Tough week! After one of my reps went dark on me, I had HR request a wellness check. The family had asked for one over the weekend too and police found her dead. Single 38 yr old fitness junkie. This woman was a picture of health and never missed a day working out and ate like a championship athlete!

My take away and advice:

She was diagnosed with pneumonia by an urgent care clinic and given antibiotics. She kept telling me and her peers that she wasn't getting much better. She said the clinic refused to test her for Covid, wtf??? They told her that her symptoms didn't fit.

Confirmed she died from complications from Covid

I'm in the Med device field so I know she knew better but she kept thinking she didn't have it because they refused to test her.

My advice...if you feel sick, force the doctor to test you! Hell, tell them you've been in contact with someone who tested positive if you have to.

Had this woman who was young and a picture of health been tested early, she most likely would've been treated correctly and alive today!

Be a champion for you and your family and demand testing if you have to. Don't take no for an answer.

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend. That is terrible.

That is awful and awful care. EVERY pneumonia pt now should be COVID screened. Sorry.

Sorry to hear that. It is the randomness of this that is keeping me in my toes and not in any rush to do anything beyond going to costco and other places that require masks

COVID is the top of the differential on just about any acute illness now. A bit of exaggeration but any respiratory illness COVID has to be the first thought. And remain at top of the list even if first test is negative if condition deteriorates.

What a terrible story.

Wow that is horrible! I think anyone who is not responding to treatment should be tested for Covid as it can present in many different ways. I have seen patients with respiratory symptoms from mild cold like symptoms to pneumonia that were positive for Covid. I have seen patient with gastroenteritis symptoms like nausea and diarrhea turn positive for Covid. I have patients with nothing but severe dizziness that were Covid positive. I have seen patients with no symptoms other than strange rashes like livedo riticularis, maculopapular rashes or chilblans like rashes that turned positive for Covid. My advice for anyone that is not responding to treatment is get a Covid test to rule it out.

Had she been tested, what is the likelihood It could have been treated and she'd be alive?

It feels like a too-common refrain that the young people who do suffer from complications and die do not have their symptoms taken seriously at first due to their low risk status. As testing capacity has increased to accommodate anybody who wants one, hopefully those issues go away.

How is that possible covid seems to have the entire array of symptoms out there for anything. Sounds like a lawsuit.

I spoke to the family late last night and they're investigating why she was not tested for Covid. She had gone to an urgent care near her home initially and now we've learned that she was doing weekly follow up telehealth visits. Honestly, I'm just beside myself and baffled by how this happened.

This is going to sound horrible but I'm a little angry at my rep. She was a licensed respiratory therapist and has been in medical device sales, working with doctors and healthcare workers for years. She's just someone I though would have pushed back. I don't know the circumstances of why she hadn't been tested but I sure as he11 hope the family follows up on that. Given the environment and the vast array of symptoms associated with Covid, in my mind there's absolutely zero reason why someone isn't tested first.

I know there are a number of doctors on this board so I'll be sure to update as I learn more. I'll be going out to Phoenix in a week to see some of her clients and cover cases and hoping to meet with her sister and best friend.

Maybe she and her doctors, like most on this board, believed that Covid only affects the old
and those with pre-existing conditions and there's no way it could affect someone healthy and young.

Ag_of_08 said:

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Serious question. Do you believe the gastric symptoms to be related to the covid, or just correlated? Not trying to be sarcastic in the least, im in a high risk exposure group

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No it is related to Covid. The ACE2 receptors of the endothelium in the gut get infected and causes the nausea and diarrhea. This is now well documented.

aglaes said:

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I Am A Critic said:

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Maybe she and her doctors, like most on this board, believed that Covid only affects the old
and those with pre-existing conditions and there's no way it could affect someone healthy and young.

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From OP description she seemed like almost the least likely person to have a bad outcome - 30 something, woman, very healthy/health conscience, and working in the medical field.

And I was just starting to feel like as a 57 yr old pretty healthy guy that I didn't need to be too worried about getting it.

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I don't think you should be worried about it. Life is too short already to waste time with that kind of worry.

