COVID-19 thread

[agate]

Maybe we can post here if/when COVID-19 affects us in some way.

Virginia, how are your brother and SIL doing now?

A memo came around in this building today letting us know that for the first time, a resident here has the COVID-19 virus. She/he got it from a caregiver but hadn't had any contact with other residents in the last 18 days.

So little contact with other residents for such a long time tells me that the person is probably someone fairly homebound, and there are only a few people here in that category.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

agate ~

This thread is a good idea.

I'm sorry to hear that one of the residents in your building has COVID, and I'm relieved that this person hasn't had contact with anyone for 18 days. Is this person receiving home health care or any kind of assistance, while coping with COVID? If s/he contracted COVID from a caregiver, who is taking care of this person for the last 18 days?

Stay safe, agate.

Virginia ~

I was also going to inquire about your brother and sister-in-law. I hope that your brother is stable now.

We always reserved Tylenol for a fever of over 100 degrees. Tylenol can be hard on the kidneys and liver, and if your brother is on other medications, that is something to consider.

Also, if his SATS drop below 90 for more than an hour, or keep dropping into the 80s, he will need O2. He could ask his physician for an order for O2 at home, probably tanks rather than a concentrator. That would save him a trip to the ER, as long as his SATS come up into the mid-90s on 1 or 2 liters of O2.

There were a few times when Jim needed 4 liters for a short period, but we tried to use the lowest amount of O2 for him and for Jon to keep the SATs in the mid- 90s. If SATS were holding, we would wean down gradually to 1 liter with the goal of going off of O2 and back to room air.

He should use a nasal cannula, not a mask. Masks are reserved for 5 liters of O2. Without that volume, the patient takes in too much carbon dioxide.

I hope that you don't need to know all of this, but I just thought it would be helpful, if your brother does need O2.

Prayers for all to remain safe and healthy.

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[agate]

Rose, I believe that the caregiver contact has been continuing. My guess is that it might be my next-door neighbor, who has several caregivers. I've seen her workers coming and going in recent days. Some of them are probably filling in if one of them is down with COVID.

We aren't allowed to know the identity of the person but I've narrowed it down to 4 people here who I know might have had no contact with residents for weeks and who have helpers. I see most people regularly here as we all have to get our mail and do our laundry and pass through the halls but there are some I haven't seen for a long time because they're pretty much bed-bound.

The memo states that the resident is quarantining until January 20 and "working with a health care provider and the county health department."

This was bound to happen. It's surprising that it didn't happen sooner. People break the rules. The elevator rule--one person at a time on it--is difficult. I've seen two people getting on the elevator with one saying to the other, "I don't see you if you don't see me."

[funnylegs4]

I do work online and one of my online coworkers got COVID19. The female coworker with COVID19 is exhausted and says her muscles feel very weak, but she feels a bit better on each day that passes. Since I only know her via Zoom I'm NOT exposed to COVID19. Please pray for her?

[Virginia]

Brother was feeling better yesterday. He got his own shower. The day before he wanted a hot bath and he had to call his wife to help him out. She said all the color had gone out of his face. SIL had done well for three days in a row. I didn't call today. The time slipped up on me and I knew they would be in bed.

The Doctor told him if his oxygen level drops in the 80s to come back to him.

His PCP Doctor got a notice that he had tested positive and called to see how he was doing and asked if he needed anything or if there was anything he could do for him. I thought that was nice.

Also, he received a call from his Cardiologist who also got a notice from the ER. He will see him in February to check his heart and plans to check my SIL at the same time. She doesn't have a heart condition, Cardiologist office says that everyone who has COVID should get tested.

Was sorry I missed the time tonight. I didn't want to miss calling him.

Agate, sorry you have a neighbor who has it. I imagine most where you live are older. I hope whoever it is does well.

Funnylegs, sorry about your online coworker. Hope she does well.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

agate ~

You are so right about the probability of COVID hitting your complex. It sounds like your neighbors are medically vulnerable and Seniors. You also live in close quarters, where you share laundry facilities and elevators.

From what you've described, it would seem that COVID was brought into your community by this neighbor's caregiver. So, an outsider brought it in. I'm not faulting that person, because s/he may not have known that they had COVID at the time they assisted your neighbor. What matters now is that you and all of your neighbors are extra cautious about contact, social distancing, and mask wearing. In other words, neighbors, no more twosomes on the elevator!

Stay safe, agate.

funnylegs4 ~

I am praying for both of your coworkers and for you. I'm glad that your contact was virtual, but I know you worry about your friends and loved ones, when they have health issues. Please try not to stress too much, as that compromises the immune system. Just keep the prayers and healing energy flowing.

Virginia ~

I am pleased that your brother's PCP and Cardiologist contacted him. I think I said in previous posts that it would be good if all doctors did that for their patients, if they test positive for COVID.

