I posted this on another thread....might bear reading it here as well. A friend shared this with me this a.m. My take is...this is a new virus, I get that. BUT what did everyone do with the flu outbreaks where LOTS more people died etc? You can't live with "what if's".....
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I want everyone to take a big, deep, calming breath.
I’d like to give you all a true glimpse into American healthcare and how it works, for it seems that much of the population is a bit out of touch.
Firstly, It is shocking to me how many people are concerned with their health all of a sudden. While you’re freaking out about somebody infecting you with this horrible virus, maybe put your cigarettes away, or take your medication, or eat a vegetable for once.
Shocker: It is not standard procedure to test for COVID-19. There are a number of boxes that must be ticked first, before any healthcare professional in the state of Indiana will even consider it.
If you come into the ER, urgent care, or see your regular doctor and your symptoms are mild, you are going to be going home with instructions to rest, hydrate, and treat your symptoms with over the counter medication. We may test for the flu, because it is simple, cost-effective, and yields a result (we can offer you Tamiflu). There is not a simple, cost-effective test for COVID-19. There is also very little we can do with the information, if we get it. Knowing that one is positive for this novel coronavirus may help guide treatment in some ways (isolation, shared practice knowledge), but the test itself will mean next to nothing. We treat each patient differently, based on the symptoms or distress that each patient is experiencing.
Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Unless you are in respiratory distress, don’t even try to go to an ER. You will be sent home after waiting miserably for hours, with a big bill for your trouble. This is one of the reasons healthcare professionals can’t stand panic and hysteria-it fills our offices and emergency departments with people who should be at home resting, instead.
Per the CDC, this virus is primarily spread by people who are symptomatic. In the majority of cases, you will not spread anything to anyone else unless you are ill yourself.
Actionable things:
-Take care of yourself: eat well, stay hydrated, take your medications/vitamins, and stop freaking out (it weakens your immune system)
-Wash your hands often and don’t share things or touch your face.
-Stay home if you are unwell. (Apparently, an abundance of TP helps with this 😂)
-Keep up with the Lysol and the Clorox (and read the labels, you’d be shocked how much time it takes to properly sanitize something!)
I am an immunocompromised ICU nurse. I am not worried or afraid. These things are all second nature to me. We have to help each other out a bit, here. Quit whining about restrictions, quit panicking to no end, and just keep doing what needs to be done. Think about others for a change, too. This whole major freak-out that’s happening across the world right now? Welcome to the daily life of a family with a special needs child, or a cancer patient, or an elderly person, etc. Have some compassion and just take a deep breath.
And for goodness’ sake, if they develop a vaccination for this, remember how you feel right now and GET IT!
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