Coronavirus: When should we be concerned?

[In2ition]

My brother thought that one day he was going to create a frequency machine that resonated on the same frequency as mosquitos and would destroy them within a short range. It wouldn't be heard or harmful to humans or pets, but could eliminate them in your backyard. Of course, he never went through with the plan to create this machine, haha.

[In2ition]

How many on here have friends/relatives as nurses or doctors and/or work at hospitals? My wife has a bunch of them, but they are complaining that their hours are being cut terribly, because no one is coming in for elective surgeries right now. The hospitals are essentially empty and are hemorrhaging money. Anyone know anything about this?

[AmareIsGod]

How many on here have friends/relatives as nurses or doctors and/or work at hospitals? My wife has a bunch of them, but they are complaining that their hours are being cut terribly, because no one is coming in for elective surgeries right now. The hospitals are essentially empty and are hemorrhaging money. Anyone know anything about this?

I know that using my own common sense it seems entirely feasible during these times. I mean, would you want to have an elective surgery right now?

[Split T]

I work at a hospital, not in AZ, but yes, our census is very low due to cancelling all elective procedures and not being hit with the Covid-19 influx of patients yet. The hospital group I work for is allowing everyone to still come in and get their hours though.

[specialsauce]

Yes. Those coming in are mostly the truly sick, and those with COVID. People are scared to come if they don’t absolutely have to, and specialists are doing a good job keeping their patients away from the ER if not necessary. So volume is low but acuity is high.

This is probably true anywhere in the US that isn’t NY, LA or NJ right now.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... care-slows

[Flagrant Fowl]

It probably helps that most people are staying home as well. It's a lot harder to injure oneself from the sofa. The last time I was in a (US) hospital was over 10 years ago after being in a traffic accident.

[Nodack]

Mysterious Heart Damage, Not Just Lung Troubles, Befalling COVID-19 Patients
https://khn.org/news/mysterious-heart-d ... -patients/
In addition to lung damage, many COVID-19 patients are also developing heart problems — and dying of cardiac arrest.

As more data comes in from China and Italy, as well as Washington state and New York, more cardiac experts are coming to believe the COVID-19 virus can infect the heart muscle. An initial study found cardiac damage in as many as 1 in 5 patients, leading to heart failure and death even among those who show no signs of respiratory distress.

[Indy]

Yeah I am in a rural area and covid hasn't hit yet. So my doctor friends are saying the ER is empty and they are telling people to stay home (and in some cases laying them off). Hospitals operate on VERY thin margins, and that is why they keep cutting beds/rooms and trying to get people out of the hospital as quickly as possible. It doesn't bode well for pandemics. The US has one of the lowest bed counts per capita of the big economic countries (despite America spending so much more than other countries on healthcare).

[Indy]

Mysterious Heart Damage, Not Just Lung Troubles, Befalling COVID-19 Patients
https://khn.org/news/mysterious-heart-d ... -patients/
In addition to lung damage, many COVID-19 patients are also developing heart problems — and dying of cardiac arrest.

As more data comes in from China and Italy, as well as Washington state and New York, more cardiac experts are coming to believe the COVID-19 virus can infect the heart muscle. An initial study found cardiac damage in as many as 1 in 5 patients, leading to heart failure and death even among those who show no signs of respiratory distress.

I read this yesterday and it is terrifying.

[Nodack]

I have had a couple of minor heart surgeries. It does sound a little terrifying.

[Indy]

The part that is scariest is that you really can't do much to defend against that, especially when you are already struggling for air.

[Nodack]

Nothing like slowly suffocating as your lungs slowly fill with fluid and finally being relieved by a massive heart attack.

[specialsauce]

Yeah I am in a rural area and covid hasn't hit yet. So my doctor friends are saying the ER is empty and they are telling people to stay home (and in some cases laying them off). Hospitals operate on VERY thin margins, and that is why they keep cutting beds/rooms and trying to get people out of the hospital as quickly as possible. It doesn't bode well for pandemics. The US has one of the lowest bed counts per capita of the big economic countries (despite America spending so much more than other countries on healthcare).

Don’t believe everything you hear about hospitals running on thin margins.

Sure, small town hospitals yes.

But the big network hospitals are just as much getting fat off the back of the people as insurance companies are. Nurses and doctors are the pawns for both groups, yet we get the “greed” label because we’re powerless in Washington.

https://amp.azcentral.com/amp/3779681002

[O_Gardino]

How many on here have friends/relatives as nurses or doctors and/or work at hospitals? My wife has a bunch of them, but they are complaining that their hours are being cut terribly, because no one is coming in for elective surgeries right now. The hospitals are essentially empty and are hemorrhaging money. Anyone know anything about this?

I live in a med school town and know a few health professionals. Some specialists here are meeting patients over the video chat for follow ups to existing conditions. Some general practitioners are trying to do routine health care diagnosis over video as well. Insurance does not want to pay for those kind of sessions, though.

