The Coronavirus thread.

[Bevvied]

And just when you think everything is all rosey...
Prior to this I've had about four days of feeling grand, very tired but not ill, just tired.

I woke up this morning, thinking I was having a heart attack or a panic attack.
Took an aspirin, tried to calm down, but every breathe is like being stabbed in the chest and shoulder blade.
My surgery is still open for telephone consultations so I rang them as soon as they opened.
Brief bit of info to receptionist, then a GP phoned back.
Had to go back the three or so weeks and tell her everything that had happened and how I felt now.
Twenty minutes later another doctor is at my doorstep in full protective garb. He threw in a face mask for me to put on, I then go to doorstep (he stayed outside) where he takes pulse, temperature and blood oxygen level.
He disappears saying I will get a phone call very soon once he gets back to the surgery.
I did receive that phone call.
They suspect Pleurisy. Penicillin and pain killers getting delivered.
My GP is gonna ring me back over the next few days.
She even asked me if we were OK for food.

The Dr who came to my house said secondary infections are common. Pneumonia or Pleurisy. First I'd heard of it.

Our N.H.S. is fantastic

 

[MyQul]

I am astounded by the sheer cognitive dissonance displayed by those Brexit voters currently hanging out their front doors banging pots for the brave NHS workers that are saving the UK.

All who voted, either way, were Brexit voters. Why are you astounded that some people bang pots as a gesture of support ? Finally, "cognitive dissonance" is a tad upmarket for this forum.

Isnt Cognitive Dissonance the latest 15% DIPA from Cloudwater? :tinhat:

 

[MyQul]

And just when you think everything is all rosey...
Prior to this I've had about four days of feeling grand, very tired but not ill, just tired.

I woke up this morning, thinking I was having a heart attack or a panic attack.
Took an aspirin, tried to calm down, but every breathe is like being stabbed in the chest and shoulder blade.
My surgery is still open for telephone consultations so I rang them as soon as they opened.
Brief bit of info to receptionist, then a GP phoned back.
Had to go back the three or so weeks and tell her everything that had happened and how I felt now.
Twenty minutes later another doctor is at my doorstep in full protective garb. He threw in a face mask for me to put on, I then go to doorstep (he stayed outside) where he takes pulse, temperature and blood oxygen level.
He disappears saying I will get a phone call very soon once he gets back to the surgery.
I did receive that phone call.
They suspect Pleurisy. Penicillin and pain killers getting delivered.
My GP is gonna ring me back over the next few days.
She even asked me if we were OK for food.

The Dr who came to my house said secondary infections are common. Pneumonia or Pleurisy. First I'd heard of it.

Our N.H.S. is fantastic

Blimey!!! Get well soon

 

[Chippy_Tea]

And just when you think everything is all rosey...
Prior to this I've had about four days of feeling grand, very tired but not ill, just tired.

I woke up this morning, thinking I was having a heart attack or a panic attack.
Took an aspirin, tried to calm down, but every breathe is like being stabbed in the chest and shoulder blade.
My surgery is still open for telephone consultations so I rang them as soon as they opened.
Brief bit of info to receptionist, then a GP phoned back.
Had to go back the three or so weeks and tell her everything that had happened and how I felt now.
Twenty minutes later another doctor is at my doorstep in full protective garb. He threw in a face mask for me to put on, I then go to doorstep (he stayed outside) where he takes pulse, temperature and blood oxygen level.
He disappears saying I will get a phone call very soon once he gets back to the surgery.
I did receive that phone call.
They suspect Pleurisy. Penicillin and pain killers getting delivered.
My GP is gonna ring me back over the next few days.
She even asked me if we were OK for food.

The Dr who came to my house said secondary infections are common. Pneumonia or Pleurisy. First I'd heard of it.

