Coronavirus

[EVNow]

I had not paid attention to the Biogen conference from Feb 26-27. Some 120 175 people attended the conference.

70 of 92 cases in MA are linked to the conference. So are multiple cases in various states.

 

[eevee-fan]

"You've Got Mail! Census 2020 mailings are coming to your mailbox beginning this week!"

Possibly the cause of the next wave of Corona Virus... I am checking my mailbox only once a week on Sunday evenings...

 

[MikeQ]

?!? That's why all countries need nationalized health insurance!

You mean like Italy's?

 

[eevee-fan]

You mean like Italy's?

Apparently, Italy gave people the option to make a bad choice...

Health Care System in Italy - Understanding the Italian Healthcare System

The Differences Between Italian Private and Public HealthCare
In general, public medical care in Italy is excellent. Almost all patient costs are covered. The system focuses on both preventative and prescriptive care. And while there are occasional problems with hospital crowding and long wait times at public facilities, overall the system is efficient and affordable.

Private health insurance in Italy is not as common as it is in other countries. As it’s not possible to opt out of the public system and since private insurance premiums are not tax deductible, the majority of Italians stick with the public system.

For those who do carry private health insurance, it falls under two categories. The first is corporate insurance. Just as the name suggests, this is private insurance paid for by companies which will cover employees and sometimes their families. Private health insurance is occasionally offered by employers as a perk in Italy, but not at the same level as other countries. Second is non-corporate insurance. These policies are supplied by either for-profit or non-profit organizations and can be individual policies or collective in nature. And, of course, non-Italians also hold global medical coverage which they purchase in their home country before they move abroad.

As with all countries, private health insurance in Italy means patients have shorter wait times and more private, comfortable facilities. Doctors and nursing working in private facilities are also more likely to speak English. But in Italy, private insurance is also popular for patients in the south of the country. Public facilities are more basic in the south than the north and having access to private insurance gives patients the maximum amount of options.

 

[MikeQ]

Apparently, Italy gave people the option to make a bad choice...

But everyone is covered.

"In general, public medical care in Italy is excellent. Almost all patient costs are covered."

"the majority of Italians stick with the public system."

"As with all countries, private health insurance in Italy means patients have shorter wait times and more private, comfortable facilities"

So You're saying the public system is the "bad choice"? Either way it sounds like the public system utterly failed in this case.

 

[traxila]

NYC cancelling parent teacher conferences making them ‘virtual’ for Friday. Useless.

Honestly when is someone with a pair of balls going to shut down the system and save lives?

Our politicians are gutless. What is their purpose anyway?

Everyone around me thinks I am a moron worry wart but somehow they now seem to be changing their tune.

Why is Italy’s example so hard to understand?

 

[eevee-fan]

But everyone is covered.

"In general, public medical care in Italy is excellent. Almost all patient costs are covered."

"the majority of Italians stick with the public system."

"As with all countries, private health insurance in Italy means patients have shorter wait times and more private, comfortable facilities"

So You're saying the public system is the "bad choice"? Either way it sounds like the public system utterly failed in this case.

Shorter wait times - to die - because they don't cover pandemic.

 

[MikeQ]

Shorter wait times - to die - because they don't cover pandemic.

To be fair, without a vaccine, what could ANY healthcare system do other than try to mitigate the disaster?

 

[eevee-fan]

To be fair, without a vaccine, what could ANY healthcare system do other than try to mitigate the disaster?

Right now, it's mostly to let the person recover without dying before that happens. So, that means being in the ICU on life support. If insurance will not cover pandemic, you are not covered to be in the ICU. As I said, shorter wait time for sure.

Also, vaccine is what you take BEFORE being infected, not after. Vaccines do not work like the morning after pill.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Please use this thread to share relevant and helpful COVID information and do not post stream of consciousness or your reaction to each and every post.

Before hitting Post Reply — Consider if what you are about to post is really true contribution to info collected in this thread or is otherwise a public service to humanity — as I hope this post is.

It's too late. I used to watch this thread, then gave up about a week ago since the noise level was so high. Just peeked in now. Still useless. Nice try though.

 

[VValleyEV]

This twitter thread paints a very dire and scary situation in Italy, of a completely overwhelmed hospital system. Can anyone verify or shed more information?

