OT: What changes are you and family making to your lifestyle due to coranavirus?

[Palatine]

I do have a point, thanks for asking. And that is using March numbers to prove the Coronavirus hasn't really affected the death rate in this country says very little because those numbers were early on and continued to grow exponentially when we had the chance to contain this. That's the very essence of what "flattening the curve" is all about. As a result, we're now days away from being the world leader in Coronavirus deaths.

I'm glad we're taking it seriously now because without social distancing, millions may well have died. But I find it sad that a lot of Americans are feeling good that we'll "only" have tens of thousands of avoidable deaths.

No one said Coronavirus hasn't really affected the death rate. You are completely misunderstanding the conversation we were having. We were discussing non-coronavirus deaths.

BTW, the numbers I used were from April 9, 2020 and historic data.

 

[NJHusky]

I know CCMC is furloughing everyone except ICUs basically.

I know it's a children's hospital, but wouldn't they keep it fully staffed is there actually is a bed shortage and use it for adults???

 

[uconnfan68]

What's the evidence of this? Automotive deaths have to be way down. Crime is way way down. The doctors say that the hospitals, aside from COVID 19 cases, are empty. Nobody is going in to the hospital.

All elective surgeries are postponed to later dates. My brother's scheduled February surgery was pushed to March, then April, and now into May.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I know it's a children's hospital, but wouldn't they keep it fully staffed is there actually is a bed shortage and use it for adults???

They are hemorrhaging money. All elective surgery delayed and kids aren’t really breaking bones being on tablets all day. Pediatric staff not necessarily trained for adults. Type of facility could be used for emergencies with other staffing I suppose.

 

[BlueMAB]

the overreaction is working.

Is this a joke?

 

[FatElvis]

No one said Coronavirus hasn't really affected the death rate. You are completely misunderstanding the conversation we were having. We were discussing non-coronavirus deaths.

BTW, the numbers I used were from April 9, 2020 and historic data.

Fair enough, Palantine. My bad if that's your only point. I was thrown off by the subhead "the data is showing that this may be one great big mistake or hoax" in the story you referenced, which is total horse manure.

Be safe and keep washing those hands.

 

[NJHusky]

[

They are hemorrhaging money. All elective surgery delayed and kids aren’t really breaking bones being on tablets all day. Pediatric staff not necessarily trained for adults. Type of facility could be used for emergencies with other staffing I suppose.

My nephew is an oncologist in private practice, but their offices are in the hospital...he was told 3 weeks ago that he might be needed to treat Covid patients if the regular staff was too overloaded. Not sure why a pediatric hospital would be any different. So now we have to bail out hospitals because they are too busy???

 

[browndog319]

I know it's a children's hospital, but wouldn't they keep it fully staffed is there actually is a bed shortage and use it for adults???

The tough thing is “elective” is kind of rough. I am working on an infusion product for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy which is ultra rare. Some are done in hospitals once a week, some are done at home.
So the ones in hospitals got canceled. The home infusions have been a train wreck - mothers are freaking about letting nurses into the house. Some parents have made the nurses do the infusions on the front porch.
Keep in mind boys with this illness wind up having their lungs destroyed some day and this disease is terminal. So treatment is essential.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

[

My nephew is an oncologist in private practice, but their offices are in the hospital...he was told 3 weeks ago that he might be needed to treat Covid patients if the regular staff was too overloaded. Not sure why a pediatric hospital would be any different. So now we have to bail out hospitals because they are too busy???

It’s a children’s hospital and children aren’t getting sick. The staff is furloughed not blasted into Jupiter. They asked for volunteers to take adults. It’s a for profit business like anything else. No customers no money

 

[NJHusky]

It’s a children’s hospital and children aren’t getting sick. The staff is furloughed not blasted into Jupiter. They asked for volunteers to take adults. It’s a for profit business like anything else. No customers no money

Aren't children people? I understand its a specialty hospital..but isn't a hospital geared toward children better equipped to handle Covid than a tent in the middle of a park? How can we have this massive capacity shortage yet be furloughing medical staff?? Maybe there really isn't this capacity issue

 

[NJHusky]

It’s a for profit business like anything else. No customers no money

Is this why hospitals are screaming for the Feds to supply all the equipment...so they don't have to pay? Even though they are getting paid for the care they provide.

 

[BlueMAB]

Is this why hospitals are screaming for the Feds to supply all the equipment...so they don't have to pay? Even though they are getting paid for the care they provide.

They aren't getting paid.....yet.

They have to treat, submit the claims, then wait for payment. But they likely don't have the cash-flow to handle purchasing everything needed (most business don't, most businesses try to keep as little cash as is necessary).

