The past 2 weeks on a Covid unit

[SDANation]

First of all, HOLY SHIT! This is not the flu! Not even comparable.

Most of my covid patients have been under 50. And they are really sick. A nurse <50 from a different hospital than mine had recurring 103 degree fever, with shortness of breath and oxygen desaturation for the 3 days I helped them. They were absolutely miserable and I can see why.
She did eventually go home.

I ended yesterday with a patient that was far too young. And what you have heard that they go down quickly is absolutely correct. Spent most of the day in the room with them, attempting to increase oxygen. Increased to 10L, which aerosolizes the virus. Only thing I could do as the family did not not want a reintubation. With how his labs and chest X-ray looked, he would need reintubation for any chance of recovery, but now we will be talking about comfort measures only. I had to attempt to facilitate a FaceTime with his family because no visitors are allowed.

This whole thing really sucks... I’ve had patients die before but not this quickly. The burden being placed on us at the hospital emotionally and psychologically is really difficult.

Anyways, had to get this rant out... Please keep telling your family members and friends to STAY THE FUCK AT HOME... even with measures being loosened. We are concerned about a new influx and I’m already having anxiety if we have a bad flu season and covid next year.

[lark]

1. Love you and thank you for your service!

I wish these dickheads that want to open everything up with no testing would all have to work in a hospital with a high infection rate first. Bet they'd change their tune within hours. Of course these fuckers would never do anything like that, they only want to steal our money, certainly not help us recover.

[Initech]

10. Unfortunately they won't.

They will go to their graves "owning the libs" and "triggering the snowflakes" like the heartless assholes that they are. Of course if they die now, there won't get a proper funeral to remember them by.

[lark]

19. Having no funeral would be karma for these asses if they were religious.

Lots of trumpers pretend to be christians, so it would matter to them.

[SDANation]

26. Thank you!

[NNadir]

2. Bless you. n/t.

[cayugafalls]

3. My son wants to go back to his college apartment in June.

Even though his summer research is all online. I am so worried.

I don't want to lose him to this virus. But he seems to think it will be ok. I am so distraught.

So terrified of losing my son.

Sorry, I forgot to say thank you for all you do...

[MLAA]

9. Can you tell him if he does he can't come home until there is a vaccine and treatment?

So if he chooses to go, he has to stay away from home for what could be a long, long time?

[cayugafalls]

14. I can try that approach. It make me weep.

I love my son so much. I am heartbroken. He really does not like being here, away from his friends and life in college. He is a good son and a great student.

I will try telling him what you suggest.

Thank you.

[MLAA]

18. I can't imagine how you must feel.

Maybe if you just say it calmly as something for him to consider in his decision making because you know he wouldn’t want to get you ill. Good luck! If he chooses to go back, you can ask him to set up zoom or face time, some way that you can video conference with him 🙂

[barbtries]

17. maybe you could share some history with him?

This abnormal change in lifestyle is temporary. During WWII, practically every able man in the US left home and went to war for longer than a few months. The country mobilized around the war effort. Women went to work building airplanes. Food was rationed. In Los Angeles, where I'm from, people shared houses because there was a huge shortage. But nearly every American was on board with this plan and accepted their role in it, to win.

We need an all hands on deck approach, an entire country united against this VIRUS, to win. This is why it's being referred to as a war. The sacrifice your son makes by delaying his return to his college apartment is small compared to sacrifices made by others. Some are sacrificing their lives. Some will lose their homes and their businesses.

Have him read this thread. This is bigger than any one of us.

For myself, I still have not persuaded my son who works in a grocery store to get out of his clothes and into the shower as soon as he gets home from work. I'm living on the edge and assuming that he's bringing the virus into the house, and basically disinfecting and hoping that the load is light and if/when we get it, it won't kill us.

[Initech]

20. Use a Shaun Of The Dead analogy!

Shaun Of The Dead - a movie about an every man who must make the decision that it's time to get off the couch and kill some zombies.

In this day and age it's time to get off the couch and kill this virus.

I will happily enlist in this fight!

[Mike 03]

4. Thank you for what you are doing and also for this report.

Our country couldn't survive this without you and your colleagues.

This is what so many health professionals are saying: "This is not the flu! Not even comparable."

A few days ago I began hearing doctors talk about disseminated intravascular coagulation and rampant blood-clotting, and they were unable to determine if the clots in the lungs were emboli or the initial sites of coagulation. Have you ever seen anything like that in a case of the flu?

[liberalmuse]

5. Bless you for all you're doing.

I know the term, "Hero" can seem like a slap in the face when you do not have a choice but to do what you're doing. Just know we here not on the front lines are so very grateful that there are people like yourself who are sacrificing a helluva lot to ensure we are safe and people who have this are well-taken care of. There are no words or measurements of gratitude large enough to encompass the enormity of what you are going through day in and day out.

[SDANation]

27. Thank you so much!

[In_The_Wind]

6. Thank you for all you do.

Sorry you lost a patient.

[cp]

7. Thank you.

[MLAA]

8. Sending you 💕💕💕💕💕💕

[Initech]

11. I hear ya!

My brother is a medical professional on the front lines. I've been incredibly worried about his safety and the safety of his staff. And I am increasingly worried about the possibility of a second wave. Calling this a "clusterfuck" is definitely understating it. We are going to be in this for the long haul, potentially.

[SDANation]

28. Yeah it's hard for all of us in the hospital.

I’m imagining we are gonna be in and out of lockdowns until we have vaccine or enough people have got it

[Fla Dem]

12. You and all of those that are on the frontlines are our HEROES!

[SDANation]

29. Thank you

[greenjar_01]

13. Thank you so much for your work

The physical and psychological toll is immense; society's appreciation and support should also be outsized.

[SDANation]

30. Thank you! We appreciate that.

[yaesu]

15. I'm in a very red part of a state that is in lockdown. I had to pick up a package & was amazed at

how many people were out & about shopping, eating, getting gas & the traffic is just as bad if not worse than before covid. Our county numbers have just started to balloon the last few days but no one seems to care that we are the 3rd worst state with covid cases. They are not only putting peoples lives in danger but stressing those hero's like yourself, putting unnecessary strain on the system. I'm think there are going to be an epidemic of PTSD in the healthcare service.

[SDANation]

31. We are already being offered counseling services

To deal with the stress and emotional fallout

[barbtries]

16. thank you

both for what you do and for reporting back to us.

Please stay healthy.

[Duppers]

21. You and every HCW dealing with covid are heroes.

Thank you for being there. 🙏

I know it's particularly terrify for those who are being asked to do their jobs without adequate PPE.

[Karadeniz]

22. I wonder why his family didn't want to reintubate...

[SDANation]

32. He had already been on a vent for a couple weeks

Improved then decompensated again. It sucks, we think we get ahead just for it to come roaring back

[Skittles]

23. thank you

I will take my advice from medical professionals, not politicians

[SDANation]

33. Thank you! Yeah only thing you can do for us is to stay home

So you don’t become a patient or spread it

[Skittles]

34. easy for me

I was always a homebody

[haricotblue]

24. Thanks for sharing and for your work

Great reminder for the rest of us to play it safe.

[smirkymonkey]

25. Thank you so much for all you are doing.

I am doing my part by self-quarantining completely. I know this is deadly serious and I do not want to contribute to the burden that you are all facing right now.