[O_Gardino]

It probably helps that most people are staying home as well. It's a lot harder to injure oneself from the sofa. The last time I was in a (US) hospital was over 10 years ago after being in a traffic accident.

Is that a challenge?

[O_Gardino]

Yeah I am in a rural area and covid hasn't hit yet. So my doctor friends are saying the ER is empty and they are telling people to stay home (and in some cases laying them off). Hospitals operate on VERY thin margins, and that is why they keep cutting beds/rooms and trying to get people out of the hospital as quickly as possible. It doesn't bode well for pandemics. The US has one of the lowest bed counts per capita of the big economic countries (despite America spending so much more than other countries on healthcare).

Don’t believe everything you hear about hospitals running on thin margins.

Sure, small town hospitals yes.

But the big network hospitals are just as much getting fat off the back of the people as insurance companies are. Nurses and doctors are the pawns for both groups, yet we get the “greed” label because we’re powerless in Washington.

https://amp.azcentral.com/amp/3779681002

The "greedy" and "rich" doctors reputation always baffled me. Why villainize upper middle class salaries for work that is both important and difficult?

[Superbone]

Here's a terrifying account of a "moderate" case of coronavirus:

https://affordanything.com/i-tested-pos ... ronavirus/

[Indy]

Yeah I am in a rural area and covid hasn't hit yet. So my doctor friends are saying the ER is empty and they are telling people to stay home (and in some cases laying them off). Hospitals operate on VERY thin margins, and that is why they keep cutting beds/rooms and trying to get people out of the hospital as quickly as possible. It doesn't bode well for pandemics. The US has one of the lowest bed counts per capita of the big economic countries (despite America spending so much more than other countries on healthcare).

Don’t believe everything you hear about hospitals running on thin margins.

Sure, small town hospitals yes.

But the big network hospitals are just as much getting fat off the back of the people as insurance companies are. Nurses and doctors are the pawns for both groups, yet we get the “greed” label because we’re powerless in Washington.

https://amp.azcentral.com/amp/3779681002

Here are just a couple.

Banner for fiscal year 2018 made 2.1% profit on 8.5B in revenue.

Kaiser for 2019 had 84.5B in revenue, 2.7B in profit for 3.2% (although they are a not-for-profit business)

Dignity Health lost money in 2018 (another not-for-profit).

Cleveland Clinic for 2018 had 8.9B in revenue, 266M in op income for 3%.

Sure, there are very wealthy systems like Mayo Clinic, but they are very rare.

Mayo Clinic for 2019 had 13.82B in revenue, 1.1B in op income for 7.6%

As an example, the pharma/drug companies average 15-20% profit margins, or 5-10 times what a hospital does. And most of the big insurance companies (Cigna, blue cross/shield, etc. ) make over a billion in profit each quarter.

[specialsauce]

Yeah I am in a rural area and covid hasn't hit yet. So my doctor friends are saying the ER is empty and they are telling people to stay home (and in some cases laying them off). Hospitals operate on VERY thin margins, and that is why they keep cutting beds/rooms and trying to get people out of the hospital as quickly as possible. It doesn't bode well for pandemics. The US has one of the lowest bed counts per capita of the big economic countries (despite America spending so much more than other countries on healthcare).

Don’t believe everything you hear about hospitals running on thin margins.

Sure, small town hospitals yes.

But the big network hospitals are just as much getting fat off the back of the people as insurance companies are. Nurses and doctors are the pawns for both groups, yet we get the “greed” label because we’re powerless in Washington.

https://amp.azcentral.com/amp/3779681002

Here are just a couple.

Banner for fiscal year 2018 made 2.1% profit on 8.5B in revenue.

Kaiser for 2019 had 84.5B in revenue, 2.7B in profit for 3.2% (although they are a not-for-profit business)

Dignity Health lost money in 2018 (another not-for-profit).

Cleveland Clinic for 2018 had 8.9B in revenue, 266M in op income for 3%.

Sure, there are very wealthy systems like Mayo Clinic, but they are very rare.

Mayo Clinic for 2019 had 13.82B in revenue, 1.1B in op income for 7.6%

As an example, the pharma/drug companies average 15-20% profit margins, or 5-10 times what a hospital does. And most of the big insurance companies (Cigna, blue cross/shield, etc. ) make over a billion in profit each quarter.

2.1% of 8.5 BILLION DOLLARS. That’s $178.5 MILLION in profits in 2018. The CEO himself got 25 MILLION dollars. I’m not feeling bad for the big guys

[specialsauce]

Dignity Health CEO made $8 million dollars.

Yeah, thin margins after you feed the pigs.

Look at the pen where these pigs eat

http://nonprofitlight.com/ca/san-franci ... ity-health#