to perform an operation and chose an alternative treatment instead. That alternative treatment might be less risky than the operation itself, but may not work as well as the operation might have (if successful), if you see what I mean. Sadly they may get to the point where they have to make some clinical decisions that benefit one patient over another. But they will still do everything they can for all of their patients.

OP, please try not to dwell on the worst case scenarios imaginable nor be drawn in by the fear mongering that is rife on social media. Also ignore the absolutely vile, nasty pieces of shit that have tried to put you down on your thread.

We are in a crisis and people are scared, that is understandable. But look at the positives.

If you do become ill, the people that will care for you, the people that will make decisions about your care, who are they? They are doctors and health care professionals, they are the best of human beings, they are people who have dedicated their lives to caring for others. They will not abandon you just because of some (currently hypothetical) tick in a box.

Yes, if the NHS becomes overwhelmed then there may not be enough care for everyone that needs it. But so much is being done to avoid that happening. The government is drafting in every medical professional they can, including asking those who have retired to come back to work. Any company that can is being asked to manufacture essential medical equipment. The government has said they will buy as many ventilators that engineering companies can produce and many firms are rising to that challenge. Capacity in the private healthcare sector will also be requisitioned.

This is the biggest challenge we have faced in our lifetimes but it is at times of extreme challenge that we invariably surprise ourselves by just how resourceful we can be, how much we can achieve.

Stay positive. We will get through this by pulling together, by supporting each other, by looking out for our friends and neighbours and even strangers we will never meet. That's how it works.

The facts are:

The doctors will be operating a triage system and will not have enough icu beds.

They will have to make decisions to attempt to save whoever has the best chance of surviving.

Even then there will not be enough beds for the people with the better chances.

(They will not be taking into account how many children someone has, or how much they volunteer in the community or give to charity)

Stay inside and try your best not to catch this virus.

I'm not in the risk group, but I'm presuming I won't receive good clinical care if I need it, because the NHS is about to be crippled.

I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but just do your best to not catch it like the rest of us.

Yes sorry op but it’s a fact. My grandmother had to lose 3 stone before they would perform a hysterectomy. If it comes to the crunch it will be the survival of the fittest.
I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact that if there was one bed left it wouldn’t go to my child but to a child without disabilities, that’s as it should be but it doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking for me.
All you can do is isolate, eat less and get some exercise in the garden with your children.

If there are for example 30 ventilators and they have, best case 70 patients, worst case 600 patients needing them, then the reality is that most of us are not going to get that ventilator. Best thing we can do is try very hard not to catch it and stay fit

I am a frontline medical NHS consultant. We were definitively told yesterday that there is no appetite in the UK to restrict care to anyone that needs it. And we have to remember that the majority of patients with Covid do not develop the severe respiratory form and so if you do catch it please don’t panic.

What I would say is that with Covid19 as there is no treatment, we have to do everything possible to prevent spread as if the numbers continue to rise exponentially as they are now, our ITUs will run out of capacity.
Everyone must play their part in this if it is to be effective enough.
If everyone socially distances themselves, we may be able to see a reduction in numbers in 14 days time.

Please lets do this not only for our population as a whole but for all of the NHS workers (cleaners, admin, nurses, AHPs and drs) who are risking their health and their family’s health to care for everyone.

Brilliant post Hoping
That deserves to be shared.

Thank you so much for being there. The world is indebted to people like you.

There's a real possibility that ventilators will only be used for those most likely to survive, yes. I assume this means my husband too who has asthma so we're being ultra careful.
Anything you can do to bring your bmi to under 40 is great.
I know it's hard, I'm overweight and struggle to lose anything too.

@pocketem

"Anaesthetists can't get drawn into judging whose life is more valuable, who has kids depending on them etc. They have to work coldly on the basis of who is most likely to survive. If there are two people needing a ventilator, one has underlying conditions/very old/extreme obesity and another doesn't, then they will give it to the second person as they are far more likely to be benefit and survive"

Are you an anaesthetist?

Have you actually worked in emergency medicine or just watched it on TV?

@DitheringDoris that must be an awful thing to have on your mind

Don’t panic or listen to scaremongering too much.
Most people - an overwhelming majority don’t need hospitals let alone intensive care. Most people recover well.
Most people dying are older or have serious underlying conditions over and above being fat. Men or more affected than women too.

You’re not about to die and leave your children. Nobody is currently being refused intensive care unless it would clearly be futile (very elderly with advanced co-morbidity who would not have been admitted anyway).

Make a pact with yourself to be a bit healthier so when it’s over you can enjoy more things with your children.