 

[Giddyup5]

[

My nephew is an oncologist in private practice, but their offices are in the hospital...he was told 3 weeks ago that he might be needed to treat Covid patients if the regular staff was too overloaded. Not sure why a pediatric hospital would be any different. So now we have to bail out hospitals because they are too busy???

Hospitals aren’t busy. Critical care units are.

Many ERs across the country are actually less busy then normal (obviously the hotspot areas are an exception)

It always amazes/confuses me that people have a hard time understanding that health care in our country is a business.

My normally busy orthopedic practice has had to drastically cut our hours and unfortunately have had to lay off staff. It sucks—but unless we are seeing patients and doing surgeries we aren’t making any money and therefore can’t support our staff.

 

[Giddyup5]

Is this why hospitals are screaming for the Feds to supply all the equipment...so they don't have to pay? Even though they are getting paid for the care they provide.

Hospitals are asking the federal government because of incredible amount of shortage on masks and equipment. Especially in the harder hit areas.

For example, if I were to reuse a mask 2 months ago after seeing one patient with the regular flu and using that same mask for another patient I would likely get reported and suspended.

Now, they are asking us to use the same mask for weeks at a time because of the shortage. Distributors do not have enough supply and the little supply they do have is being price gouged as all these hospital systems bid for them. A 50 cent mask is going for $4-5.

My practice can not even buy and mask/gloves/cleaning equipment for the forseable future cause our vendors just do not have them to provide.

 

[huskymedic]

I know it's a children's hospital, but wouldn't they keep it fully staffed is there actually is a bed shortage and use it for adults???

Aren't children people? I understand its a specialty hospital..but isn't a hospital geared toward children better equipped to handle Covid than a tent in the middle of a park? How can we have this massive capacity shortage yet be furloughing medical staff?? Maybe there really isn't this capacity issue

They reduced hours... they didn't make them go away and it could be scaled back up as demand returns. Not all impacted were direct caregivers.

>>All but a handful of the furloughed employees — about 14% of them physicians and nurses — are working a reduced work week from their homes. All the furloughed employees are expected to return to their regular posts, perhaps by early June, hospital officials said Tuesday.

“Because the volume is down, there’s just not the work activity for many of our employees,” James E. Shmerling, president and chief executive officer at Connecticut Children’s, said. “We felt the safest and most prudent thing to do was ask those people who weren’t essential to maintain clinical and hospital operations to stay at home.”
The furloughs represent about 14% of Connecticut Children’s total workforce of about 2,800.

Shmerling said the furloughed physicians and nurses are often conducting “telemedicine” appointments through the computer. Others have been reassigned to other duties, he said.<<

 

[NJHusky]

Hospitals aren’t busy. Critical care units are.

Many ERs across the country are actually less busy then normal (obviously the hotspot areas are an exception)

It always amazes/confuses me that people have a hard time understanding that health care in our country is a business.

My normally busy orthopedic practice has had to drastically cut our hours and unfortunately have had to lay off staff. It sucks—but unless we are seeing patients and doing surgeries we aren’t making any money and therefore can’t support our staff.

First...let me say that Dr.'s deserve to be EXTREMELY well paid...the amount of time you guys put in is inspiring and your impact on society is incalculable.

I understand that health care is a business....I pay the premium for my company employees...so I'm VERY aware. I'm not talking about a private practice making choices. That's up to you. My business made choices too...I chose to keep my staff on for now and not furlough them.

My sis is an ER nurse in northern NJ and my other nephew is in law enforcement...so I hear plenty about what is happening on the front lines.

I'm talking about a hospital that can't pivot to provide an essential service. Isn't an unused hospital bed a better place to treat a critical patient than a tent in the park?? Can't a doc that specializes do general medicine during an emergency?

Am I mistaken or aren't there many non-profit hospitals? Maybe the issue is that we shouldn't have ANY for profit hospitals if they can't respond during a crisis.

 

[NJHusky]

They aren't getting paid.....yet.

They have to treat, submit the claims, then wait for payment. But they likely don't have the cash-flow to handle purchasing everything needed (most business don't, most businesses try to keep as little cash as is necessary).

But they WILL get paid...are they paying for supplies with cash? Their suppliers have to wait too

 

[Giddyup5]

I'm talking about a hospital that can't pivot to provide an essential service. Isn't an unused hospital bed a better place to treat a critical patient than a tent in the park?? Can't a doc that specializes do general medicine during an emergency?

Am I mistaken or aren't there many non-profit hospitals? Maybe the issue is that we shouldn't have ANY for profit hospitals if they can't respond during a crisis.

