from a nurse in Michigan...

I am posting, for once, about something other than my dog.

I have seen 4 patients die, 5 get intubated, 2 re-intubated, witnessed family consent to make 2 more patients DNRs, sweat my butt off during CPR, titrated so many drips to no avail, watched vent settings increase to no avail. We are exhausted and at a total loss.

All of this in two shifts in a row.

Some of you people have never done EVERYTHING you could to save someone, and watched them die anyway, and it shows.

I would have no problem if you fools worried about your "freedom" all went out and got COVID. If only you could sign a form stating that you revoke your right to have medical treatment based on your cavalier antics and refusal to abide by CDC and medical professionals' advice. If you were the only people who got infected during your escapades to protest tyranny, great. But that's sadly not how this works.

You wanna complain because the garden aisle is closed? If you knew a thing about gardening, you'd know it's too early to plant in Michigan. Your garden doesn't matter. If killing your plants would bring back my patients, I would pillage the crap out of your "essential" garden beds.

Upset because you can't go boating...in Michigan...in April...in the cold-ass water? You wanna tell my patient's daughter (who was sobbing as she said goodbye to her father over the phone) about your first-world problems?

Upset because you can't go to your cottage up north? Your cottage...your second property...used for leisure. My coworkers can't even stay in their regular homes. Most have been staying in hotels and dorms, not able to see their spouses or babies.

All of these posts, petitions online to evade "tyranny", it's all such bullcrap. I'm sorry you're bored and have nothing to do but ***** and moan. You wanna pick up a couple hours for me? Yeah, didn't think so. I wouldn't trust most of you with patient care, anyway. Not just because of the selfish lack of humanity your posts exude, but because most of those posts and petitions are so riddled with misspellings and grammatical errors, that it makes me question your cognitive capacity

to be fair the whackjobs and whiners are in a minority. the majority of Americans are for continuing the lockdown and most think the government will spend too much money with its socialist bailouts and open the economy too soon.

Great video 81. Thank you.

Emotional drivel.

https:// https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/20/coronavirus-antibody-testing-shows-la-county-outbreak-is-up-to-55-times-bigger-than-reported-cases.html

“The data, if correct, would mean that the county’s fatality rate is lower than originally thought.

Near 0.1%.

There must be a better way.

For example:

How about if you are between the age of 50-55 and you cannot work from home you are entitled to short term disability payments at 50% of your paycheck tax free. Age 55-60 75%. Age 65 and above 100% or retire and start collecting Social Security.

Age 50+ can be socially distant as they please until
- a vaccine is developed or
- the virus peters out or
- an effective treatment comes to the fore or
- you develop antibodies because you caught it (knowingly or unknowingly) and recovered

Age 55+ is about 25% of the workforce.

https:// https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2017/article/mobile/older-workers.htm


The younger crowd is then free to be their productive selves driving our society forward thumbing their noses at Covid.

We have had time to catch our breath and there are better ways. We can be creative not draconian.

The earlier statement that C - 19 is primarily a threat only to the very old among us is not factual, nor is the term "emotional drivel".

I live just outside Detroit. It is 34* and snowing here right this minute re: boating, ext. painting and planting flowers. The cited nurse is not the only one, there are also a bunch who have gotten very sick and/or died. Our health system is under extreme stress, there are a lot of very frightened people here. It is where I get my cancer health care as well, this is affecting my care.

I trust our state government to handle any reopening/dropping of precautions. With compassion for all.

I'll tell you something... I've NEVER heard such a statement as from Stephen S in my life regarding people dying. NEVER. This is supposed to be a forum where we show concern for others - we call them brothers - who are sick. Aren't the people dying from COVID-19 our brothers, and sisters, too? ***?

My 34 year old Nephew has Covid. He's improving, wasn't hospitalized, but it was no fun for him. I don't see those under 50 thumbing their nose at Covid 19 any time soon. At least not the ones with a brain.