Our N.H.S. is fantastic

Shocking news @Bevvied and i hope you get well soon, what a service from the NHS.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hang in there Bevvied take the tablets and get well soon

 

[steveinUS]

Seriously take care mate and hope to see you back in Scotland soon

Appreciate it very much, and the same to you and yours. Canceling our Scotland trip broke our hearts, but it seems most likely that we will reschedule for roughly the same time next year, and we'll be working on our besties to have them make the trip with us. The silver lining in all of this has been that the refund money showing up on my credit cards has let me rationalize additional scotch purchases. I'm simply pre-spending the stimulus money we should be getting from the government in the next couple of weeks. Then when it comes, we'll drop that into savings for next year.

Stay safe, everyone.

 

[kelper]

The Dr who came to my house said secondary infections are common. Pneumonia or Pleurisy. First I'd heard of it.

You have my sympathy. I've had pericarditis and the symptoms sound similar. Agony when you breathe in. I was frightened but received good care from the ship's medics.

 

[MyQul]

Im not on furlough as Im still working because I'm a key worker. I didnt realise till I've just read it that the portal for the furlough doesnt open till 20 April whereby approx 9 million (I read this as a blog comment so the figure may be wrong but it'll still be millions) applications will be made. Seeing as something like this has never happened before I wonder how smoothly it'll go. Will some people not get paid or slip through the net?

 

[MyQul]

Deleted

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Im not on furlough as Im still working because I'm a key worker. I didnt realise till I've just read it that the portal for the furlough doesnt open till 20 April whereby approx 9 million (I read this as a blog comment so the figure may be wrong but it'll still be millions) applications will be made. Seeing as something like this has never happened before I wonder how smoothly it'll go. Will some people not get paid or slip through the net?

If the queues on the phones were anything to go by i would say its not going to go smoothly but i think everyone will be expecting it, 9 million people trying to get onto a site or phone or whatever they use is not going to end well.

 

[MyQul]

If the queues on the phones were anything to go by i would say its not going to go smoothly but i think everyone will be expecting it, 9 million people trying to get onto a site or phone or whatever they use is not going to end well.

That was for universal credit. This is for the 80% of the wages for those who are on furlough being paid by the gornment. I imagine an employer somehow has to apply to HMRC

 

[darkbright]

AIUI the standard ICU ratio is one nurse to one patient - and assuming they don't work 24h shifts that means 2-3 named nurses per patient. There was some concern that the extra ventilators etc (and reduction in staff as they self-isolate) would mean the standard of care would drop to a pool of nurses monitoring a pool of patients, but I don't think that's the norm. So Johnson knowing the names of two nurses would be "normal" for ICU - and I suspect even on normal wards you'd get to know one nurse on day shift and one on night shift?

This is pretty much how it works most of the time. One nurse to one patient if they are high level (level 3). Occassionaly units will now have one nurse to two patients where a patient is awaiting discharge to a ward or even home direct from ITU.

My wife at the moment is the lead nurse for a group of patients and she has a group of non ITU qulaified nurses doing some of the other tasks such as taking observations (minimally every hour), drawing up syringes of medicines such as sedatives or other drugs to control BP. This allows her to monitor the ventialors settings, attend ward rounds, analyse the observations and discuss problems with the ITU Doctors.

It's all hands on deck for rolling patients, washes, proning, monitoring/ changing lines, mobilising patients etc. She is supported by HCAs and the Physios are getting more involved than they ever have been.

To say that its a tough 13 hour shift is an understatement. Especially when she goes in early and comes home late and doesn't get regular breaks anymore. She says the attitude from all staff has been incredible.

Also regarding BJ knowing the names of the nurses. The nurses in ITU tend to try to take pateints they have already cared for as the continuity is better and means that you already are familiar to the patient and their health status.

 

[MyQul]

This is pretty much how it works most of the time. One nurse to one patient if they are high level (level 3). Occassionaly units will now have one nurse to two patients where a patient is awaiting discharge to a ward or even home direct from ITU.

