I just called called for 10 new covid pt consults at once. Never in my career have I seen anything like this....

Hospital and ICUs all full. ER packed 20+ covids. All waiting for beds. Nightmare.

I am so sorry to hear this.

I am glad you are there to help those people. You know much more about how to help people now than you did in the spring.

Marcus Aurelius said:

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Hospital and ICUs all full. ER packed 20+ covids. All waiting for beds. Nightmare.

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Is this data for the birmingham area published anywhere?

It's crazy how the attitudes for this changed so quickly.

Went from people sort of caring, to people literally not giving a single crap.

I don't have any idea what a world looks like with full hospitals and this bearing down, I would hate to think we are denying care and I would hate to think a Dr. has to make a live/die call. What a mess.

this is scary mainly because I remember you having gone through huge peaks before

Same with my wife. Everyday is the new worst day of her career. The number of patients she is seeing keeps going up. Surgical wards are now holding Covid patients.

culdeus said:

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It's crazy how the attitudes for this changed so quickly.

Went from people sort of caring, to people literally not giving a single crap.

I don't have any idea what a world looks like with full hospitals and this bearing down, I would hate to think we are denying care and I would hate to think a Dr. has to make a live/die call. What a mess.

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We don't know that they are having to make a live/die call at this point. It sounds like overall, the treatment currently given has reduced the likelihood of death significantly. Obviously, this is very regional and local the way things pop up. One area can be exploding and a close area near there can have no issues at all. Hopefully a vaccine is introduced soon enough to help those most at risk.

Good luck Doc. We are all thinking and praying for you and your staff.

Capitol Ag said:

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culdeus said:

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It's crazy how the attitudes for this changed so quickly.

Went from people sort of caring, to people literally not giving a single crap.

I don't have any idea what a world looks like with full hospitals and this bearing down, I would hate to think we are denying care and I would hate to think a Dr. has to make a live/die call. What a mess.

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We don't know that they are having to make a live/die call at this point. It sounds like overall, the treatment currently given has reduced the likelihood of death significantly. Obviously, this is very regional and local the way things pop up. One area can be exploding and a close area near there can have no issues at all. Hopefully a vaccine is introduced soon enough to help those most at risk.

Good luck Doc. We are all thinking and praying for you and your staff.

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This narrative seems a little stretched. Seems like younger people are getting it making it appear the death rate is falling on a broad level. It's hard to gather if let's say 65+ rate of hospital/death is better. Certainly it looked that way for awhile, but what could also be true is that it wasn't enough of an improvement to avoid over-run of hospitals which is by and large what is happening in the mid-size regional hospital districts in Texas.

Duncan Idaho said:

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Marcus Aurelius said:

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Hospital and ICUs all full. ER packed 20+ covids. All waiting for beds. Nightmare.

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Is this data for the birmingham area published anywhere?

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No. Not that I know of. First hand experience from this hospital. 400 beds. 55 ICUs.

culdeus said:

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Capitol Ag said:

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culdeus said:

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It's crazy how the attitudes for this changed so quickly.

Went from people sort of caring, to people literally not giving a single crap.

I don't have any idea what a world looks like with full hospitals and this bearing down, I would hate to think we are denying care and I would hate to think a Dr. has to make a live/die call. What a mess.

---

We don't know that they are having to make a live/die call at this point. It sounds like overall, the treatment currently given has reduced the likelihood of death significantly. Obviously, this is very regional and local the way things pop up. One area can be exploding and a close area near there can have no issues at all. Hopefully a vaccine is introduced soon enough to help those most at risk.

Good luck Doc. We are all thinking and praying for you and your staff.

---

This narrative seems a little stretched. Seems like younger people are getting it making it appear the death rate is falling on a broad level. It's hard to gather if let's say 65+ rate of hospital/death is better. Certainly it looked that way for awhile, but what could also be true is that it wasn't enough of an improvement to avoid over-run of hospitals which is by and large what is happening in the mid-size regional hospital districts in Texas.

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What attitudes are changing? There's almost nowhere you can go without a mask. People are wearing masks like they are told.

AggieAuditor said:

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culdeus said:

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Capitol Ag said:

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culdeus said:

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It's crazy how the attitudes for this changed so quickly.

Went from people sort of caring, to people literally not giving a single crap.

I don't have any idea what a world looks like with full hospitals and this bearing down, I would hate to think we are denying care and I would hate to think a Dr. has to make a live/die call. What a mess.

---

We don't know that they are having to make a live/die call at this point. It sounds like overall, the treatment currently given has reduced the likelihood of death significantly. Obviously, this is very regional and local the way things pop up. One area can be exploding and a close area near there can have no issues at all. Hopefully a vaccine is introduced soon enough to help those most at risk.

Good luck Doc. We are all thinking and praying for you and your staff.

