Two Emergency Room Doctors Are in Critical Condition With Coronavirus
Source: New York Times
Karen Weise 7 hrs ago
SEATTLE Two emergency medicine doctors, in New Jersey and Washington State, are in critical condition as a result of coronavirus, reinforcing concerns that the nations front-line medical workers are becoming especially vulnerable to the virus, the American College of Emergency Physicians said.
A lot of us think that despite everything we do, we will probably be exposed, said Dr. William Jaquis, the chair of the group. Still, he said, The first reported case certainly sends a shock wave through the community.
Emergency rooms represent a busy intake point for hospitals, where patients come in with symptoms but no diagnosis. As the coronavirus spreads during the typical flu season, emergency physicians are triaging large numbers of patients around the country with symptoms that could be the virus.
. . .
One of the ill physicians, a man in his 40s, is a doctor at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, Wash., a hospital near Seattle which has seen one of the largest concentrations of cases in the United States.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/two-emergency-room-doctors-are-in-critical-condition-with-coronavirus/ar-BB11ecaw?li=BBnb7Kz
And age 40 is supposed to be lower risk.
Good luck to him.
DENVERPOPS
(8,679 posts)aren't the only ones with high risk to exposure.
Many of those high risk patients first have to be transported to the Hospital.
Suddenly, being an EMT isn't such a glorious career path.
My heart, best wishes, and a huge thank you goes out to all the EMT's across the nation......
Chemisse
(30,793 posts)But I can't find the link for it and can't find any more info about it.
If that's the case, these medical workers should be rotated and sent home after a certain limit of exposure, just like with radiation. Of course there will not be enough doctors and nurses to replace them, so maybe there are other ways to mitigate the exposure.
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)solid.
I don't think there is anything solid on this theory. This is the same theory I heard for ebola. The higher the viral load one is exposed to, the more severe the symptoms.
Chemisse
(30,793 posts)So a small percentage of them are going to get the severe form, even if they are young and healthy.
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)anything. I understand what people are saying, but if flu strains worked like that, before flu shots I imagine the death rate for medical personnel would have been higher.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)Chemisse
(30,793 posts)It's really disturbing to see 40-year-old doctors dying though.
RhodeIslandOne
(5,042 posts)They will put others ahead of themselves.
littlemissmartypants
(22,418 posts)Cortisol: AKA The Death Hormone. ... Large amounts of cortisol are toxic when they're left circulating in our system for prolonged periods of time. Our brain cells are extremely sensitive to the effects of cortisol, so when cortisol circulates at a high level, it can cause brain cells to die.
*****
Beware High Levels of Cortisol, the Stress Hormone
Women. Wisdom. Wellness.Feb 5, 2017
...Snip
If your entire life is high-stress and always in high gear, your body may constantly pump out cortisol. This has several negative effects...
snip...
3. Suppressed immune system. Cortisols positive action to reduce inflammation in the body can turn against you if your levels are too high for too long. The elevated levels may actually suppress your immune system. You could be more susceptible to colds and contagious illnesses. Your risk of cancer and autoimmune diseases increases and you may develop food allergies... snip
https://www.premierhealth.com/your-health/articles/women-wisdom-wellness-/beware-high-levels-of-cortisol-the-stress-hormone
Chemisse
(30,793 posts)That could totally explain why they seem to be more vulnerable to the severe form of the disease.
I have a daughter who is a case worker for elderly people at risk and she has to go into hospitals often, etc. So this question has been nagging at me.
projectiboga
(53 posts)I read that Ace and Arb inhibitors up-regulate ace2, and that is the pathway through which folks are going into that cytokine storm. If you take any blood pressure medicines, time to completely isolate. Also get reading and see if you can alter your treatment, and taper those over 5-10 days and wait out the peak on this.
Good luck folks.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)But if you are concerned, you can ask your doctor to change your blood pressure meds from ace inhibitors to calcium channel blockers.
dhill926
(16,234 posts)too much unsubstantiated info going around...