Doug Ross said:
stop going to the hospital/ER. if you are mildly symptomatic, okay cool, stay at home for 14 days. even if I did test you....stay at home for 14 days because the sensitivity of the test is ***** DO NOT GOT TO THE HOSPITAL UNLESS YOU HAVE TO BE ON LIFE SUPPORT.
UNLESS YOU ARE LITERALLY GOING TO DIE, DO NOT GO TO THE HOSPITAL. You are putting myself and nurses at risk. I will not test you for covid unless you are a health care worker, please stop coming to the ER.
People who require hospitalization are also getting tested. These stringent testing criteria are likely why our Covid-19 numbers in Texas are so low and the death rate has been too high.
It is important that people stay home unless they believe they need supplemental oxygen or even more intensive care related to Covid, and as an ER doc myself, I understand how on edge you are right now and that every person you see is one more person who might give you Covid-19.
I know how it feels to worry you are going to bring this home to your family, to worry one of your co-workers or yourself might get a high inoculum from a patient who coughs at just the wrong time or maybe someone who lied to registration and the triage nurses about their symptoms (has happened to me more than once), and I know that you worry you, your friends and/or your loved ones may die because a "walking well" Covid patient wanted a swab that ultimately won't change the course of their disease at all.
But you have to remember, people out there are scared too, and they don't have your medical education to give them comfort. There is a lot of misinformation out there. People have lots of questions and they come on here to try to find those answers. They should not be ridiculed or derided for trying to learn about this disease.
I understand your pain is real and this thing shakes all of us in healthcare to our very cores, but don't let it seep out on here. Remember to take some time to yourself, do something that burns off some stress. I fish when I can and it helps. Do your thing and don't let Covid be better than you.
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