But there's a massive difference between worry and making responsible choices. Stories like this are why everyone needs to do their part to prevent spread, because you really don't know who in your social circle might actually be at risk. It's certainly debatable what "doing your part" ought to entail, but sadly there's just too many people who have the attitude of "this won't kill me so I'm not gonna change my lifestyle" and do absolutely nothing.

The docs on here have said this virus could infect the heart and cause a sudden bad situation. Maybe that's what they meant with Covid related death. Scary stuff.

hdrydor said:

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Very sorry for the loss of your friend.

I don't understand why they wouldn't test her? It doesn't match with what my family just went through this week. My wife works at a pediatric dental and orthodontics office. One of her co-workers felt bad Sunday, got tested Monday, and was notified that she was positive for Covid on Tuesday evening. My wife had a scratchy throat, as did another co-worker, and they went online to schedule a test for themselves. They were able to get one almost immediately at a drive thru test center manned by the National Guard Tuesday evening. Thankfully, she was notified by 6 p.m. Wednesday evening that she was negative.

We live in Omaha, Nebraska.

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Don't assume your wife is in the clear yet, she should probably get retested. I think I read that you should get tested 3-5 days after exposure.

My personal story is I was feeling minor symptoms on a Tuesday and I was with my girlfriend the entire time. On Wednesday I decided to get tested along with my girlfriend who had no symptoms. I tested positive but she tested negative. However, she ended up getting sick a few days later and is Now showing symptoms of covid. I'm almost positive she has covid even though she tested negative one day after exposure to me.

Ol_Ag_02 said:

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Duncan Idaho said:

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Sorry to hear that. It is the randomness of this that is keeping me in my toes and not in any rush to do anything beyond going to costco and other places that require masks

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If you're under 65 you're just as likely to die in a car crash on the way to Costco.

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That's not remotely true.

Sorry to hear of your loss, OP.

Ol_Ag_02 said:

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94chem said:

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94chem said:

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Ol_Ag_02 said:

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Duncan Idaho said:

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Sorry to hear that. It is the randomness of this that is keeping me in my toes and not in any rush to do anything beyond going to costco and other places that require masks

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If you're under 65 you're just as likely to die in a car crash on the way to Costco.

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Who gives a crap about your dumb opinion. Go find another thread to pontificate. Sorry to hear of your loss, OP.

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And by the way, I'll be 48 this weekend, and if you tried to go on a run with me, you'd likely be puking up your liver by the end of 10 minutes. Nonetheless, if it's all the same to your greatness, I'd just as soon not get this mess.

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I'll also be running tomorrow morning. Enjoy your day, hope it's a great one. Maybe during that run you can work out some of your anger issues.

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You're the one who decided to come on a thread about somebody's life ending and make moronic comments. Can't seem to find your original post. I'm sure it was deleted because of corona bros, not because you have poor taste.

Ol_Ag_02 said:

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Gordo14 said:

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Ol_Ag_02 said:

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Duncan Idaho said:

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Sorry to hear that. It is the randomness of this that is keeping me in my toes and not in any rush to do anything beyond going to costco and other places that require masks

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If you're under 65 you're just as likely to die in a car crash on the way to Costco.

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That's not remotely true.

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I posted an article to a scientific study listed on the WSJ that in fact stated that the chances of dying of Covid for those under the age of 65 was very similar to your chances of dying in a car crash on your daily commute.

WTH mods. You leave up the post saying I'm wrong but take away the actual link to the scientific study showing I'm right. Sure it sucks that people are dying. And yes, it's tragic when young people die.

But that's life, no one gets out alive, and every single day we roll the dice. I'm simply trying to help people realize that if you're young and healthy go live your life, and quit wasting it locked in your house.

Unbelievable.

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A thread about someone co-worker (or family member, friend, etc.) Is not the place to start a debate about statistics. Be a decent human and offer condolences if you wish, otherwise leave it be and start your own thread to start a discussion about probabilities.

Jesus Christ. Can we please moderate the antiviral crowd at least on threads re the death of a young person due to COVID-19. Yes the asymptomatic rate is high. But those that get sick are bad. This aint "flu." Trust. But I doubt many on here will accept.