COVID super spreading family we know **Our friend has passed away**

[mrodgers]

Why would anyone not answer their phone after testing? I don't know. As I stated...a bit baffling. Positive results are relayed and discussed by phone. Only negative results are emailed. Those who answer often argue about the results.

Because I don't have time to answer 50 phone calls a day waiting for the one phone call. If I knew what number would be calling, I would answer. I can only take so much of Rachel or extended warranty calls.

 

[mrodgers]

This is one reason why contact tracing does not work in the US. Can’t infringe on Americans’ civil rights—even though nearly every app that is on everyone’s smartphone and websites that people browse keep tabs on every individual’s whereabouts. This is frustrating.

And all those apps were approved by the phone owner. Contact tracing and government apps are not approved. I'm sure they already know as I'm sure Facebook shares everything, but if the government forced themselves on people's phones, that would be the one that eliminates people carrying their phones everywhere. I'm tempted now to ditch my phone and go back to Tracfone. This pandemic opening up all this government control of the people is way beyond reasonable. Folks are being way to complicit towards the government and it will be getting out of hand very soon.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Sorry for the confusion. We have difficulty contacting folks for a positive test. Without this step ....no chance to contact trace. Most refuse to "snitch" or have no clue You can take your pick. It is frustrating.

Personally I keep a diary of my daily activities..just in case.

Are contact tracers leaving messages? I don't answer my phone if I don't recognize the number because I get suspected spam or spoofing calls. The amount of legit phone calls to my phone are so so few.

I wouldn't deliberately skirt a contact tracer I just never really have a reason to answer my phone when the vast majority of calls that aren't on my contact list are spammers or spoofs.

Or are people giving fake numbers or refusing to give their contact number?

 

[TLSnell1981]

I don't have an answer. You know where the call is from but no detailed info. Unfortunately you may have "recovered" before you receive the call . Multiple issues here. I have a friend who received a call THREE months after her test. Absolutely crazy. Thankfully she was connected to the system and was informed days after her positive test. If she had not been proactive.... what can I say.

I don't answer unknown callers either. They will leave a message if important

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't have an answer. You know where the call is from but no detailed info. Unfortunately you may have "recovered" before you receive the call . Multiple issues here. I have a friend who received a call THREE months after her test. Absolutely crazy. Thankfully she was connected to the system and was informed days after her positive test. If she had not been proactive.... what can I say.

I don't answer unknown callers either. They will leave a message if important

Well that just isn't efficient at all. For real!

 

[dvcgirl67]

Good to hear about the oxygen though the other stuff bites. Hope he feels better and she gets her taste and smell back.

I've been finding it interesting just how many people these days are losing taste and/or smell. I remember when it wasn't hugely common just this really strange symptom. I know someone who is an EMT said he was positive on 11/27 and he lost his taste first then about 3 days later from the test result coming back he lost his smell. I don't believe he's gotten them back quite yet.

It really is interesting. My sister started with what she called a "weird headache", then achy, chills and tired. The loss of taste/smell came when she started to feel better from her other symptoms. Now she's not hungry...but is forcing herself to take fluids and eat just for nourishment. The wide range of symptoms with this virus is really something.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Well that just isn't efficient at all. For real!

Drives me over the cliff when I hear...ICU is full there are NO beds. Okay but please give details. The ICU is ALWAYS full. There are beds...but not staffed. Also they aren't all COVID patients.

Blame game and excuses. Okay. Rant is over.

 

[NFLDERS]

Dbl post.

 

[NFLDERS]

Because I don't have time to answer 50 phone calls a day waiting for the one phone call. If I knew what number would be calling, I would answer. I can only take so much of Rachel or extended warranty calls.

Sorry, but this is really strange to me because that is one phone call I'd soldier through the nuance calls to make certain I got the answer.

And all those apps were approved by the phone owner. Contact tracing and government apps are not approved. I'm sure they already know as I'm sure Facebook shares everything, but if the government forced themselves on people's phones, that would be the one that eliminates people carrying their phones everywhere. I'm tempted now to ditch my phone and go back to Tracfone. This pandemic opening up all this government control of the people is way beyond reasonable. Folks are being way to complicit towards the government and it will be getting out of hand very soon.

I'm at a loss for response^.

 

[penn19]

And all those apps were approved by the phone owner. Contact tracing and government apps are not approved. I'm sure they already know as I'm sure Facebook shares everything, but if the government forced themselves on people's phones, that would be the one that eliminates people carrying their phones everywhere. I'm tempted now to ditch my phone and go back to Tracfone. This pandemic opening up all this government control of the people is way beyond reasonable. Folks are being way to complicit towards the government and it will be getting out of hand very soon.

And they won’t soon forget how easy it was.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Drives me over the cliff when I hear...ICU is full there are NO beds. Okay but please give details. The ICU is ALWAYS full. There are beds...but not staffed. Also they aren't all COVID patients.

Blame game and excuses. Okay. Rant is over.

It's not just beds anymore...it's staffing. Big, big difference between a new med/surg nurse and an experienced ICU nurse. And these nurses are exhausted. It's not just the hours that they are putting in, but the conditions in which they have to work with the PPE now, it's incredibly difficult. I've seen multiple stories in recent days about the number of nurses quitting because it's just too much.

 

[mumto3girls]

Because I don't have time to answer 50 phone calls a day waiting for the one phone call. If I knew what number would be calling, I would answer. I can only take so much of Rachel or extended warranty calls.

