turbosteve
Eagle Member
Is it discomforting to wear a N95 mask all day? Does the gown include head protection? Which nurses have the most physically demanding job caring for Covid patients?
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COVID Nursing...Ask Me Anything
- Thread starter ru4por
- Start date
Hampstead
* Ace Member *
LOL....I have thought about changing it for a while. It is supposed to read like a vanity licence plate. Are you for POR.
POR (Press on Regardless) was an professional off road rally held annually in the Keewenaw Peninsula of the UP in Michigan. Based out of Michigan Tech. As a yoot, I had several good friends go to Tech and would go UP each year to see them and check out the race. It was renown for being the toughest, meanest rally of the North American rally circuit.
We have gone UP to the race pretty much ever since. Developed a great group of friends, most of which I see a couple times a year, from all around the country.
The race itself still happens as Lake Superior Pro Rally (LSPR). All wheel modified cars, stage racing down the logging trails and two tracks of the Upper Peninsula for two days. We generally map out a couple spots to go to, park and party for 10 hours or so in God's country.
The masks vary. We have been using about 4 versions. They range from uncomfortable to brutal. I have done OK with them. But, many nurses have facial wounds from friction and skin reactions to the mask.
The gowns are probably the worst part. We are using cloth gowns with a rubber type lining. They are sooo hot. When you go "in", as we call it (gearing up and going to treat patients in the dirty area) you are usually in for 20 min to several hours. We try to rotate, as best we can, caring for each others patients, to get in breaks to recover a bit. You usually come out drenched in sweat. The gowns we use have no head covering. My hair is a bit long, coming out of winter, I usually grow it out for warmth and cut it back in the spring, but barber (Big Wally) is not working now. So, I pull a cut off T-Shirt sleeve over my head to cover most of my head and hair. Most of the girls are using bonnet style head coverings. Mostly homemade from other nurses, nurses families.
As stated, I work with non-ventilator patients. They are pretty sick and a lot are nursing home patients with significant non Covid problems to work on. Bed sores, feeding tubes, trachs, dialysis and bed bound. I have not been over to the ICU, but their work must be brutal as well. Talked to a few nurses and swapped stories, I think it is six of one, have dozen of the other.
I don't want to over dramatize it. But, the mandatory bottle of water/gatorade is missing in the above, lol. I can't stay hydrated enough in the down time.
turbosteve
Eagle Member
Are you seeing younger patients getting sent to the ICU? Like people in their 20s or 30s? Do you think having allergies makes you high risk?
perklc
Birdie Member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2015
- Messages
- 301
I can't answer your question, but I want to rant a second and say my body picked a hell of a year to get two colds and start having issues with allergies. I feel like I've had a small cough for pretty much a month straight with the cold followed right away by spring starting in my area and allergies kicking in
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Is Actemra being discussed where you are working?
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2009
- Messages
- 15,713
Pretty good likeness of him, too
... except for the hair. :\
I keed, I keed.
You da man! :elbowbump:
(I no keed)!
Halcón
Free At Last
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2012
- Messages
- 12,038
Plus, if only getting ready to fight Covid was so easy. Tie on a surgical mask, and you're ready to go!
I am seeing younger patients decompensating and getting put onto vents. Not many, and the ones I have seen have significant other issues (renal failure, HIV, lung problems...).
I don't know if allergies would impact your risk.
Not that I have heard. I thought they were still clinically trialing it?
FDA approved the Roche drug for clinical trials on the 24th.
https://komonews.com/news/coronavir...l-emergency-room-doctor-recover-from-covid-19
Looks promising. Chloroquine was three weeks ago and we aren't hearing much.
Just wondered if folks were discussing it.
Stay safe young man.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2009
- Messages
- 3,941
Tocilizumab (Actemra) does look promising. The drug is an immunosuppressant used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, and seems to interfere with the inflammatory immune system response that kills many COVID-19 patients.
FDA Approves Phase III Clinical Trial of Tocilizumab for COVID-19 Pneumonia
Tocilzumab (Actemra) for COVID-19 Pneumonia
esdubya
Double Eagle Member
I always thought it was "are you for par?" like, do you support the idea of getting par? I'm more of a supporter of getting a birdie but I can also see the merits of par.
I thought you and "bogeynomore" were supporting each others screen names. Thanks for ruining my vision! haha
I thought you and "bogeynomore" were supporting each others screen names. Thanks for ruining my vision! haha
Vonbeezy1
Banned
If anyone is interested, follow captain covid on Facebook. He is an ER travel nurse up in NYC right now. Great read
Question. Say a nurse tests positive for anti-bodies
and goes back to work. She gets infected but doesn't get sick as she is immune. Could she be infecting others in the meantime?
She breathes in the virus in one room and breathes it out in the next.
and goes back to work. She gets infected but doesn't get sick as she is immune. Could she be infecting others in the meantime?
She breathes in the virus in one room and breathes it out in the next.
Interesting news. Our system is beginning a several year immunology testing program. I think it is one of the first in the nation and the largest to date.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beaumont-health-launches-the-nations-largest-serological-testing-study-for-covid-19-antibodies-301039104.html
I have only worked in a 100% COVID positive area. But, I am guessing that most hospital systems have isolation protocols in place. If you get sick, you are off for a pre described set of days after the onset of symptoms or positive test.
A positive antibody test only demonstrates that your immune system has been activated against the virus. Really an indication of exposure. Previous virus study tells us, once you test antibody positive, you should not get the virus again. But, there are currently reports from Korea that you can get reinfected. Also, virus have the ability to mutate, so your immune response could become ineffective.
I am kind of assuming nurses are wearing some kind of mask for all patient care, at this time. I will ask around to see if I can find a better answer.
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