2/ 3. “I have health problems, so I was afraid to get the #Vaccine, and my doc didn’t weigh in.”
4. “My OB told me not to get the vaccine because I was pregnant.” (so many lost babies & tears)
5. “Doc, I’m double #vaxxed, but I let me guard down and now I’m suffocating.”
3/fin
6. "Dr. Ely, I am going to live! #COVID is terrible. Over a dozen of us ended up with it from a Goofy Ladies’ Tea. It sure leaves you weak, confused, and afraid to go out." (shared w permission)
2/ Asterixis indicates that toxins like ammonia have built up in the body because the scarred liver no longer filters them out. The brain cells no long function normally (#Delirium or Hepatic #Encephalopathy) & can no longer control muscle movements like posture!
3/ These same toxin cause vessels to dilate and develop problems with blood flow in the skin and lungs. A skin finding is called “spiders.” They look like a multi-legged spider, right? It’s a tip-off.
2/ The difference between R0 of 3 and 6 is massive. With original COVID, 1 person infects 3 who infects 3 more. After 2 rounds, cases would rise by nine (3 x 3 = 9). After 3 rounds, cases rise by 27 (3 x 3 x 3 = 27)…
3/ But with delta, 1 person infects 6, who each infect 6 more people. So after 2 rounds, there are 36 (6 x 6 = 36) and after 3 it surges to 216 (6 x 6 x 6 = 216).
1/🧵 Why have #COVID19 hospital admissions skyrocketed? 🗣
The virus’s spike protein acts like VELCRO in our airway. #DeltaVariant has modified the #SpikeProtein to make it SUPER-VELCRO. When exposed, you’re way more apt to get infected.
2/ “In a completely unmitigated environment—where no one is vaccinated or wearing masks—the average person infected with original coronavirus will infect 2.5 others. In the same environment, #Delta infects >4 other people & grows more quickly.”
3/ Additionally, once the infection takes root in you (most often a person NOT #vaccinated), it has modified itself to increase viral shedding 1000X (ie, 1,000 virions for every 1 that was shed with original SARS-CoV-2.
1/🧵🎥 Leading #COVID19 ICU Doctor @DavidJanz5 in New Orleans, the epicenter of U.S. #DeltaVariant surge, testified before US Senate Committee on Health, Education & Labor. Here is what he said: “Studies of #FrontLine workers caring for COVID-19 patients have shown…👇
2/ that the risk for the development of #mentalhealth problems (#PTSD#Depression) are like 9/11 Terrorist Attacks & Hurricane Katrina. Recent research shows that over 1 in 3 healthcare workers are experiencing anxiety, depression & post-traumatic stress disorder.
3/ Symptoms of #burnout are experienced by over half of critical care physicians. This is the state of the workforce asked to return to the #COVID19#frontlines for a second, third, and now fourth wave.
1/🧵Fluids in sepsis: When a patient’s blood pressure is too low and they are in shock, as happens all the time with #COVID19 viral #sepsis, we give fluids. This @bmj_latest figure👇makes a bit of sense of where the fluid goes. Let me unpack a bit more…
2/ 👇 @bmj_latest
We talk about 2 categories of fluids: Crystalloids & Colloids. For crystalloids think “thin fluid like salt water with sugar.” For colloid think “thick fluid with lots of protein like albumin.” The figure shows that crystalloids leak out of the blood vessels…
3/ while colloid stays in the blood vessels. But there are several other important teaching points beyond what the figure shows.
✅ If a person has a lot of edema, as we see in heart, kidney & liver failure, colloids pull fluid into our vessels & ⬆️ blood volume to end shock…