My wife at the moment is the lead nurse for a group of patients and she has a group of non ITU qulaified nurses doing some of the other tasks such as taking observations (minimally every hour), drawing up syringes of medicines such as sedatives or other drugs to control BP. This allows her to monitor the ventialors settings, attend ward rounds, analyse the observations and discuss problems with the ITU Doctors.

It's all hands on deck for rolling patients, washes, proning, monitoring/ changing lines, mobilising patients etc. She is supported by HCAs and the Physios are getting more involved than they ever have been.

To say that its a tough 13 hour shift is an understatement. Especially when she goes in early and comes home late and doesn't get regular breaks anymore. She says the attitude from all staff has been incredible.

Also regarding BJ knowing the names of the nurses. The nurses in ITU tend to try to take pateints they have already cared for as the continuity is better and means that you already are familiar to the patient and their health status.

So to go back to the original 'question' stemming from my No. 2412 post what are your thoughts (or perhaps your wife's) on Drs saying the Nightingale hospitals wont work because you need specialist health workers and there arent enough?

 

[darkbright]

So to go back to the original 'question' stemming from my No. 2412 post what are your thoughts (or perhaps your wife's) on Drs saying the Nightingale hospitals wont work because you need specialist health workers and there arent enough?

There are nowhere near enough speciality trained staff to staff it if they were to try to run it like a normal unit. She thinks that it will be a similar model used as she is using at the moment.

ITU physios, general ward nurses and HCAs can do a lot of it and will leave the ITU trained nurses to do the bits they can't do. It's far from idea but could work and really there arn't many other options. I used to work in this setting too and can see how this could get us through the worst of it.

The tricky bit in ITU is reconising when a patient is deteriorating and knowing when and how to give drugs, nutrition, use the renal filtering machines etc and alter ventilator settings. The wrong drug given in the wrong line will likley be fatal.

The image below is fairly representitive of a level 3 ITU set up. It's quite a staggering sight!

 

[trueblue]

Can only say DB hats off to your wife and her colleagues can't imagine the strain they are under.

 

[MyQul]

There are nowhere near enough speciality trained staff to staff it if they were to try to run it like a normal unit. She thinks that it will be a similar model used as she is using at the moment.

ITU physios, general ward nurses and HCAs can do a lot of it and will leave the ITU trained nurses to do the bits they can't do. It's far from idea but could work and really there arn't many other options. I used to work in this setting too and can see how this could get us through the worst of it.

The tricky bit in ITU is reconising when a patient is deteriorating and knowing when and how to give drugs, nutrition, use the renal filtering machines etc and alter ventilator settings. The wrong drug given in the wrong line will likley be fatal.

The image below is fairly representitive of a level 3 ITU set up. It's quite a staggering sight!

View attachment 24438

Thanks for the insight/opinion. From your previous post I think by the time this is all over there is going to be a lot of burn out/PTSD

 

[simon12]

Im not on furlough as Im still working because I'm a key worker. I didnt realise till I've just read it that the portal for the furlough doesnt open till 20 April whereby approx 9 million (I read this as a blog comment so the figure may be wrong but it'll still be millions) applications will be made. Seeing as something like this has never happened before I wonder how smoothly it'll go. Will some people not get paid or slip through the net?

The 80% furlough pay is paid by the employer as normal and the employer can claim it back the the system for how is not yet in place.

 

[mickthetrick]

the work these nurses do is incredable. thinking of others yet putting themselves in the danger zone.

 

[darkbright]

She says thanks to all!

I think PTSD and other psychological issues are sadly inevtitable in staff and a lot of ITU patients. Hopefully Trusts will work on managing this and heloing staff.

Also I think the government now need to look at staffing, equipment, buildings and planning better for the future.

 

[MyQul]

The 80% furlough pay is paid by the employer as normal and the employer can claim it back the the system for how is not yet in place.

Thats why wondering how smoothly it will go. The system isnt in place yet and nothing like this has ever been done before. Theres bound to be hiccups along the way but this is peoples money/livehood