---

This narrative seems a little stretched. Seems like younger people are getting it making it appear the death rate is falling on a broad level. It's hard to gather if let's say 65+ rate of hospital/death is better. Certainly it looked that way for awhile, but what could also be true is that it wasn't enough of an improvement to avoid over-run of hospitals which is by and large what is happening in the mid-size regional hospital districts in Texas.

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What attitudes are changing? There's almost nowhere you can go without a mask. People are wearing masks like they are told.

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Social gathering attitudes are changing. It's anecdotal but at my kids school club sports are driving cases. In other schools parties on weekends are causing shutdown events, both from parents getting it and spreading to kids and the inverse.

It's small to medium social gatherings that we have altered our perception of what is ok, and how to behave in.

I'm of the opinion that masks really don't do much if going to the grocery store or to pickup dry cleaning, but that theater has given us the opinion that if we wear masks there, then we are safe to chill with friends and parents without them which is not the case.

culdeus said:

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AggieAuditor said:

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culdeus said:

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Capitol Ag said:

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culdeus said:

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It's crazy how the attitudes for this changed so quickly.

Went from people sort of caring, to people literally not giving a single crap.

I don't have any idea what a world looks like with full hospitals and this bearing down, I would hate to think we are denying care and I would hate to think a Dr. has to make a live/die call. What a mess.

---

We don't know that they are having to make a live/die call at this point. It sounds like overall, the treatment currently given has reduced the likelihood of death significantly. Obviously, this is very regional and local the way things pop up. One area can be exploding and a close area near there can have no issues at all. Hopefully a vaccine is introduced soon enough to help those most at risk.

Good luck Doc. We are all thinking and praying for you and your staff.

---

This narrative seems a little stretched. Seems like younger people are getting it making it appear the death rate is falling on a broad level. It's hard to gather if let's say 65+ rate of hospital/death is better. Certainly it looked that way for awhile, but what could also be true is that it wasn't enough of an improvement to avoid over-run of hospitals which is by and large what is happening in the mid-size regional hospital districts in Texas.

---

What attitudes are changing? There's almost nowhere you can go without a mask. People are wearing masks like they are told.

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Social gathering attitudes are changing. It's anecdotal but at my kids school club sports are driving cases. In other schools parties on weekends are causing shutdown events, both from parents getting it and spreading to kids and the inverse.

It's small to medium social gatherings that we have altered our perception of what is ok, and how to behave in.

I'm of the opinion that masks really don't do much if going to the grocery store or to pickup dry cleaning, but that theater has given us the opinion that if we wear masks there, then we are safe to chill with friends and parents without them which is not the case.

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It's as simple as human nature, honestly. We are not made to be anti-social. We need social interaction, so people will get together. Attitudes are changing because human nature is taking over.

I also think it's something where cases were way down, so people probably feel pretty safe. Bet a lot of those people were meeting in small to medium social gatherings while numbers were down. Now that numbers are going back up, people are naturally going to pull away more.

At the end of the day, I don't really think this is a mask issue. Sure, masks most likely are a net positive, but I believe it's a people being close to each other issue when they don't know where everyone has been issue.

Families are going to have to make tough decisions in the next few weeks. Unless governments are going to post up at people's houses or patrol neighborhoods, families are going to get together because it's human nature. Just have to hope people are making the most wise decisions for them and their families.

Beat40 said:

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culdeus said:

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AggieAuditor said:

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culdeus said:

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Capitol Ag said:

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culdeus said:

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It's crazy how the attitudes for this changed so quickly.

Went from people sort of caring, to people literally not giving a single crap.

I don't have any idea what a world looks like with full hospitals and this bearing down, I would hate to think we are denying care and I would hate to think a Dr. has to make a live/die call. What a mess.

---

We don't know that they are having to make a live/die call at this point. It sounds like overall, the treatment currently given has reduced the likelihood of death significantly. Obviously, this is very regional and local the way things pop up. One area can be exploding and a close area near there can have no issues at all. Hopefully a vaccine is introduced soon enough to help those most at risk.

Good luck Doc. We are all thinking and praying for you and your staff.

---

This narrative seems a little stretched. Seems like younger people are getting it making it appear the death rate is falling on a broad level. It's hard to gather if let's say 65+ rate of hospital/death is better. Certainly it looked that way for awhile, but what could also be true is that it wasn't enough of an improvement to avoid over-run of hospitals which is by and large what is happening in the mid-size regional hospital districts in Texas.

---

What attitudes are changing? There's almost nowhere you can go without a mask. People are wearing masks like they are told.

---

Social gathering attitudes are changing. It's anecdotal but at my kids school club sports are driving cases. In other schools parties on weekends are causing shutdown events, both from parents getting it and spreading to kids and the inverse.

It's small to medium social gatherings that we have altered our perception of what is ok, and how to behave in.

I'm of the opinion that masks really don't do much if going to the grocery store or to pickup dry cleaning, but that theater has given us the opinion that if we wear masks there, then we are safe to chill with friends and parents without them which is not the case.