Jason Van Schoor on Twitter

Some bits:
3/ The current situation is difficult to imagine and numbers do not explain things at all. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid-19, they are running 200% capacity
4/ We’ve stopped all routine, all ORs have been converted to ITUs [Intensive Treatment Units] and they are now diverting or not treating all other emergencies like trauma or strokes. There are hundreds of pts with severe resp failure and many of them do not have access to anything above a reservoir mask.
5/ Patients above 65, or younger with comorbidities, are not even assessed by ITU, I am not saying not tubed, I’m saying not assessed and no ITU staff attends when they arrest. Staff are working as much as they can but they are starting to get sick and are emotionally overwhelmed.

 

[linux-works]

google tells all of its US workers to WFH

Google Tells All North America Staff To Work From Home - Slashdot

just that, alone, will damned near empty out the local streets. 101 and shoreline will not be wall to wall cars.

wow. how Sir Real

 

[MikeQ]

Also, vaccine is what you take BEFORE being infected, not after. Vaccines do not work like the morning after pill.

I'm aware of how vaccines work. My point is that without preemptively vaccinating people (like we do with the flu), a viral outbreak isn't something a healthcare system can fix. It needs to run it's course. You can try to mitigate the spread and symptoms but that's about it.

 

[KSilver2000]

This twitter thread paints a very dire and scary situation in Italy, of a completely overwhelmed hospital system. Can anyone verify or shed more information?

Jason Van Schoor on Twitter

Many of us don’t know the details from here, but the general sense of being overwhelmed sounds just like accounts from many other medical professionals in the country.
Sounds about right I would say.

That’s why measures to stop spread, even if containment is long gone, is important to not have a huge peak in cases. America is no different, we don’t have unlimited beds and machines.

People listening to stuff like this and taking it word for word is what’s dragging the US down.
Andrew Lawrence on Twitter

 

[EVNow]

You mean like Italy's?

If you want to discuss public health insurance - you should take the discussion to politics forum.

Difference between Italy and South Korea/Japan/Taiwan is not public/private. Its about how seriously the country took the threat to be.

 

[Wenche]

I

Paying some attention to Japan. A country that didn't enact any draconian measures.

It seems like social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands is enough to slow down the spread by a lot. Back to linear growth instead of exponential.

I’m not sure about the data from Japan, as it is critical for them, that the Olympics will happen. If I understand this right, the window for the Olympics will close In May.

 

[bkp_duke]

Right now, it's mostly to let the person recover without dying before that happens. So, that means being in the ICU on life support. If insurance will not cover pandemic, you are not covered to be in the ICU. As I said, shorter wait time for sure.

Also, vaccine is what you take BEFORE being infected, not after. Vaccines do not work like the morning after pill.

For the record, not entirely true. Step on a nail, we give you a tetanus booster. It does help the immune system fight it off faster.

 

[bkp_duke]

Oh, so you know all the workings of this new vaccine, would you care to license it royalty free and save the world?

I wasn't talking about this new vaccine. I was making a point to be careful about absolute statements. There are a few vaccines that are know to quickly boost the immune system in the event of exposure. Tetanus is one of them.

Currently, all coronavirus vaccines are at best in Phase 1 trials (i.e. efficacy and safety). Historically, only about 1 in 100 makes it out of Phase 1 to Phase 2.

 

[eevee-fan]

I wasn't talking about this new vaccine. I was making a point to be careful about absolute statements. There are a few vaccines that are know to quickly boost the immune system in the event of exposure. Tetanus is one of them.

Currently, all coronavirus vaccines are at best in Phase 1 trials (i.e. efficacy and safety). Historically, only about 1 in 100 makes it out of Phase 1 to Phase 2.

Tetanus is caused by bacterium toxin, COVID-19 is a virus... do you have an example of a anti-virus vaccine? Does taking flu vaccine after getting the flu help any?

Tetanus - Wikipedia

 

[bkp_duke]

No, not the flu, and as I said it is a select few vaccines. It's not the norm.

My wife is a veterinarian and tells me that the rabies vaccine is indicated after exposure (i.e.a bite from a suspect animal to a human). So that is at least one example of a virus. The treatment window, however, is narrow. 24 hours after exposure if I remember correctly.