Coronavirus Part IV - 19 cases in ROI, 7 in NI (as of 7 March) *Read warnings in OP*

Cuckoo7

I’m not that worried for myself either.
But my mam has always been pretty strong, I would get colds and be out of commission for days and she would only feel a bit under the weather for an evening, take a paracetamol and be fine.
Since she entered her 70s she’s gotten sick every winter and has taken her weeks and weeks to shake it off.
I bought a few masks and sent them to her and advised her if there is a community spread to use them if , for whatever reason, she has to go to the dr or hospital.

Cilldara_2000

Away With The Fairies wrote: »

I'm bringing my own wipes for anything I might have to put my hand on. Still need to pick up a box of gloves and at this I don't care if I look like a fool with my wipes, gloves, masks.

Regardless of whether I think your precautions are over the top or not, you'd be right not to care if you look a fool. I don't understand why anyone who is taking what they think are reasonable precautions would be worried about looking like a fool. Never care what people you don't know and don't care about think about you. Srsly f*** 'em.

Away With The Fairies

For those that has signs, get tested or are positive, is there a way to get the all clear. Like do you have to keeping getting tested until you get a negative?

darjeeling

Deleted User wrote: »

One patient tested positive again last week after being discharged from a hospital in Zhejiang Province 18 days ago and passing the two-week quarantine period. Another was diagnosed again 10 days after leaving hospital.

In Guangdong 14 per cent of patients have tested positive days after they left hospital, according to the provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in Xiaogan, a city near Wuhan,

The latest death has added a worrying new aspect to the spread of the infection, reports the  *[South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3065281/china-may-have-no-new-coronavirus-cases-outside-hubei-mid-march)* .

https://amp.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/recovered-coronavirus-patient-dies-in-china/news-story/aebe8ff97f085dce713dbdacdd2236ac

We've seen this 14% 'reinfection' story do the rounds a good few times.

Let's have a closer look at it.

The story comes from a local media briefing by a CDC official in Guangdong, southern China.

Here's an article that gives more details:
https://www.zmescience.com/science/a-startling-number-of-coronavirus-patients-get-reinfected/

• Number of patients testing +ve after testing -ve: 13 (=14% of the total patients surveyed)
• Testing method was different - they didn't swab the throat 2nd time, let's just say.
• The 13 did not show renewed symptoms.

Scientists trying to understand if patients are actually being reinfected would want to know:

• What are the false +ve and -ve rates for the various tests being carried out?
• Over what time period are these alternating -ve & +ve tests happening?
• Are the patients symptomatic when they first test -ve, and when they subsequently test +ve?
• Do patients testing +ve fall into immunocompromised groups?
• What is the antibody status of the patients?

We have very little of this information because there is no proper scientific publication.

Some media outlets (eg Reuters) have sought opinions from virologists and immunologists who rack their brains to think of possible reasons, but it's clear they expect to see an adaptive immune response that results in persistent antibodies and some level of immunity going forward.

This is all interesting stuff to scientists, clinicians and those who are generally curious.
Meanwhile, it doesn't make any difference to what we need to do to shorten the epidemic and reduce the number infected:

Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly
Don't touch your face unless your hands are clean
Stay at home when ill and take steps to avoid infecting family

05eaftqbrs9jlh

Dorian Damp Text wrote: »

Young and healthy medical staff are being hit hard by this, probably due to fatigue, stress and viral load.

People over 60 are at significant risk of death from it.

Asking 66+ year olds to go to the front line is unreasonable. Both factors would be true for them.

Better to ask young healthy people to work as carers to take some of the load off nurses where possible.

I work part time in the homes of people who have disabilities. I'm certain that this work will evolve to include the care of people who have Covid-19. I was working with an intellectually disabled woman last week who had a persistent cough and fever. I rang the helpline and was told she did not meet the criteria for testing. I'm not her primary carer, I was just providing cover, but I'll find out on Tuesday if she was looked after in any way. I won't go into specifics but she is a very high-risk group. It seems that even at this point, we're having to basically come to terms with those with weaker health being forgotten about because they're low-priority compared to stronger individuals.

Welcome to the developed world.

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Is this really how people feel?

I’d like to believe that in times of a crisis, I’d help out in whatever way I could. Even if it was just manning a phone line or organising supplies.

What about face to face contact with people who have a deadly virus? Let me know how that works out when duty calls.

