1/ THREAD. My #Coronavirus story. I spend several months every winter caring for my elderly parents while they snowbird in #FL. Mom is 83, in frail health, and has dementia. Yesterday she developed all the symptoms of a bad respiratory infection... @ProjectLincoln
2/ I spent about 6 hours on the phone 2day trying to track down medical care for her. PCP won’t let her come to the office bc her symptoms are consistent with #Covid19, tells me to call the hospital hotline. I talk to them twice, after an hour-long hold each time.
3/ They will not test her or see her bc she has not traveled to Italy, China, S Korea. Not enough kits available to just willy-nilly test those in high-risk demographics who are actually showing symptoms of #coronavirus apparently 🤦♀️ Go to the ER, they tell me.
4/ Two closest hospitals say do not come to the ER with respiratory infection symptoms-unless critical condition. 😳 Say to call Dept of Health. I call. After 20 minutes on hold, I am unceremoniously disconnected, without speaking to anyone. I am angry, exhausted, stunned ...
5/ So, what am I doing for my mom? Treating her symptoms, hoping I can convince the PCP to give us an antibiotic tomorrow, and all the common sense stuff. Does she have #Coronavirus? We will never know. But here is what we do know...
6/ the American people are being fed lies & misinformation by @realDonaldTrump that are dangerous. Tests are not available to those who need it, targeted quarantines & distancing policies should have been implemented weeks ago, & it is not under control...
7/ My mom's experience will not be counted, as will be the case with thousands of others, & that undermines the greater good. Recorded information on this will be forever inaccurate, incomplete. Our response was dangerously inadequate.
Will my mom be ok? I sure hope so. ❤️
Will my mom be ok? I sure hope so. ❤️
UPDATE: 1. Thank u or your very kind concern & prayers. 2. Thank you to the nearby Doctor who reached out in response to this thread and tried to help us. 3. Still can't get mom in to be seen/tested, but her PCP is prescribing antibiotics based on phone call. I am encouraged!
