Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Yes, because what we need right now is more politicians touting untested drugs.
Are you even listening to yourself? The proof is not "weak," it's entirely anecdotal. You dismiss the risk of heart attacks as "real" but "the size of a rounding error." Any "proof" is -- likewise -- no more than a rounding error. And not necessarily real. That's why you want hospitals to figure it out, and not to do medicine on the basis of what you read in the New York Post. Do you really think the doctors in all the hospitals treating all the people dying from this virus aren't interested in "exploring all options"? That if they only read the New York Post then lives would be saved? Get real. My wife is treating Covid-19 patients at a teaching hospital, and I eagerly anticipate the day when she comes home at says this is helping people. Hasn't happened yet.
The strong desire for a miracle cure is completely understandable, and it's great TV, but it is depressing to see so many people succumbing to wishful thinking. It's getting people killed. Imagine if Trump spent all that energy telling people to avoid contact with each other.
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Most medicine is anecdotal. Half of JAMA and NEJM are case studies, same with grand rounds and M&M conferences. That said, I've seen the application to this particular combo all over the place. Sometimes as a prophylactic, sometimes administered late, and there's absolutely no consensus on it. If it does "work" it's unclear how or why. AFAIK, we're not using it in our facilities; we're focused on the plasma transfusions down here.
We still haven't been hit hard.
As of April 8, 2020 released on April 9, 2020:
ICU Beds: 1,462
21% occupied by COVID-19 patients
47% occupied by non-COVID-19 patients
32% available
Another 1,370 ICU beds can be added during a surge for 2,800+ beds
Ventilators: 2,352
6% occupied by COVID-19 patients
15% occupied by non-COVID-19 patients
79% available
We're decent-ish on social distancing down here, and the PPE problem is more or less under control assuming things stay constant.