@namemypuppyplz watching the way things are going in Italy and knowing the same is likely to happen here I am absolutely terrified.
But I understand it’s the way of nature.
He isn’t leaving the house/garden until the outbreak is over. When he’s playing in the garden I’m watching him like a hawk because he is accident prone, I don’t want to risk any trips to hospital at all.
I’ve got to go out later for bread etc and I’m feeling anxious about it, I’ve never suffered anxiety in my life!

@Miriel

"I certainly hope they don't prioritise parents over childless people as a previous poster hinted at."

I didn't hint at this. Please don't start yet another rumour.

There are many workout videos on YouTube, also Davina is offering a month free on her website (OYG Davina), including workouts, meal plans, mental wellbeing etc - personally I'm using this forced time at home to get fitter, increase stamina and increase endorphins.

I think one (kinda positive in a way) consequence of all this is it’s making people sharply aware of their own mortality in a way we tend to escape from when not in a crisis. People are becoming more aware of how their choices might impact them in the short term rather than being able to put off thinking about the long term for another day. I already have smoker friends who’ve reduced or quit and overweight friends take this as the motivation to finally sort themselves out.

OP, yes it’s scary. Your health and life expectancy were already negatively impacted by your weight. We’re in difficult times and doctors will have to make some awful choices. Maybe now is the time to start a healthier lifestyle, even if just getting your calorie intake under control? For the sake of your kids yes but also you: it’ll make you feel a lot better knowing you’re doing something about this as well as your health benefiting. We’re likely to be dealing with this for many many months. I’m sure you can get your BMI under 40, while the virus is still ravaging our world.

Can I also just point out that there is a lot being said about the situation in Italy. I understand that it is really frightening however there are many differences between what is happening here and what happened there. It is a really worrying time and it is going to be a rough ride for a while however saying things like "that's how we are likely to go" is not helping anyone. Yes it is one of the possible scenarios however it is not the only one. Please try to keep perspective and rationality. Follow the guidelines religiously, refuse contact with anyone who isn't, look after your mental health.

I think one (kinda positive in a way) consequence of all this is it’s making people sharply aware of their own mortality in a way we tend to escape from when not in a crisis. People are becoming more aware of how their choices might impact them in the short term rather than being able to put off thinking about the long term for another day.

Yes this! I’ve been fucking around for years despite all the dire health warnings and it’s been this that has finally scared the fucking shite out of me and meant I’m 10lb down in 2 weeks.

I think they would intubate and treat you in ICU as they would anyone else (if the beds are available). The problem is you are far more likely to die regardless of treatment, because you are unhealthy and in the at risk groups.

If I hear one more morbidly obese person say they are healthy I will scream. Sadly the strain on the heart and lungs, as well as the joints, blood pressure and diabetes risk, does not qualify for 'healthy'.

Its not about being "expendable" its about channeling treatments to people who are the most likely to benefit from them. Thats why you dont give general anaesthetics to people who are morbidly obese- because they are at risk of dying. You have to take emotions out of clinical decisions like this and factor it on the basis of- who will likely benefit the most from this treatment and I'm afraid if your co morbidities put you at risk of further health complications then yes, they will prioritise others.
What else do you suggest they do? They cant magic up ventilators.

Italy is tragic, undoubtedly. Huge distress for staff and families...but the overwhelming majority are fine. Despite the pictures.
My daughter was in Bergamo last year for her degree. She has many contacts there. They are sad for their city but most don’t know anyone directly affected by a death or serious illness from the virus.

Whilst we need to follow strict control measures and try to minimise the impact here, we need to also maintain reasonable perspective and not make it something it isn’t. Most people will be fine. They’ll be economic impact. Some people will lose loved ones. They’ll be a rebasing of our cultural norms, perhaps but most people won’t die. Most wont be particularly ill.

For the record few obese people die from anaesthetic. In fact even in very, very frail elderly people there are hardly any anaesthetic related deaths.
It’s about 1:100 000 peri operative deaths at the moment- those that die include 90 year old with fractured neck of femurs who’ve been lying on the ground for four hours or those undergoing complex neurosurgery, for example. It isn’t about a few fat people.

It’s about restricting for budgets not safety. BMI related restrictions in orthopaedic lower limb surgery are about the likelihood of the surgery being effective and a good recovery. Not about anaesthetic risk.

U.K. anaesthetists are generally pretty skilled at keeping people ticking.

For the record few obese people die from anaesthetic

The patients I have worked with who are waiting for gastric band surgery have all been advised to lose weight before they qualify for their op. This is to reduce the chance of complications so its not something that is taken lightly. These things have to be considered.