Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals • Hacker News Board

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#201

Post by throw1234651234 » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:02 PM UTC

Zelphyr wrote: post #33

js2 wrote: post #16

The 2017-2018 flu season also overwhelmed US hospitals: https://time.com/5107984/hospitals-handling-burden-flu-patie... https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2017-2018.ht... My point isn't that we should take Coronavirus any less seriously this year. Healthcare workers have no vaccine for it. It's on top of the flu. Etc. My point is that we should take the flu more seriously every year. Everyone gets their…

Yes, I do. Helps that I live with a Nurse Practitioner. However, the number of people I know who are convinced that getting the flu shot makes them sick or gives them the flu and thus refuse to get the shot is shocking. Some things I've actually heard: "I get sick every time!" No, you don't. "It's a LIVE VIRUS! Everybody knows this!" No, it's not. You're just an idiot hanging around with idiots.

It IS a live virus in many cases:

"A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine

I have nothing against vaccines, but my understanding is that you CAN get sick from it.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#202

Post by thomascgalvin » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:02 PM UTC

VikingCoder wrote: post #81

It's weird, it's almost like this is following the exponential growth that literally everyone said it would.

Our current political process follows a simple loop:

1. Experts describe the likely outcome of a course of action.

2. Those experts are declared to be frauds, their views labeled a hoax or fake news.

3. We implement the policy the experts were trying to warn us about.

4. The experts' warnings come to pass.

5. We learn nothing, and repeat the whole cycle with the next issue.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#203

Post by gridlockd » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:02 PM UTC

jtbayly wrote: post #158

gridlockd wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same question to you: The last time you had "the flu", did you get tested for Influenza? Are you sure it was Influenza and not a common cold, for which there is no vaccine anyway?

It doesn't matter. The point still stands. So far he's been worse off when getting the shot than when not. But who's to say what would have happened those two years without the shot? Perhaps it saved him from a severe flu case or even death.

> It doesn't matter.

It does matter. The claim here is basically "for certain people (me), the flu shot has been worse than the flu". If that person never experienced an actual Influenza infection, then that claim was made in error.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#204

Post by mapgrep » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:03 PM UTC

circlefavshape wrote: post #191

mapgrep wrote: post #149

I am seeing a lot of comments on this story complaining that it is anecdotal or that New York is extraordinary and thus this is implicitly less important to people outside New York. I live in the city of New York and I think it's important that everyone nationally absorb what is happening right now and the "anecdotes" are important. By anecdotes, I mean, in particular the New York Times story and video published last…

Here's my anecdote - I had to drive my wife to the emergency department yesterday because she was having trouble breathing, and the ambulance service was busy. She's been sick for 2 weeks. 47 years of age. Only for the fact my sister-in-law is staying with us since the lockdown began I'd have had to leave my 2 panicked kids (14 and 11) alone in the house Wife didn't need to be ventilated, and is home and seems to be…

I am glad to hear your wife seems to be improving. I'm sorry you had to go through that. Take care.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#205

Post by yters » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:03 PM UTC

DoreenMichele wrote: post #184

yters wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this is a really good point. much easier to do than mass testing.

And much more effective. We need things that get results with fewer resources. We simply don't have the resources to do it the way a lot of people would like to do it.

not sure why you get the downvotes. this is really good and extremely actionable

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#206

Post by morty_s » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:03 PM UTC

Ididntdothis wrote: post #127

TallGuyShort wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People are probably referring to the immune response. The flu shot does trigger an immune response and other side effects, so having a fever, muscle aches, etc. is not made up. I too have a far more severe reaction every time I get a flu shot than I've ever had from actual flu.

Same here. I got flu shots twice In my life and both times felt worse than any flu I have had without.

This is interesting. I suspect you may never have had “the flu.” Many people think or have felt like they’ve had the flu, but people rarely get tested. Also, and I could be wrong, but if you’re immune response to the vaccine is so strong wouldn’t your immune response to the actual virus be much worse? What component of the vaccines you have had do you believe caused your adverse reactions?

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#207

Post by robocat » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:03 PM UTC

dreen wrote: post #24

Judging by the history of most pandemics, I am currently more worried about the capacity of morgues than hospitals. Maybe this one will be different though.

Coolstores and refrigerated containers make ok morgues - first world countries don’t have troubles keeping sanitation standards.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#208

Post by 3JPLW » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:03 PM UTC

yters wrote: post #148

3JPLW wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously? We've watched this thing spread over the past three months. Every single nation and state saw exponential growth of confirmed cases once community spread started happening — often doubling every 2-4 days. The growth continued until serious mitigations (like shutdowns and lockdowns) were put in place. Why do you think the rest of the US is going to be different? They're just a few doublings (some days) behi…

What did South Korea do to mitigate?

Extensive — super extensive — testing, contact tracing, and strong quarantining of suspected and confirmed positives. From the get-go.

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#209

Post by yters » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:04 PM UTC

Gibbon1 wrote: post #180

yters wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What did South Korea do to mitigate?

South Korea stockpiled enough supplies to do mass testing and contact tracing right out of the gate. And they have a functional government and a public that knows when to obey.

doesnt sound like what the OP was proposing

also, sk only tested people with significant ailments

Re: Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals

#210

Post by thomascgalvin » Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 4:04 PM UTC

de_watcher wrote: post #82

It was easy to see the future: you just look up on the wiki the evolution of numbers of confirmed cases in the EU countries.

If America was willing to learn lessons based on data from Europe, we'd all have universal health care by now.