(COVID/ETC CONTENT HERE) China Locks Down 11 Million in Wuhan,

[Bulletdog]

Because he still has bills to pay?!?! Both my parents are on the bottom end of the "at risk crowd" but if they don't want to be homeless they have to work. My mom has always been healthy, doesn't take meds, never has, but she's no longer young. My dad was born with a plethora of pre existing conditions, which are all more or less managed with meds but I don't know how effective they would be with this virus. They are in retirement age but they work.

My boss is probably close to 70. I know he takes blood pressure meds but I don't think it's too strong and seems we'll managed. He doesn't go to doctors often. Otherwise he's pretty healthy, looks 10 years younger and acts like he's 40. Mows his own lawn, does all home repairs himself, gardens, built his own coy pond...etc.. So he definitely doesn't feel or act his age. But he also doesn't have the immune system of a 25 year old and he has a business to run and a house to pay for and if he did sit home for the next X months then there would be about 10 people out of a job

Plenty of people who are in the at risk group who are not deathly sick and/or bedridden but still work

How about we remain a free, and financially viable country, and let Uncle Joe make his own decision. If he's in an at risk category and knowingly chooses to take that risk, I'm okay with that. I'll wash my hands, stand six feet away from him, and stay home if I'm sick to help him out. The risk to me, my hot wife, and my kid from this thing is minimal. The risks to my family from having no income for 3 or more months are significant. The risks to my family caused by media and government fear mongering, and the resultant civil unrest are significant. The risks to me and my family from the government forcing us to use their individual biometric ID systems, and their Universal Basic Income schemes is significant.

Uncle Joe is a big boy. He can make up his own mind about the risks to himself and his family. I would like to go back to being able to make up my own mind about mine.

[26 Inf]

Kind of a little of topic, but I hope some of the simple precautions folks are taking now stick with us.

I like the idea of six foot intervals while waiting in line, I'd like 10m better, but that was a long time ago.

My local hardware store made sneeze guards for their clerks - they used closet flanges, and 3 or 4 inch PVC split down the middle, put one at each end of the counter and slid the clear acrylic sheet in there. I cant sneeze on them, they cant sneeze on me, and I'm a lot less likely to strangle them.

I notice everyone is washing their hands more, hope that sticks.

When we were at the restaurant last night, it was every other table and you picked up your sanitized salt and peper bottles as you were seated. Every other table or booth, no group was within six feet of another group. In the parking lot saw a Grandpa instruct a youngster how to sneeze into his inner elbow, I gulped and vowed not to sit near them, but apparently it was a just in case demo.

A lot of simple things that wouldn't be hard to carry on.

[jsbhike]

Kind of a little of topic, but I hope some of the simple precautions folks are taking now stick with us.

I like the idea of six foot intervals while waiting in line, I'd like 10m better, but that was a long time ago.

My local hardware store made sneeze guards for their clerks - they used closet flanges, and 3 or 4 inch PVC split down the middle, put one at each end of the counter and slid the clear acrylic sheet in there. I cant sneeze on them, they cant sneeze on me, and I'm a lot less likely to strangle them.

I notice everyone is washing their hands more, hope that sticks.

When we were at the restaurant last night, it was every other table and you picked up your sanitized salt and peper bottles as you were seated. Every other table or booth, no group was within six feet of another group. In the parking lot saw a Grandpa instruct a youngster how to sneeze into his inner elbow, I gulped and vowed not to sit near them, but apparently it was a just in case demo.

A lot of simple things that wouldn't be hard to carry on.

I stuck this in the humor thread:

Based on 6' social distancing floor marks, I am 4' to 8' tall depending on which checkout lane I am in.

The every other table idea seemed, and still seems, like a viable short term plan that is less harmful than the jump straight to total shut down plan.

[utahjeepr]

So, can some of the medical folks here (who really no doubt deserve to be and probably should be resting instead of playing on the internet ) talk about some of the vocabulary that is a little bit in the weeds for the rest of us.

A lot of things get said really quickly in the moment and we don't always know what to pay attention to. No offense to the medical staffers, they are tired, in a hurry, handling too much at once, and trying to give some attention to their own health all at the same time.

Not to make this about me, just things that I have heard/been told that flew a little over the target in terms of my understanding.

Saturation percentage? From my doctors reaction 82 is not good, high 80s / low 90s on oxygen = still not good. What kind of bracket are we looking for?

Pneumonia, I gather this is the same bug just deeper in the lungs? Or is it something different? Bilateral, bronchial, lower lobes,...? Any easy cliff notes?

I am sure you have more important things to deal with, but any vocabulary help you chose to share would be appreciated.

[thopkins22]

So, can some of the medical folks here (who really no doubt deserve to be and probably should be resting instead of playing on the internet ) talk about some of the vocabulary that is a little bit in the weeds for the rest of us.

A lot of things get said really quickly in the moment and we don't always know what to pay attention to. No offense to the medical staffers, they are tired, in a hurry, handling too much at once, and trying to give some attention to their own health all at the same time.

Not to make this about me, just things that I have heard/been told that flew a little over the target in terms of my understanding.

Saturation percentage? From my doctors reaction 82 is not good, high 80s / low 90s on oxygen = still not good. What kind of bracket are we looking for?

Pneumonia, I gather this is the same bug just deeper in the lungs? Or is it something different? Bilateral, bronchial, lower lobes,...? Any easy cliff notes?

I am sure you have more important things to deal with, but any vocabulary help you chose to share would be appreciated.

