Coronavirus

[BruceVilanch]

I echo this statement, I work at a hospital in Oregon and we are seeing rapid increases daily. Please wash your hands and please stay home. This stuff is no joke, and honestly working 16-18 hours a day and seeing people outside when I get off is pretty infuriating. Wash your hands and stay home! and obviously....Go bills. 

 

-Stay strong OP, tell your wife I greatly appreciate what she is doing.

[TigerJ]

Careful on the zinc.  It is not generally suggested as a daily supplement because it's too easy to end up with toxic levels.  The same is even more true with chloroquine.  The advice I've heard is don't take a zinc supplement unless you're symptomatic.  As soon as you are symptomatic, you can start taking it, but get your doctor's advice on how long.  Don'

t take chloroquine unless directed to do so by your doctor.  Vitamin C is being used in large doses with effectiveness.  Doctors are administering 1500 mg twice a day through an IV to COVID-19 patients.  I only take a modest dose of that 250 mg twice a day.  Should I develop symptoms, I would increase that.

[CommonCents]

5 minutes ago, TigerJ said:

Careful on the zinc.  It is not generally suggested as a daily supplement because it's too easy to end up with toxic levels.  The same is even more true with chloroquine.  The advice I've heard is don't take a zinc supplement unless you're symptomatic.  As soon as you are symptomatic, you can start taking it, but get your doctor's advice on how long.  Don'

t take chloroquine unless directed to do so by your doctor.  Vitamin C is being used in large doses with effectiveness.  Doctors are administering 1500 mg twice a day through an IV to COVID-19 patients.  I only take a modest dose of that 250 mg twice a day.  Should I develop symptoms, I would increase that.

A packet of EmergenC has 1100mg, I have been taking one a day.

[TigerJ]

13 minutes ago, CommonCents said:

A packet of EmergenC has 1100mg, I have been taking one a day.

I actually break a 500 mg vitamin C tablet in half and take half in the morning and half at night.  Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and gets flushed out of your body easily.  In theory, taking half as much at a time and taking it twice a day should keep the level in you body more even.  If I develo0p any symptoms of any disease: common cold or coronavirus, I double up and take 500 mg at a pop.

Edited March 26, 2020 by TigerJ

[Kenosha2Buffalo]

19 minutes ago, MJS said:

Tearing through the country... With the number of cases basically nothing more than a blip on the radar.

 

Our RESPONSE to the pandemic is what is tearing through this country. BTW, I am fine with that.

 

You're wrong, we have done like 1 percent of the testing we should have.  This is going to kill a lot of people here, new York is already the third highest COUNTRY infected ( even though it's just  one of our states ) in the world. The numbers are going to dramatically rise within the next week or two. Please be cautious. Thank you OP for the information and bless you and your coragous wife.

[Dr.Mantis_Toboggan]

First off many thanks to your very underpaid wife.  I just thought I’d share my experience here, as briefly as I can because it’s been a mess.

 

My fiancé, early 30’s, has been through hell fighting off this stupid virus, 18-19 days now she’s still coughing, low grade fever still pops up from time to time (99-100, she runs usually 97.6).

 

On her initial visit with her PCP, Doc said “a virus, not corona though, bc no high fever” (time to switch Primary’s) gave her some cough medicine and sent her on her way... Cough just continued progressing and it was accompanied by a constant heavyness in her chest, and said she feels like she is breathing through a straw all the time.  

 

Primary directed us to Urgent Care, where they did an X-ray and found “atelectasis” which is a partial collapse of the lung essentially. Now prescribed steroids, still no covid test however.  Couple days go by, we are contemplating the ED but don’t want to put her at risk if it’s NOT Covid like her Doctor had told her.

 

End up back at Urgent Care, she registers a resting heart rate of 132, but no EKG, no X ray, No Covid test, just an inhaler and codeine cough syrup (which has been the only thing that supressed her cough).  

 

Couple more days go by she’s complained of dizziness, pain in her arm and neck, night sweats, relentless cough, and trouble feeling like she’s getting breath.  In this time she receives calls back days later from her initial call to the health department who says laughingly “sounds like you have coronavirus”, but they aren’t interested in testing to confirm, because she’s not Kevin Durant...

 

So we make calls and speak to a physician who sounds like he’s actually concerned for her well being and wants her to be seen at a different URMC Urgent Care in Penfield, he says she needs an EKG.  So we go, and they do two nebulizer treatments, and were about to send her on her way without an EKG. She had to fight to have them do it, once it was performed it showed abnormal ST-T waves, generally not a good sign.  They tell her to follow up with the cardiologist the following day.

 

Still no official Covid 19 testing, just assuming. All I’m thinking is what if it’s not Covid? Shouldn’t we know? If it’s not, doesn’t this current condition put her at extreme risk?  

 

In this time she was given 3 different cough medicines, steroids, a nebulizer treatment, X ray, EKG, even anti biotics despite no trace of fluid in her lungs, basically just throwing stuff at her, but no Covid 19 test so we could actually try and treat it properly.

 

Next day things just not getting better, chest and neck pain continued and her primary finally orders her to the ED, so her father takes her to Strong because we have a 4 yr old (BTW through almost 20 days of essentially being locked in, he nor I have exhibited any real symptoms. I had a sore throat about 3 weeks ago for a couple days, and was a little tired.  Our sons appetite maybe a little supressed but now fine).  

The ED has tents and looks like a scene out of an apolocytic movie.  

There they ran another EKG which came back much better thank God, and then proceeded to do two more nebulizer treatments. No Coronavirus testing however, those are reserved for individuals in critical condition, and Kevin Durant.  

 

She’s then given pamphlets that are basically the equivalent of “So, You have Coronavirus”, and told to quarantine and rest, but don’t hesitate to come back if symptoms get worse.  

Lots of praying, and rest she finally seems to be doing better.  Still slight fever, and when the codeine wears off the cough starts creeping back. Strong said it could be another 2 weeks before she starts to feel like herself again.

 

Not trying to hijack any thread, just sharing a first hand account of how nasty this virus is.  

Once again I truly appreciate your wife and all the nurses and doctors out there putting there lives at risk everyday to help battle this pandemic.   Hopefully this country won’t ever be so ill prepared for such a catastrophe again, especially when there was so much time to prepare.

Edited March 26, 2020 by Dr.Mantis_Toboggan

[Hapless Bills Fan]

@SDS locked this, but I'd like to pipe in and say:

 

I know people are going to try their hopeful home remedies, and some have no harm (mouthwash gargle, emergenC, vitamin D)

Others can be harmful in excessive amounts (zinc can reach toxic levels)

 

Just please realize that none of these things have been shown to be effective either in treating or curing covid-19. 
That said, there is no harm in taking any non-toxic step that you personally believe to be effective.  It may help and it can't hurt, just do a little research and avoid things that are toxic

 

Alcohol mouthwash is 15.3%, which is far too low to have virucidal activity.  >60% alcohol is not recommended to hold in your mouth long enough to be effective on the virus, but it may help you if you swallow it right down.