Maine Covid 19 Thread

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by roadrat

The polls are not open only absentee ballots and early voting, early voting is very strict, masks and distancing are mandatory in city halls.

Seriously! I'm laughing at myself. They're voting in record numbers but certainly not at the polls.

Originally Posted by roadrat

Like I said kids have been back in school for over a month.
Something smells like corruption to me, what's to stop jackboot Janet? Our legislators? Gideon has quit her job and is now a full time campaigner.

I don't think there's any corruption but Gideon quitting her job does annoy me.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Makes sense to me. When big time donors give you $44,000,000, you don't need to work some other job. All the people down on the coast who had "Bye Bye Susan" stickers can take them off their $60,000 pickups now.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by tarragon

Hospitals get a $30k bonus? Where did you hear this? I work for a surgeon and I have never heard this.

That's because it's largely BS.

Hospitals that have high number of COVID cases do receive some funding to offset the costs associated with dealing with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) because if they didn't, they'd fold financially. The caveat is that they have to meet a certain number of positive tests before they qualify. Some small facilities are deemed "Critical Access Hospitals," and they are funded accordingly. CA Dean in Greenville is tiny and was sucked under Northern Lights foundation umbrella years ago, because if it didn't, it would be closed by now. It's considered a critical access hospital.

"Bonus?" No. A tourniquet for small institutions that were already in the hole before COVID-19 hit? Yes.

Many not-for-profit hospitals have been figuratively hemorrhaging money for decades now, but with COVID-19 taxing their already stressed budgets, it's downright alarming. The problem is, it's also very cloaked in a total lack of transparency between insurance companies, medical equipment corporations, pharmaceutical companies and supply chains.

Now, that said, some of it is a direct result of misguided administration choosing to purchase the most ridiculously expensive, EMR software because they were suckered into believing it would have a great ROI. What EMR (electronic medical records) basically is, is a statistics-driven cash register that many mega for-profit hospitals use. I highly recommend the book "The Price We Pay" by Marty Makary, MD. It illustrates beautifully what I've been watching up close and personal for 32 years when it comes to the "free market" of healthcare reimbursement.

In fact, here's a free download of it if you can't afford to buy the book on amazon.

https://www.academia.edu/40657180/Th...arty_Makary_MD

As is evident in the number of smaller, more rural hospitals being eaten up by larger institutions in the state of Maine, they can't compete. At. All. So much for the "free market."

When I hear people complain that hospitals are being paid extra for COVID-19 patients and are ripping off the system, I feel compelled to explain that it's not as simple as doing it for some sort of benefit. They are pretty much doing it to stay solvent at this point (at least the smaller ones - the "Wal-Mart model" of mega corporate hospitals, are an entirely different animal). They'll be just fine because they know how to work the system with insurance companies and have large lobbyists presence in DC.

Here's the thing: Strict protocols for dealing with COVID-19 positive, or potentially positive patients, are in place because this is a novel virus which is causing ALL SORTS of ancillary issues in many patients, such as blood clots, strokes, pulmonary embolisms, etc. They know a lot more than they did in March, but they still haven't truly found out what makes it tick. We have a large number of sick people in this state. Heart disease, COPD, diabetes, you name it, we've got it. We're also among the "grayest" states, so with that comes a greater number of patient load. A person can have a chronic disease like heart disease or COPD, and be managing it just fine until COVID-19 comes along and kills them. This is where numbers are misleading. They may have had COVID secondary to a heart attack, but COVID still caused the blood clot that blocked the artery.

So, basically it's a crap shoot how anyone would react to it. Will I have any symptoms at all? Will I have a simple fever and a few days of discomfort? Will I be flat on my back for a week? A month? Will I be in a respiratory unit on oxygen, or will I be face-down in an ICU intubated, and with a tube in every orifice?

Who wants to spin that Wheel of Fortune? Then we have the people who have no symptoms and believe that it's all bunk, but they happen to carry a heavy viral load, so they spread it all over the place, just like Typhoid Mary did in the 1800's.

If a surge in a particular area happens, hospitals have strict protocols for a reason. They are finding that the more viral load an employee is exposed to, the more likely they will not only catch it, but will likely have far more chance of the worst possible outcome of death due to repeated exposure (and that has happened all over the world).

Every time a medical person has to enter a room, they must don new PPE. A nurse could go into a patient's room several times a day, not to mention how many times a CNA has to go in to care for the patient. And, too, lab techs, xray techs, and other ancillary team members must gown and glove up.

This constant donning of gloves, gowns, masks, shields, etc. is not cheap.

Now you have a virus which doesn't come with a neon warning sign when a car accident victim rolls into an ER. So those workers must absolutely be sure that they are donning appropriate protection, and the patient will be swabbed for COVID-19. The ER workers cannot sit around and wait for a COVID-19 test to come back, less the patient dies of the injuries sustained in the accident.