Because COVID is a SARS variant, it affects the lungs and heart most severely. So, it is right that your brother and SIL are seen by his Cardiologist to ensure that there has been no damage.

While the ER doctor told your brother to return if his SATS dropped in the 80s, given his heart history, I think it would be beneficial for him to have O2 available to him at home. Here's why:

The longer the lungs have to struggle to get O2, the harder it is on the cardiovascular system. In the time between the SATS dropping to 86 (let's say) and staying there without supplemental O2, to call 911 and get paramedics there, who will immediately administer O2, damage can be done to the heart, lungs, and brain. This is particularly true for people with a pre-existing condition or complex medical issues.

Access to O2 at home may stabilize your brother, and paramedics might not need to be called or your brother taken to ER.

When your brother's color was not good after his bath, O2 might have helped him regain his strength.

My opinion is based upon 21 years of administering O2 to Michael, Jonathan, and Jim.

Since his doctors have contacted him, perhaps your brother or SIL could ask whether they think at home O2 might be a good idea for him. If they are on Medicare, it will be covered. No cost, but a lot of peace of mind, just in case.

I had to petition Medicaid for Jon's O2, because it wasn't covered unless he was on O2 24/7. Thankfully, he wasn't. But, when his SATS suddenly tanked to 78, if we didn't have O2 for him, we would have called paramedics, gone to ER, maybe been hospitalized. That's a great deal more expensive than providing a concentrator. He needed it "just in case." And "just in case" occurred frequently, but not continually. It's preventative, as well as supportive.

It is probably not the same for you in N.C. as it is here, but here, our hospitals are running out of O2. EMT's are having trouble replenishing O2 in their ambulances.

The sirens are increasing these days, and I don't know whether that is a good or a bad sign, once again. We're in "Crisis Mode," which means that if you have less chance of surviving than someone else, you go to the end of the line. "You Live." "You Die." That's what it is like in California.

Blessings to all, be safe, stay well, and try to find a bit of joy each day.

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[agate]

Virginia, yes, everyone in this building has to be 65 or over to live here. I'm not sure if it's 65 or 62 actually but there are quite a few people here who are over 90, many in their 80s.

funnylegs, I hope your coworker will get better soon. This virus seems to hit some people very hard and others sail through it.

Rose, I'm sure that the more sociable people around here really hate being so cooped up. But there don't seem to have been very many really flagrant violations of the rules--no social gatherings, no clusters of people lingering around and talking. There are unavoidable human contacts that we all have to have--delivery people, essential services, caregivers, etc.

We do have to hang together--or we hang separately, as they say. I spied an important-looking package that had been left out on the ledge by the mailboxes and took it up to another floor and knocked on the addressee's door and gave it to him.

I know the man and know he's been going downhill in health for quite a while. The package had a huge label CRITICAL on it, and REFRIGERATE, and it was from the VA, which he uses for health care. I don't understand how the delivery person couldn't have contacted this man, who was home, and let him know by the intercom that his package was being delivered. He might also have taken it up to his door under the circumstances, it seems to me.

But delivery people (are they in a hurry, or are they too scared of COVID-19?) often just leave packages anywhere, lying around on the first floor or even outside the building, out in the rain.

This man looked so grateful when I brought him that package that it just made my day.

[Virginia]

Agate, I am glad you took that Veteran his package that needed to be refrigerated. I am sure he was very relieved. I think the delivery people are just so overloaded right now that they are not taking the extra time that they might would have at one point. It is no longer just people like us who order everything, but so many others are ordering just like we do.

I talked to my brother yesterday evening and he was doing good. He said he was eating real good now. His wife is cooking for him. He had not had an appetite, but it sounded as though it has come back strong. He assured me he was alright. I will try to take him at his word and not worry as much as I was.

Rose, I will tell him what you said about O2. At one time he had it at home, but I think the let it go back because he was not using it.

Hope everyone is safe.

[agate]

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Agate, I am glad you took that Veteran his package that needed to be refrigerated. I am sure he was very relieved. I think the delivery people are just so overloaded right now that they are not taking the extra time that they might would have at one point. It is no longer just people like us who order everything, but so many others are ordering just like we do.

....

Would you say people like us are now on the cutting edge? Trend-setters? "Want to know how to live an isolated and limited life? Check out your nearest MS message board! Learn the fine art of online shopping and other important skills!"

[Virginia]

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Would you say people like us are now on the cutting edge? Trend-setters? "Want to know how to live an isolated and limited life? Check out your nearest MS message board! Learn the fine art of online shopping and other important skills!"

Agate, your are so right. We have paved the way, now let them come see how it is done. Everyone can start with thread on jar openers. You learn all the time on this board. We could teach people a lot. Just look what all of you have taught me. I ask about something and it pops up in a post - so easy!