Just to break down some #COVID19 issues for those not working in a hospital. First: even if the number of cases in many major US cities are in the 100s (not yet 1000s), hospitals and clinics in those cities are already becoming very busy and stretched. Why is this? [THREAD]
Because when someone comes in with nonspecific symptoms it is hard to tell if they have COVID19 or the flu or another respiratory virus. The more community transmission we see, the more we have to presume anyone with the symptoms could have the disease.
All of those suspect patients (now an ever growing number) need to be triaged (their symptoms and temperature taken, a test sent, a decision made about next steps: home or admit?)
This takes staff, space, PPE, processes, testing capacity
This takes staff, space, PPE, processes, testing capacity
Then for those patients sick enough to be admitted, everyone waiting for a test needs to be treated more or less like a confirmed patient- with same isolation rooms, more PPE, more staff, more processes.
Hence, we have to account the impact of not just confirmed #covid19 cases but also suspect cases and how these are impacting hospital capacities around the country. UNDERSCORING for the gazillionth time- why quick diagnostics are important.
And why I am glad to see these deadlines: fortune.com/2020/03/13/cor…
and this: fortune.com/2020/03/13/dia…
I mean we should have done this in January- seriously- but there will be more time for analyses on the flip side of this. For now- all this hightlights why we still need social distancing- these tests aren't here yet.
We cannot keep going down this trajectory of increasing suspect and confirmed cases