---

It's as simple as human nature, honestly. We are not made to be anti-social. We need social interaction, so people will get together. Attitudes are changing because human nature is taking over.

I also think it's something where cases were way down, so people probably feel pretty safe. Bet a lot of those people were meeting in small to medium social gatherings while numbers were down. Now that numbers are going back up, people are naturally going to pull away more.

At the end of the day, I don't really think this is a mask issue. Sure, masks most likely are a net positive, but I believe it's a people being close to each other issue when they don't know where everyone has been issue.

Families are going to have to make tough decisions in the next few weeks. Unless governments are going to post up at people's houses or patrol neighborhoods, families are going to get together because it's human nature. Just have to hope people are making the most wise decisions for them and their families.

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Narrator Voice: They won't.

not disputing but Alabama is showing 1,700 newly reported cases yesterday. That seems like a manageable number. I realize that a crazy day in the ER today might now show up in the "stats" until later this week or next.

50s, 60s mainly. Family aggregates. Few 70s 80s. Obesity underlying theme. HTN, DM, heart disease. I lost a 50 and 58 y/o last week. Both morbidly obese.

AggieAuditor said:

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culdeus said:

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Capitol Ag said:

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culdeus said:

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It's crazy how the attitudes for this changed so quickly.

Went from people sort of caring, to people literally not giving a single crap.

I don't have any idea what a world looks like with full hospitals and this bearing down, I would hate to think we are denying care and I would hate to think a Dr. has to make a live/die call. What a mess.

---

We don't know that they are having to make a live/die call at this point. It sounds like overall, the treatment currently given has reduced the likelihood of death significantly. Obviously, this is very regional and local the way things pop up. One area can be exploding and a close area near there can have no issues at all. Hopefully a vaccine is introduced soon enough to help those most at risk.

Good luck Doc. We are all thinking and praying for you and your staff.

---

This narrative seems a little stretched. Seems like younger people are getting it making it appear the death rate is falling on a broad level. It's hard to gather if let's say 65+ rate of hospital/death is better. Certainly it looked that way for awhile, but what could also be true is that it wasn't enough of an improvement to avoid over-run of hospitals which is by and large what is happening in the mid-size regional hospital districts in Texas.

---

What attitudes are changing? There's almost nowhere you can go without a mask. People are wearing masks like they are told.

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I wish that was the case. People are gathering without masks. They are visiting friends and family inside homes without masks. Some are even having parties. Here in TN each county sets the mask mandate. One county will have a mask mandate and those that don't want to wear a mask go to the surrounding counties without mask mandates. I now shop in counties with mask mandates. And I already had COVID, end of July through early August, and I don't want it again.

Time to treat vulnerable people at the onset of symptoms in hopes of avoiding the hospital stays instead of waiting

Quote:

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What attitudes are changing? There's almost nowhere you can go without a mask. People are wearing masks like they are told.

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Not sure about attitudes but everywhere I go, easily half the people wearing masks are wearing them under their nose.

Di*knosing is big here.

4 of my patients tested + this afternoon. So far all doing well but one is old and one obese so we will stay in close touch. (Actually all are old but in my practice old is a relative thing)

I would love to give them something that actually prevents hospitalization. Vitamin D evidence is sketchy at best. Sure, advise it but no evidence it actually prevents hospitalization. HCQ is finally no longer a discussion point. So many wasted hours. Zpack early? No evidence. Steroids? RECOVERY trial to my reading showed steroids early were not beneficial, maybe a detriment. They definitely help when Marcus and company are seeing you.

Correction - while typing this got another notification of a +test result. (Now 6 since 1:30 and it is now 4:30)

Anyway, fortunately the majority of these people that have tested + today will be fine and have no significant issues long term.

Vaccine is the real answer to keeping people out of the hospital. For many reasons a huge percentage of the population has given up on any mitigation efforts.

Nationwide, hospitalizations are still below the summer peak. Our ICUs in VA are at their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic. Seems like some regional outbreaks are occurring.

Definitely something to keep an eye on. Regional restrictions may be necessary but in VA we are down over 33% since the summer peak and we've been open the whole time. Lockdown makes no sense here.

https://covidtracking.com/data/charts/us-currently-hospitalized

Also if OP is in Alabama, hospitalizations there are down 33% from the summer peak.

Gumby said:

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Also if OP is in Alabama, hospitalizations there are down 33% from the summer peak.

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https://www.al.com/news/2020/11/covid-vaccine-wont-stop-current-wave-of-alabama-cases-hospitalizations-soar.html

"The number of patients hospitalized statewide with coronavirus has been rising for the last month. In Jefferson County, that number has increased by 76 percent since Oct. 1."

That from UAB today.

Yeah. 3. March. July. Now.

Aggie95 said:

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are you saying someone had covid 3 times?

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No. Sorry misread your question. We've had 3 spikes of it here. March. July. Nov. Nov seems to be the worst.

I have not seen a repeat infection pt so far.