General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSome frightening 'war letters' posted, or reposted, from medical personnel in Italy
My initial link to them was from Chris Hayes. I'm not going to post the entirety of all of them, since they are long and detailed. Read them if you have access to twitter.
But sounds bad.
Link to tweet
Link to tweet
mshasta
(2,108 posts)He explains their hospitals running at 200% and their nurses are getting sick and obviously overwhelmed can you imagine What we are expecting here in the USA ?
Sea Turtle
(69 posts)I clicked on the link and read the thread. Very sobering.
femmedem
(8,207 posts)Thank you for posting it. It needs to be shared widely so people understand the magnitude of risk and how important it is to slow the speed at which the virus spreads.
htuttle
(23,738 posts)There's a graph or 6 going around, showing how the number of those in immediate need of things like ICU's and ventilators can easily outpace their supply, almost anywhere. So many, many die.
There's no stopping it. Slowing community spread is the only way now.
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)Jason Van Schoor
@jasonvanschoor
3 hours ago, 14 tweets, 3 min read
From a well respected friend and intensivist/A&E consultant who is currently in northern Italy:
1/ I feel the pressure to give you a quick personal update about what is happening in Italy, and also give some quick direct advice about what you should do.
2/ First, Lumbardy is the most developed region in Italy and it has a extraordinary good healthcare, I have worked in Italy, UK and Aus and dont make the mistake to think that what is happening is happening in a 3rd world country.
3/ The current situation is difficult to imagine and numbers do not explain things at all. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid-19, they are running 200% capacity
4/ Weve stopped all routine, all ORs have been converted to ITUs and they are now diverting or not treating all other emergencies like trauma or strokes. There are hundreds of pts with severe resp failure and many of them do not have access to anything above a reservoir mask.
5/ Patients above 65 or younger with comorbidities are not even assessed by ITU, I am not saying not tubed, Im saying not assessed and no ITU staff attends when they arrest. Staff are working as much as they can but they are starting to get sick and are emotionally overwhelmed.
6/ My friends call me in tears because they see people dying in front of them and they con only offer some oxygen. Ortho and pathologists are being given a leaflet and sent to see patients on NIV. PLEASE STOP, READ THIS AGAIN AND THINK.
7/ We have seen the same pattern in different areas a week apart, and there is no reason that in a few weeks it wont be the same everywhere, this is the pattern:
8/ 1)A few positive cases, first mild measures, people are told to avoid ED but still hang out in groups, everyone says not to panick
2)Some moderate resp failures and a few severe ones that need tube, but regular access to ED is significantly reduced so everything looks great
9/ 3)Tons of patients with moderate resp failure, that overtime deteriorate to saturate ICUs first, then NIVs, then CPAP hoods, then even O2.
4)Staff gets sick so it gets difficult to cover for shifts, mortality spikes also from all other causes that cant be treated properly.
10/ Everything about how to treat them is online but the only things that will make a difference are: do not be afraid of massively strict measures to keep people safe,
11/ if governments wont do this at least keep your family safe, your loved ones with history of cancer or diabetes or any transplant will not be tubed if they need it even if they are young. By safe I mean YOU do not attend them and YOU decide who does and YOU teach them how to.
12/ Another typical attitude is read and listen to people saying things like this and think thats bad dude and then go out for dinner because you think youll be safe.
13/ We have seen it, you wont be if you dont take it seriously. I really hope it wont be as bad as here but prepare.
FightingIrish
(2,716 posts)My dearest friends live in northern Italy and many of them are elderly. My wife and I had (still have, I guess) reservations to fly to Italy next month to see them. That trip is off but watching the numbers climb is frightening. Every day I see cases closer to the ones I love and there is nothing I can do. I fear that we are watching our own near future.