I think you and I are mostly on opposite sides of this issue, but this I get. Youngest DD tested last Friday and we found out Wednesday that she was positive. I am expecting a contact tracer to call so I am answering my cell and the home phone. So much nonsense. Two calls today about my social security number being suspended, two about my warranty expiring, several about health care enrollment, one trying to sell me SAT prep materials. It is endless. I want to do the right thing, but I am hoping they would leave a message so I can call back because I have had enough.

 

[Jrb1979]

It's not just beds anymore...it's staffing. Big, big difference between a new med/surg nurse and an experienced ICU nurse. And these nurses are exhausted. It's not just the hours that they are putting in, but the conditions in which they have to work with the PPE now, it's incredibly difficult. I've seen multiple stories in recent days about the number of nurses quitting because it's just too much.

I feel so bad for the DRS and nurses that have worked through this from the beginning.

 

[godisney14]

Drives me over the cliff when I hear...ICU is full there are NO beds. Okay but please give details. The ICU is ALWAYS full. There are beds...but not staffed. Also they aren't all COVID patients.

Blame game and excuses. Okay. Rant is over.

No. Just, no. Oh god, no.

Hospitals do not operate regularly with a full ICU.

That’s just blatantly false information to the highest.

You should ask an actual intensivist or tour your local ICU/CCU. Not sure whether my brother and friends, who are intensivists (and, likely, on call as I type this) in CA would laugh or get furious by such a statement in the midst of actually full wards. And, no, not everyone there are obese or old as some claim this virus takes hostage of.

Unlike with specialties and the doctor’s office that oversubscribes patients, it is not in the interest of any intensivist or hospital to fully occupy the ICU. Finding the right ICU capacity strain is a constant work in progress.

 

[tcufrog]

Earlier this week my mother's infectious disease doctor told her to check into one of the downtown hospitals that she has privileges at. My mom is immunocompromised and has an infection in her ankle that her doctor couldn't cure. Even though the doctor sent intake paperwork to the hospital before my mom arrived, the hospital was so crowded that she slept the first night in the hallway. Luckily, the pain medicine they gave her knocked her out so she got some rest. She's currently in her second makeshift room. She says that the staff is stressed and overworked. I sent her some individually wrapped candy to hand out like holiday Hershey's kisses and peppermint bark.

Currently, she's allowed one visitor but we're a high-risk household so I'm avoiding going to see her even though she's in a COVID free wing. I did go up there to drop off some things she needed such as shelf-stable snacks since they aren't giving her medicine she has to take with food during mealtime. The precautions were very strict just to go in and drop the stuff off. I was surprised to see though that the gift shop was open. When dad was in the hospital this summer the gift shop at his hospital was closed.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I feel so bad for the DRS and nurses that have worked through this from the beginning.

I was referring to nurses specifically because I was one. I was a critical care nurse and so I can speak directly to the wide gap in experience the field of nursing. Of course we’re thankful for the physicians too. And the nursing assistants, the respiratory therapists, the porters.... on and on.

 

[luvsvacation]

My mom her roommate both tested positive a few weeks ago. Neither got any calls from contact tracers or from the health dept. My mom is old school and answers all calls wether she knows the number or not. No one called at all. She only knew she was positive by getting an email that her results were ready and looking online to find she was positive. At least around here (suburban Midwest) there is absolutely no follow up. My mom was given no instructions at all even at the testing site, just that her results would be ready in 2-4 days and how to access the results online. My son was tested (and came back negative) At the testing site we went to they told us during the test about quarantining if the results were positive. At my moms testing place they said nothing. I told my mom what we had been told, to quarantine from 10 days after the start of symptoms. It’s been over 3 weeks and she and her roommate are recovered and back to normal life.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Update from today on our friend. His daughter said he is not good. He is on a bipap and getting plasma. Daughter and wife went to the hospital today and were able to look through the ICU window at him. They said he perked up some when he saw them. The doctors met with them both and said he may be going on a ventilator as his pneumonia is not improving.

Tough days.

Update today. Still not good. Doctors were going to put him on a ventilator this morning but then stabilized some. Doctors also added a cath today.

Thanks for your good thoughts and prayers.

 

[ronandannette]

I know part of why contact tracing hasn't worked fully in Ontario is a lot of people refuse to say who they've been around as they think it's ratting out their friends.

Although this thinking seems crazy, I can sort of see it, depending on the rules in any given area. In Alberta right now when anyone tests positive they are required by law to provide Alberta Health Services with their list of close contacts. They are expected to notify those people themselves even though AHS will also do it to the best of their ability. Anyone notified is required by law to report immediately for testing; if AHS notifies you, you are told where to report and when. Upon notification one must immediately begin a 14 day quarantine (the only exception being going out to get your test) regardless of the results of your own Covid test. Failure to do any of this is subject to a hefty $800 fine (for a first offense). Being reported as a close contact, or worse yet, being repeatedly reported as a close contact wreaks havoc on employment and other aspects of life.

My husband is doing the same for us.

Heck, since we go nowhere except to our workplaces, neither of us needs to keep a list and it's easy enough to remember the few times we are in a store, gas station or fast food drive-thru. That right there is the sum total of our contact outside the house.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Heck, since we go nowhere except to our workplaces, neither of us needs to keep a list and it's easy enough to remember the few times we are in a store, gas station or fast food drive-thru. That right there is the sum total of our contact outside the house.

That's all we do, mostly. But my husband's mother is still alive (in a senior assisted living place). We've had to take her to various doctor's appointments in the past 6 months (nothing in the last month). They test their residents and staff every 2 weeks. We just found out MIL is positive