I haven't been on the forum much of late and I generally don't comment much other to than ask a question here and there since I am a bit of what I consider an outsider since I am simply the spouse of a man dealing with PCA. However, I checked in today just to catch up since this is generally a forum with up-to-date information. I was shocked to see the comment from Stephen S re "emotional drivel" in relationship to the current health crisis. It is not my intent to stir anything up, but I do want to share an opinion. You can probably deduce from my screen name my chosen profession. I would just like to say, that first, I don't know everyone's experiences with death, dying, or critical illness. Much of mine comes from 17 years as a bedside nurse working critical care. Unless Stephen S or any of those currently protesting that their "freedom" and "rights" are being violated due to the restrictions being imposed in this public health crisis can state that they know what it is like to: work your 5th, 16-hour shift caring for your patient on the ventilator who is fighting ARDS, all the while managing the patient's CRRT, invasive lines, tube feeding, hourly suctioning, treatment with multiple vasopressors, paralytic agents, hourly turning, etc and dealing with stressed and grieving family members on the phone or in person; only to then have to perform CPR on your patient and watch your patient die 45 minutes after they first coded, despite all of your best efforts - those folks can keep their mouths shut and their opinions to themselves (I am thinking even stronger words in my head) - they have no option to offer an inexperienced opinion. I repeated this scenario hundreds of times in my critical care career and cannot even imagine having every patient, every day look like this and to try to give care in max isolation gear, and see six or more die in one shift. One loss of a patient can be soul-hollowing, what is happening now will scar these professionals for life and I expect many, if they survive themselves, will end up leaving their careers when this is over. This disease does not follow any playbook we currently have. So many are stating that the stats are wrong and that the mortality numbers are lower because there are far more positives out there that we don't know about. That may be true, but there are also many more deaths out there that are also not accounted for. Stop playing "armchair epidemiolgoist." The number of dead in this country now will soon exceed the number of deaths in the Vietnam war. We all need to wrap our heads around the fact that this is a "we" issue and not a "me" issue and stop mixing up "freedom" and "rights" with what is simply no more than individual selfishness.

Nytngale, thank you for your perspective. And thank you even more for everything that you do on the front lines.

One comment re death rates: We all need to remember that the COVID deaths are currently 54K for just a couple of months. Flu deaths are for a 12 month period. Annualize the current COVID deaths and we are well beyond flu. Not to mention that flu deaths could be much lower were people all practicing appropriate measures as well as taking the vaccine.

Mattam, I agree. It is a basic failure of refusing to or simply not understanding the key concepts of this disease and others. The other diseases noted on the list, while not 100% preventable, do have significant measures that can be taken to limit the death toll, however many just will not take those measures. For example, heart disease can be minimized with proper diet, exercise, and medical treatment. Lung cancer - again, while not 100% preventable, can be decreased through not smoking. Both diseases are also amenable to surgical treatment. Again, the death tolls that are quoted for all are annuals. Influenza, well what is there to say - vaccine available and very easily suppressed through handwashing, staying home when sick, and covering coughs and sneezes. COVID has already amassed a death toll of 54,120 deaths at this moment for a period of approx. 2-3 months. Annualize the toll based on 3 months and we are looking at a potential of 216,480 deaths. And that is not considering the second and possibly 3rd waves that will most likely come due to many states already lifting restrictions and the fact that some simply will not practice social distancing. One need only look back and study the history of the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 - we are making the same mistakes and will most likely follow a similar path. However, the biggest game changer of all is that we have no immunity, no proven treatment, and no vaccine. Just of note - there have been no coronavirus vaccines developed successfully for human use to date. Not sure I would count on it for this one. I guess there is always Lysol.

Nightingayle, thank you for your front line perspective, as depressing as it is to read, it’s also powerful.
We are in a no win situation right now. And I fear that the longer this goes, the more chance that even the “smart” governors will feel they have no choice but to open up their economies. It would be a disastrous result. And yet the result of keeping things on lockdown would also be disastrous.

Ive never hoped so much that I would be wrong about anything as this