There are non-profit hospitals but even they need to generate revenue. Elective surgeries that spend minimal time in the hospital is how money is generated. Think a total knee replacement that spends 1 night in the hospital. That money is then used for the non revenue generating specialties (ER, medicine, etc). Taking care of a Covid patient in the ICU for 2 weeks on a ventilator with expensive anti-viral treatment is incredibly costly and does not get fully reimbursed. It’s unfortunate but the reality.


The issue really is critical level of care beds. As of today Hartford hospital has 131 positive cases. The hospital has enough room for that and multiple contingency plans ( turning the post op recovery unit/OR into ICU level critical care units). If it needs, then plans have been discussed to pivot and use the children’s hospital icu units. But, a general medical or Peds bed currently is not what is needed.

Unfortunately it’s very hard for some specialists to practice general medicine. Many orthopedics/ plastics surgeons, radiologist, dermatologist, neurologists (and many others) haven’t used a stethoscope in over 10 years for example. They need critical care docs, anesthesiologist, pulmonologists, and ER physicians. Now, can specialists help out in ERs to offload them? Sure. For example, I could see MSK complaints so that ER docs can focus on the potential Covid patients. And I’ve volunteered to help if it gets to that.

Trust me, no health care provider is happy right now. We hope that this pandemic causes some desperately needed reform because our current health care system is a mess.

 

[Zanzman]

Turning the convention center into a Coronavirus hospital

 

[Jay-Bone]

Like many other things in life that can be used as a political weapon, I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

I believe that the current covid is a real threat to many Americans who present certain risk factors. In fact I believe that I might fall into this category due to my hypertension and certain other genetic “gifts”. The few times I have had the flu or the norovirus have been particularly challenging for me even though I am in my early 40’s now. I could very well be one of those stories of seemingly healthy father of two that passes too soon.

I believe many of those who are at most risk to covid are also at risk for other unrelated afflictions, including but not limited to seasonal flu.

I believe that the mandatory quarantine effectively mitigates the risks of many of these afflictions. Maybe that explains the lower mortality rates - the vulnerable people that would be passing away in years past have lessened their exposure to the triggers that could initiate such a slide.

I believe that many but not all of the people who would secumb to covid would also secumb to the things that don’t generate the same press.

I believe the greatest gift that some people possess, which we often chalkup to the luck of reaching old age, are properly functioning parts.

As such, I believe that the we (the world) are overreacting to the covid threat. We cannot keep the inevitable at bay forever, and we will destroy our economy and many lives in the effort of trying.

The pivot to a way of life that is more sustainable, starting with a gradual relaxation of restrictions is coming.

I think everyone with a say in these decisions know this, and what happens in between are the game of politics.

succumb*

Sorry, I hate to do that. But secumb is just so cringe inducing, thought you could use the favor.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Looks like today will break our streak of being below our highest day

 

[Dove]

It's not misleading at all. It is simply matching apples to apples for the purpose of drawing a comparison and everything is labeled. The conversation was about whether the non-corona death rate had risen. It hasn't.

The March numbers are the March numbers. You are trying to make something political that is not political at all. In fact, I can not tell what you are trying to say at all.

Do you have a point?

You seem to have a weird interest with death meters.

 

[Jaker]

Is this a joke?

(face in palm)

Of course it's a joke.

 

[87Xfer]

I've been active on another forum for 15+ years. It's a pretty mature place. But like here, threads on Coronavirus can go off the rails and get pretty confrontational. The mods have taken an interesting approach. If it gets too heated, a couple of times they've said ok, we're shutting this down for today, and closing this thread. Everyone take a deep breath (no pun intended) and anyone who wants to start a new Coronavirus thread tomorrow is more than welcome to.

It's actually been a revelation. It kills almost all of the personal one-on-one, off track back and forth nonsense. But keeps actual information flow going. It's pretty cool.

I think it would be a good practice in the BY recruiting threads, but may be useful here too.

 

[Kitaman]

Wife and I out early today (its her birthday as well as my oldest daughter), went to the grocery store for cake and stuff. Just reporting that practically everyone had a face mask on and wearing gloves. Even saw a woman with a damn plexiglass shield / helmet thingy.

I was proud to see so many conscientious people, including those in their cars riding around in masks. Not sure why they wore them inside the car, but hey its good to see masks period.

I had my deck redone, and the carpenter 2 weeks ago only had gloves (of course). This morning he came to haul away the debris and he and his co-worker had masks on. Nice!

Also stopped at the Cumberland Farms and self serve coffee is out, a worker is making coffee for people. Also can't use your own cups anymore. Clerks had no protection , management can do better.

I will say 2 months ago I would have been scared shirtless living like this in America, but this new norm is a great thing for now.

Just saying Fairfield County representing, taking care of business and trying our best to flatten that damn curve!