I got fitted for a new set of clubs this afternoon. My Chinese virus goal is to learn to actually golf.

Player To Be Named Later said:

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Just got prescribed Breo Ellipta for asthma maintenance. This may have already been covered, but this level of inhaled steroid is ok to be taking at the moment? I read it "can" lower immune system. I'd imagine leaving the asthma untreated is worse?

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You are correct. Leaving asthma untreated should be considered a greater risk factor then inhaled steroids. Keep in mind the reason we use inhaled steroids is because they are much less systematically absorbed. So the risk with inhaled steroids should be minimal.

austinAG90 said:

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You called. My RA is very mild, and I quit taking HCL end of last summer. I then got sick in NOV, neg for flu, but all symptoms of Corona and lasted 3 weeks. Worst I've ever felt. So after seeing all the talk last night regarding HCL I called Walgreens this am by me. They had 30 left and she told me they were not going to be getting anymore for awhile.

Is there another medication ?

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Keep checking according to the information released today production should be ramped up soon. Right now if it adequately helps your RA then I would consider it the safest thing toi be on.

texrover91 said:

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Our kids are on a regular cycle of symbicort and proair along with breathing treatments as needed for asthma / chronic respiratory infections

Assume stay on normal regimen? Any concern about steroids?

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See above

CDub06 said:

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Question for anyone that wants to respond:
I know someone immune suppressed that is having several symptoms. Their PCP group wouldn't have them come in even for a flu test because of the symptoms. So she did a virtual visit with urgent care who says they'll do a flu test and if negative, a panel that includes COVID-19 screening.

https://www.nextlevelurgentcare.com/coronavirus-updates

I can't find much about the lab, VikorScientific. Much of what I do find is self published. And this line of local Urgent Care facilities (Next Level) is the only provider I can find that publicly mentions them. They have a CLIA # in South Carolina.

Is there any reason to be suspicious of this lab or their COVID etc screening?
https://www.nextlevelurgentcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/VIKOR-SCIENTIFIC-Respira-ID-pdf-2.pdf
.

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No it should be fine they are a smaller lab but they just this week added the COVID-19 to their panel.. They have tested four the original coronavirus for some time so i would not expect it to be a problem.

Because it is a smaller lab might be more expensive but most nsurance companies are waiving out of network expenses right now.

aggiemike said:

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All the golf courses are open. What do you think of getting exercise there? If you are staying well away from everyone?

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I actually think golf is one of the few things we cam be doing. Just stay more than 6 feet away from each other, Don't share a cart, walk the course and I would not see much risk at all.

Badace52 said:

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I went fly fishing today... Just staying a rods length away.

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Nice another relative safe thing to do.

McCoveysCove said:

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How is this virus trending this afternoon in the USA and in Texas? is it stabilizing or expanding? Im sorry I am working and have not been up to date since 1pm

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We will likely see the number of cases expand significantly over the next week, due to increased testing. Alternatively, if you look at hospitalizations/deaths, those lag significantly.

If people follow the guidelines actual new infections should be leveling off/decreasing, but that won't show up in the numbers for a while. Also, someone exposed just before the 10 person restrictions (Monday? It is hard to keep up at this point) may still not have symptoms for a few more days.

I've been following this thread religiously but don't remember seeing anything about the safety of packages delivered. My wife orders everything from Amazon but is terrified that the virus can be on the boxes so we are stashing them in the garage for 3 days prior to bringing them into the house. Is this an overreaction or should we stage longer?

As you mentioned earlier with UV being a good source to sterilize playground equipment, is there enough of the UV rays getting into the garage to even do anything?

Thanks again to all the medical professionals responding to this thread.

Reveille said:

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Skillet Shot said:

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Doc, thanks for all the responses. Very helpful.

Can you clarify the percentage of patients and actual risk of permanent lung damage? I'm reading a lot of misleading reports.

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Oh tough question. Per some of the data in China, most people have none. However, of the patients severe enough to require hospitalization about 20% had a 20-30% reduction in their forced vital capacity.

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Keep in mind, Chinese are heavy smokers, and the air quality there sucks. That might contribute to a higher rate of lung problems.

Reveille said:

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CDub06 said:

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Question for anyone that wants to respond:
I know someone immune suppressed that is having several symptoms. Their PCP group wouldn't have them come in even for a flu test because of the symptoms. So she did a virtual visit with urgent care who says they'll do a flu test and if negative, a panel that includes COVID-19 screening.

https://www.nextlevelurgentcare.com/coronavirus-updates

I can't find much about the lab, VikorScientific. Much of what I do find is self published. And this line of local Urgent Care facilities (Next Level) is the only provider I can find that publicly mentions them. They have a CLIA # in South Carolina.

Is there any reason to be suspicious of this lab or their COVID etc screening?
https://www.nextlevelurgentcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/VIKOR-SCIENTIFIC-Respira-ID-pdf-2.pdf
.

