Corona Virus #7

[ruffdog]

ICU's need ventilators, not sleep apnea machines. Musk donates B-PAP machines instead of real ventilators..........:mur:

https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2020/04/01/1585782924000/Elon-Musk-promised-ventilators--These-are-BPAP-machines-/

 

[ultrarunner]

One of the Docs is on ventilator... he was on a ski vacation previously... Did not have any cases here so may have dodged a bullet...

 

[pennwalk]

About the ventilators, apparently you need doctors and technicians who are trained to operate them.

Chris

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Hadn't seen this posted here:
Texas '''mom and pop''' business flooded with orders for helmet ventilators amid coronavirus crisis

Ventilator for < $200

That story is enough to bring one to tears. Thanks

This event may be the first one since WW2 where everyone knows someone that has a high risk of dying. This country was not built on high tech tools and we know there are not enough high tech tools to save all of us short term. It is awesome what some people have been doing for years like these helmets for 4 years now with hospital usage.

 

[ultrarunner]

About the ventilators, apparently you need doctors and technicians who are trained to operate them.

Chris

It varies a lot... the old iron lung wasn't so complicated but if using an anesthesia machine they are designed to be used in the presence of anesthesiologist... others fall somewhere in between.

 

[IslandTractor]

Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)

Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) use in the USA must vary from region to region. Locally if you show up at the ER with major COVID-19 symptoms and you are admitted Plaquenil would be drug of choice for otherwise healthy persons since it has a long history of relative safe usage as an antiviral world wide and COVID-19 is caused by a virus.

I think most of us here realize in the next 30-90 days we or someone that we know may likely die from COVID-19 side effects. We also know that most likely none of us or our friends will die from the use of Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine) in the next 30-90 days so why fiddle when Rome is burning. Farmers tend to be more practical people so when a relative safe drug like Plaquenil is in our hand and we clearly show signs of this virus we will use it due to its known risk/reward ratio.

We all like a lots of big studies where n=100,000 (the number of people in the study) but at the end of the day our n=1 usage experience is all that counts in our own life.

Plaquenil is an Rx drug so there is always a doctor/pharmacist/other healthcare professional in the picture because the most safe drug can have serious side effects for some. While we may not understand the mechanism of action it does seem to have anti inflammatory effect hence why it can be used for arthritis and other cases of cytokine storm action with varying degrees of success. Most 60-100 year old people have a touch or more of arthritis.

I think that I the current situation it’s certainly reasonable to start acting on what is a decent though small study. The caveats from my perspective would be that 1) the study was limited to mild/early pneumonia, NOT prophylaxis, so hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine should only be taken AFTER testing positive AND evidence of pneumonia. 2) if everyone runs to their doc and gets a prescription to keep at home then we won’t have supplies of drug for those who really will benefit. 3) you can be sure that additional studies are being done to evaluate prophylaxis and use in more severely ill patients. 4) I am also sure that the world supplies of these two drugs will be ramped up big time so will be available for expanded uses in the near future.

Addendum: Please don’t try to buy Plaquanil it other generic versions via eBay or internet. I guarantee there will be scumbags selling fake product all over the world.

 

[IslandTractor]

ICU's need ventilators, not sleep apnea machines. Musk donates B-PAP machines instead of real ventilators..........:mur:

https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2020/04/01/1585782924000/Elon-Musk-promised-ventilators--These-are-BPAP-machines-/

Actually there are some patients who would likely do fine with CPAP or BPAP so every patient that does ok with one of those devices frees up a ventilator for someone else.

 

[ruffdog]

Actually there are some patients who would likely do fine with CPAP or BPAP so every patient that does ok with one of those devices frees up a ventilator for someone else.

There is a big difference between a passive breathing machine (PAP) and a forced breathing machine like a ventilator.

"A machine pushes air and oxygen through the mask, and the pressure of the air helps you breathe. ... CPAP or BiPAP might be considered if you need help breathing. A ventilator might be considered if your breathing problems are more severe. A ventilator is used to breathe for you when you can't breathe on your own."

 

[rswyan]

 

[k0ua]

I know that when I am all stuffed up nasally from my seasonal allergies, My CPAP sure helps me breathe. Just a few minutes on the machine and I can breathe easy again. I would not discount the benefits of a CPAP or BPAP.