If you really feel so strongly about it, why haven't you trained in a useful area since the outbreak began? Or is it easier to say you "would" do something if there's no chance of you being called upon?

Ninthlife

Blueshoe wrote: »

That would be scheduled work wouldn't it?

You made the point of 'Public Service work weekends, lol'

General sweeping statement that is incorrect and very unfair

froog

so whats the current thinking on china's remarkable recovery in record time? do people believe the figures?

Blueshoe

Ninthlife wrote: »

You made the point of 'Public Service work weekends, lol'

General sweeping statement that is incorrect and very unfair

You should have read the second line. "Lol"

Darc19

gabeeg wrote: »

Dn't know if this has been posted yet, but only 1,895 people have been tested for the coronavirus so far in the US.

They have 335 known cases. Very, very bad

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-many-americans-have-been-tested-coronavirus/607597/

It's $400 to get tested in the US

gabeeg

I've been using a blowtorch in shopping centres just to be on the safe side.

Apologies to all who were singed, I will learn from this.

briany

Considering that the Irish government sent out packs of iodine tablets to every home in the country to be taken in case of nuclear war, maybe the Irish government could start posting out bottles of hand sanitiser to every home in the country. In the latter case, it would be something actually useful at a time when we actually need it.

Miike

banie01 wrote: »

NVRL themselves are giving the turnaround time as 12-24hrs as per
https://nvrl.ucd.ie/node/209

Samples to be tested must arrive at lab before 10am.
So it can be fairly safely assumed that anything after that cut off, is added to the next days processing batch. Giving at least a days lead time to the result being available.

Current testing process info I have read www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/how-sars-cov-2-tests-work-and-whats-next-in-covid-19-diagnostics-67210/amp overview that I've read also confirms a 24-48hr wait time for results.
NHS and NCBI articles confirm the above process but in a more verbose form.

It's also been mentioned by HSE and Dr's as the approximate wait time for confirming diagnosis.

Is it not?
Are the NVRL running a faster testing process?

Cheers for that. I didn't see that press release by the NVRL regarding their 12-24 hour turn around. Without saying too much, there are samples with results returned via Telephone largely within a 6 hour period (not including transit time). I can't imagine they'll be keeping up with a daily test deadline as things progress.

Regarding that article - They are referencing the NHS and CDC wait times and the CDC were running tests centrally in the whole of the US until very recently (huge wait times). They are now only starting to output sufficient numbers of their test kit which requires clinicians to pre-prepare the sample prior to sending. They way to CDC operates vs NVRL is quite different in terms of its logistics and the population size they need to serve

Dorian Damp Text

Dorian Damp Text wrote: »

Young and healthy medical staff are being hit hard by this, probably due to fatigue, stress and viral load.

People over 60 are at significant risk of death from it.

Asking 66+ year olds to go to the front line is unreasonable. Both factors would be true for them.

Better to ask young healthy people to work as carers to take some of the load off nurses where possible.

There’s a ridiculous amount of paperwork involved when dealing with a patient isn’t there? Could the retired staff not be tasked with writing up these notes away from the frontline? Gives frontline staff more time to deal treating patients aswell as getting rest time.

Ninthlife

Blueshoe wrote: »

You should have read the second line. "Lol"

Your comment regardless was factually incorrect and many a public servant and service has operated on weekends despite not being scheduled

Cartel Mike

• JPCN1 wrote: »

  Misery loves company.

And so does utter stupiidy. like the idiots that keep saying 'theres only a handfull of cases in this country' ...just not getting the point are they!. Do these people even unnderstand whay peope are asking for flights to be banned?
Do they personally 'not' want them banned? and can that give reasons to support this opinion/option?
Why are they posting on this thread ?

Darc19

froog wrote: »

so whats the current thinking on china's remarkable recovery in record time? do people believe the figures?

China have been very honest on this. The WHO who have no issue calling out any country have heaped praise on them.

It's the US that are pushing it under the carpet and giving utterly false figures

CIARAN_BOYLE

It's smart to make arrangements so that retired nurses and doctors can quickly return to practise if they choose to. Make returning to the register a more streamlined process. Make it so the state covers any fees.