---

No it should be fine they are a smaller lab but they just this week added the COVID-19 to their panel.. They have tested four the original coronavirus for some time so i would not expect it to be a problem.

Because it is a smaller lab might be more expensive but most nsurance companies are waiving out of network expenses right now.

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Most of the private labs created a consortium to share data on test development. This was made public about 2 weeks ago when labcorp and quest were given the go ahead to certify their private tests. Looks like they lagged behind the big guys in validating their tests, which isn't a surprise.

Couple questions:

1) any confirmed Texags patients yet? Ready to pull together when needed.

2) sorry if asked before - but what does it take to be labeled "recovered"? Swab is virus free? Virus free plus time? I've been looking at https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ over time and the percentage of cases getting "resolved" by the patient passing away has been rising every couple dats - but that is when compared to those resolved by a patient being marked as recovered. Are they various nations not diligently reporting recoveries or does it just take a long time to be labeled officially recovered?

AW Aggie said:

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I've been following this thread religiously but don't remember seeing anything about the safety of packages delivered. My wife orders everything from Amazon but is terrified that the virus can be on the boxes so we are stashing them in the garage for 3 days prior to bringing them into the house. Is this an overreaction or should we stage longer?

As you mentioned earlier with UV being a good source to sterilize playground equipment, is there enough of the UV rays getting into the garage to even do anything?

Thanks again to all the medical professionals responding to this thread.

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Why not just use gloves, open the boxes and get the stuff out while outside/in garage?

Complete Idiot said:

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Couple questions:

1) any confirmed Texags patients yet? Ready to pull together when needed.

2) sorry if asked before - but what does it take to be labeled "recovered"? Swab is virus free? Virus free plus time? I've been looking at https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ over time and the percentage of cases getting "resolved" by the patient passing away has been rising every couple dats - but that is when compared to those resolved by a patient being marked as recovered. Are they various nations not diligently reporting recoveries or does it just take a long time to be labeled officially recovered?

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I have seen a Covid-19 confirmed patient personally in the ER, but have no symptoms myself as of yet.

My wife has seen them as well.

88planoAg said:

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AW Aggie said:

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I've been following this thread religiously but don't remember seeing anything about the safety of packages delivered. My wife orders everything from Amazon but is terrified that the virus can be on the boxes so we are stashing them in the garage for 3 days prior to bringing them into the house. Is this an overreaction or should we stage longer?

As you mentioned earlier with UV being a good source to sterilize playground equipment, is there enough of the UV rays getting into the garage to even do anything?

Thanks again to all the medical professionals responding to this thread.

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Why not just use gloves, open the boxes and get the stuff out while outside/in garage?

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Fair point, but the merchandise inside worries her as well. I think it's overkill but not going to fight it if that's what she wants to do. More so concerned if the virus could survive this long without direct sunlight.

Also note: warehouses where the pickers have to open boxes almost all have gloves as PPE (regardless of COVID). A cardboard cut is no joke.

AW Aggie said:

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88planoAg said:

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AW Aggie said:

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I've been following this thread religiously but don't remember seeing anything about the safety of packages delivered. My wife orders everything from Amazon but is terrified that the virus can be on the boxes so we are stashing them in the garage for 3 days prior to bringing them into the house. Is this an overreaction or should we stage longer?

As you mentioned earlier with UV being a good source to sterilize playground equipment, is there enough of the UV rays getting into the garage to even do anything?

Thanks again to all the medical professionals responding to this thread.

---

Why not just use gloves, open the boxes and get the stuff out while outside/in garage?

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Fair point, but the merchandise inside worries her as well. I think it's overkill but not going to fight it if that's what she wants to do. More so concerned if the virus could survive this long without direct sunlight.

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I did notice that my mail person was using nitrile gloves while handling the mail stuffing it into my rural box.

Thanks for all the info from the docs here! Amazing!

Questions:
Both my 12 YO daughter and I have asthma but also have auto-immune diseases (Alopecia totalis for her and Vitiligo and another unknown AI disease that causes Urticaria and Angioedema, but has been easily treated with Singulair for me)

Neither of us are or have been on any prednisone lately (she had a short taper for the first time in years in January). Do you believe that having an Auto Immune disease makes you higher risk or would that only be a risk if you were treating the disease with oral steroids? Should the January taper for her have any effect now? (She had grown some hair back for a bit but it has all fallen out since so I think that means the steroids are no longer effecting the immune system?)

Thanks again doc!

Thanks Doc! Appreciate your hard work

I had a peritonsillar abscess drained yesterday and now have been prescribed an Antibiotic and the steroid Methyl-prednisolone to treat the rest of the infection. Should I be concerned about Methyl-prednisolone potentially weakening my immune system to an extent that would put me at risk if I were to contract COVID - 19? I otherwise have no immune system issues.

Thanks for answering the questions Doc and others who have been answering!