Now try to imagine a facility that is short-staffed, trying to staff an ER should a worker pop a positive and have to quarantine. They may have to hire traveling providers and staff through an agency, and that ain't cheap either.

Those monies must be recouped. You can't run any business on no incoming revenue.

What's the first thing that any good Nursing Supervisor does when money is tight? They call off RN's and CNA's and then divide the ensuing patient load among who's left. Some nurses throughout the US never were called back from furlough because of budget cuts. Needless to say that burdens who's left with more tasks. Add to it having to spend up to 2 hours after they were supposed to clock out just on documentation, and it's a wonder we have any young people willing to go into the profession.

And truly, 90% of it now is clicking boxes on an EMR for "documentation" to the cash register so the insurance company and government programs will pay for services rendered. We need to pay attention. There is no Black Friday in healthcare to offset the periods of low sales. There is nothing to "produce" in healthcare.

Sometimes I think this country won't be happy until they've closed every facility around, and then they'll complain that there's no access to healthcare.

[Vance Mack]

Bravo cebdark

[Zymer]

So, basically it's a crap shoot how anyone would react to it. Will I have any symptoms at all? Will I have a simple fever and a few days of discomfort? Will I be flat on my back for a week? A month? Will I be in a respiratory unit on oxygen, or will I be face-down in an ICU intubated, and with a tube in every orifice?

Who wants to spin that Wheel of Fortune? Then we have the people who have no symptoms and believe that it's all bunk, but they happen to carry a heavy viral load, so they spread it all over the place, just like Typhoid Mary did in the 1800's.

If a surge in a particular area happens, hospitals have strict protocols for a reason. They are finding that the more viral load an employee is exposed to, the more likely they will not only catch it, but will likely have far more chance of the worst possible outcome of death due to repeated exposure (and that has happened all over the world).

Every time a medical person has to enter a room, they must don new PPE. A nurse could go into a patient's room several times a day, not to mention how many times a CNA has to go in to care for the patient. And, too, lab techs, xray techs, and other ancillary team members must gown and glove up.

This constant donning of gloves, gowns, masks, shields, etc. is not cheap.

Now you have a virus which doesn't come with a neon warning sign when a car accident victim rolls into an ER. So those workers must absolutely be sure that they are donning appropriate protection, and the patient will be swabbed for COVID-19. The ER workers cannot sit around and wait for a COVID-19 test to come back, less the patient dies of the injuries sustained in the accident.

Excellent post cebdark.


I had to go to the ER in Oct. Even though I had been very, very careful, I was sick. Covid symptoms, trouble breathing, heart rate rising and O2 dropping. My heart rate in the AM can be in the low 40s, around 55-60 during the day. When my O2 dropped to 90 and my heart rate went up to 90 I knew I needed help.


I was whisked into a negative pressure room within minutes. Every person that came in had to don gear, and removed it before they went out, all that stuff went in the trash again and again until they finally determined just what, exactly, the infection was. Fortunately for me, it wasn't Covid. Covid will probably kill me- Age, COPD, HBP and a hole in my heart do not favor my odds of survival.


A couple of bags of heavy-duty antibiotics, plus fluids and I was walking back out 8 hours later (though they said that if I had waited any longer to come in, I wouldn't have been walking out...not any time soon anyway).


Are there still people left who don't believe this is real, and dangerous?


I'm going to continue hiding until it's my turn for the vaccine.


Edit:


Does anyone know where I can get a med-grade O2 tank filled?


I recently obtained a full EMT-type trauma kit with an oxygen tank with tubing, mask, and nasal cannula to upgrade from my jerry-rigged industrial welding tanks. I'd like to get the tank filled with med-grade gas instead of the industrial gas...something tells me that there is probably some difference. I think industrial gas may work in an emergency if you have nothing else, but I'd like to get the good stuff if I can.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by Zymer

I'm going to continue hiding until it's my turn for the vaccine.

I'm glad you're alright. That's terrifying!



I met two women today who got their first doses on Monday. One has no side effects, the other a sore arm no worse than the influenza vaccine causes. I'll be in line for mine when my turn comes.

[nm9stheham]

Medical grade oxygen is certified and possibly/probably cleaner.... but will certainly work. Aviation oxygen is highly dehumidifed... so it won't freeze up the valves at high altitudes.

Glad you made it out of there, Zymer!

As far as COVID being dangerous... the outcome is a varied and very individual thing. Just my opinion from observations: We almost instinctively prefer to classify things as 'A' or 'B'.. our minds like binary situations but 3 or 4 possible states require us to sort and prioritize. But the COVID outcome is not A or B.... it's outcome is A or B or C or D and maybe even E.

If you are young, it is almost a given to not be fatal, so the varying attitudes are rational. When coupled with other factors like personal economic outcomes and varying degrees of personal bravado, even more variety of views is to be expected. Human nature rules as always.....