That said its important to look at what they can and should do. They can be immunocompromised or have injuries. If we have large numbers selfisolating there needs to be a phone service to offer support. This may be ideal for returnees. It may not I don't know but its not a front line role so it may work.

tillyfilly

froog wrote: »

so whats the current thinking on china's remarkable recovery in record time? do people believe the figures?

seems legitimate, makes you wonder whether they intended this, release a lethal pathogen on the world , make it seem like you did it by accident , proof of the accidental nature of the release is your country was initially the biggest victim, this prevents reprisals from western superpowers, close off and isolate China from the world when the virus stabilises in China to prevent reinfection , as only an authoritarian regime can do, watch the West die because their populations are so open and move around so much and and proceed to dominate the new world

jackboy

Just back from the shops. No panic shopping to be seen.

However, the cashier was wearing gloves and not changing them between customers. Obviously he was protecting himself.

BLIZZARD7

Germany 795 cases, 0 deaths , 9 Serious/Critical.

Unbelievable numbers vs other countries, especially considering the old population.

Just 18 recovered though so mostly open cases still.

saabsaab

bodhrandude wrote: »

Electric Picnic announcing next week, woo han? hopefully.

Hopefully not.

Funsterdelux

Cilldara_2000 wrote: »

Regardless of whether I think your precautions are over the top or not, you'd be right not to care if you look a fool. I don't understand why anyone who is taking what they think are reasonable precautions would be worried about looking like a fool. Never care what people you don't know and don't care about think about you. Srsly f*** 'em.

Its better to look like a fool prepared than look stylish in a coffin.

I personally dont think that anyone wearing any sort of PPE look foolish.

PaybackPayroll

froog wrote: »

so whats the current thinking on china's remarkable recovery in record time? do people believe the figures?

I absolutely believe it

What they have done is very stringent. How can C19 spread if everyone is locked down, and no-one to spread it?

In a few weeks, people could be trying to move to Wuhan!

CIARAN_BOYLE

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

There’s a ridiculous amount of paperwork involved when dealing with a patient isn’t there? Could the retired staff not be tasked with writing up these notes away from the frontline? Gives frontline staff more time to deal treating patients aswell as getting rest time.

It's hard for a 0erson not on the front line to get the information they need.

banie01

Miike wrote: »

Cheers for that. I didn't see that press release by the NVRL regarding their 12-24 hour turn around. Without saying too much, there are samples with results returned via Telephone largely within a 6 hour period (not including transit time).


They way to CDC operates vs NVRL is quite different in terms of its logistics and the population size they need to serve

Thanks Miike, hopefully our own current system can cope and won't be overwhelmed in the near term.

Good to see that they are turning around results relatively quickly.

Jim_Hodge

owlbethere wrote: »

I'm a knitter and I have a large stash of yarn in many fibers. Could I knit a mask. I found a pattern already. If I tightly knit it with double layers ? Would something like that help?

A complete waste of time. You'd never knit tight enough. The coronavirus measures between .05 and 0.2 microns in diameter. Hence why ordinary surgical masks are not effective either.

Blueshoe

Ninthlife wrote: »

Your comment regardless was factually incorrect and many a public servant and service has operated on weekends despite not being scheduled

People not scheduled to work don't just turn up. Fantasy land.
The public sector is an expensive dinosaur.
The return for the cost is muck to put it bluntly.

The lack of organisation, accountability and effort in the health service will yet again let us down.
I have zero faith in the hse. Prove me wrong Simon and co.

Yurt2

froog wrote: »

so whats the current thinking on china's remarkable recovery in record time? do people believe the figures?

Was speaking to a Chinese acquaintance via WeChat. Has been in a quarantined city (quite far from Wuhan) since the Chinese new year. Still cant travel back to the 1st tier city where they are resident. Gov keep on stringing them along that it will be two/three/four days time when the travel block will be released.

In a word, no. I don't believe them. Highly likely there is significant community spread within cities still happening.

The WHO will say whatever keeps China happy as they are a major donor country now. China has stepped in to be a huge donor country to multilateral orgs like the WHO as the US has stepped back. Paycheques are on the line remember.

saabsaab

jackboy wrote: »

Just back from the shops. No panic shopping to be seen.

However, the cashier was wearing gloves and not changing them between customers. Obviously he was protecting himself.

They will need to.

Cilldara_2000

Maddox Jealous Yard wrote: »

If you really feel so strongly about it, why haven't you trained in a useful area since the outbreak began? Or is it easier to say you "would" do something if there's no chance of you being called upon?

I started a healthcare course there in early January. I will be fully qualified and experienced physician/surgeon/nurse/dentist/midwife/psychologist/psychiatrist/pharmacist next week.