I"m not a doctor, but normal arterial blood saturation should be over 94%...even at pretty high altitudes. Anything below 92 or 90% gets oxygen if you're in the hospital and is considered hypoxemia. I'm sure there are consequences to being low but not critically low, but I know that at 80% saturation you're pretty well unable to be coherent or think critically, and below 75-70% you're almost certainly unconscious.

If your arteries are saturated at 82%, there's something seriously wrong.

But I'm not a doctor...just a guy who reads too much.

[chuckman]

So, can some of the medical folks here (who really no doubt deserve to be and probably should be resting instead of playing on the internet ) talk about some of the vocabulary that is a little bit in the weeds for the rest of us.

A lot of things get said really quickly in the moment and we don't always know what to pay attention to. No offense to the medical staffers, they are tired, in a hurry, handling too much at once, and trying to give some attention to their own health all at the same time.

Not to make this about me, just things that I have heard/been told that flew a little over the target in terms of my understanding.

Saturation percentage? From my doctors reaction 82 is not good, high 80s / low 90s on oxygen = still not good. What kind of bracket are we looking for?

Pneumonia, I gather this is the same bug just deeper in the lungs? Or is it something different? Bilateral, bronchial, lower lobes,...? Any easy cliff notes?

I am sure you have more important things to deal with, but any vocabulary help you chose to share would be appreciated.

Oxygen saturation should generally be above 90 in just about everybody but a specific few types of pathology, but greater than 94 is considered normal. Lots of things can alter that, and medical providers often get fixated on it as a metric when there are better parameters by which to judge oxygenation. ABNAK is a respiratory therapist, and this is definitely in his wheelhouse.

Pneumonia really is a disease of the lungs, infection, but it can be caused by a variety of different types of bugs. Not all pneumonias are created equally, some are worse than others. So no, not same bug.

The medical folks are happy to answer these kinds of questions, the more you know and all.

[tgizzard]

Here in Delaware our Democrat Governor got his wish to restrict firearms and ammo sales for the next month and half. The Delaware Legislature, with the backing of the Governor, have been trying to ban "assault" weapons for a few years now with no luck. But looks like they'll use this crisis as a backdoor way of preventing gun sales until the state of emergency is lifted on May 15. Never let a good crisis go to waste it seems.

https://www.delawareonline.com/story...se/2915573001/

Several firearms stores in Delaware that defied Gov. John Carney's Sunday order closing all "nonessential" businesses were served cease-and-desist letters this week, telling owners to shut down their shops or face arrest.

Under Delaware business code, most firearms stores are given the same North American Industry Classification code as sporting goods, hobby and musical instrument stores, which are deemed "nonessential."

Miller said he remained open Tuesday and Wednesday because he didn't feel he fit under any of those categories, but closed immediately after receiving the cease-and-desist order.

"We're obviously not a hobby store or music store or bookstore, and my interpretation of a sporting goods store is a store that sells basketballs, baseballs, baseball equipment, baseball gloves, etc.," Miller said. "We don't sell that, we're selling firearms"

[ABNAK]

They are changing PPE recommendations by the hour it seems, based on availability. At first it was, one mask per user, per patient, per day. Then it was one mask per user, per multiple patients, per day. Then it was one mask per user, per multiple patients, per multiple days (with decon/disinfecting). Now, we also use a full-face face shield, which actually captures 99.99% of any droplet, so the masks are pretty clean to begin with. But you need to have your agency clarify, and then go by their protocols.

And that is BS. You don't change standards because of availability. It either is or is not appropriate PPE, based on facts, not availability.

It is analogous to the military wanting to integrate women into combat arms and Spec Ops positions. Humping long distances under heavy rucks in the Q-Course for instance. Instead of ensuring that every potential SF candidate could do this (like has been done for eons) the .mil began (at politician's behest) to rethink "Is it really necessary nowadays for someone to hump 22 miles with an 80lb ruck and equipment? Why, we have Hummers and shit now, not to mention choppers." Then the standard gets lowered, not for legitimate reasons but to meet a whim. The same is happening with the ever-changing PPE rules, all based on availability alone.

It ain't right.

[ABNAK]

Oxygen saturation should generally be above 90 in just about everybody but a specific few types of pathology, but greater than 94 is considered normal. Lots of things can alter that, and medical providers often get fixated on it as a metric when there are better parameters by which to judge oxygenation. ABNAK is a respiratory therapist, and this is definitely in his wheelhouse.

Pneumonia really is a disease of the lungs, infection, but it can be caused by a variety of different types of bugs. Not all pneumonias are created equally, some are worse than others. So no, not same bug.

The medical folks are happy to answer these kinds of questions, the more you know and all.

Normal sats are 96-98% for a healthy adult. COPD patients (think emphysema, smoked for 50 freaking years) are okay in the low 90's. Generally we don't apply oxygen until the sats hit the 80's.

Think of it this way: 90's good, 80's on down not good. That means starting at 89% and lower an eyebrow should be raised.

I have seen advice given to younger, healthy people positive for COVID-19 quarantining at home that their breathing may be harder while sick but as long as their sats remain 93% or higher you'll be okay. Probably sound advice. If you start dipping below 93% or definitely into the 80's you become part of that 15-20% who need to get to a hospital.

[ABNAK]

Read where the USS Theodore Roosevelt had 8 sailors test positive while at sea and it has been ordered to Guam. 5,000 people on board will not be allowed off the ship and all 5,000 will be tested.

Hmmm.....how could that happen? Well, the Teddy R made a port call in....wait for it....Da Nang, Vietnam in early March. WTF over? Who the hell authorized that?

Pulling a deployed CVN off line is a big deal.