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Dear Patients,
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now from getting through this! (CLICK
before you read below).
You may feel like you are marinating in worry and anxiety.
What next? OMG.
Steady as we go. We will be okay.
We, as a community, a county, a state and a nation are
problem solvers!
Keep that notion, be in the moment. Do not allow your
mind to get ahead of you.
Your thoughts are not real; they are just thoughts.
Bad thoughts, scary thoughts are like dark clouds.
Acknowledge them and they will drift across the sky.
And as they pass in front of the sun, eventually the shadow
will pass and sunshine will prevail.
Be present. Prepare, do not panic. We will get
through this. We will learn and be even better the
next time we are tested.
All challenges create opportunities to be better prepared
and make a difference in the lives of the people we love!
Now the updates:
Locally:
I have been on the phone with the hospital every day; HCGH
is prepared. Testing is still an issue, there are
simply not yet enough tests. This is why the emission
test stations that Governor Hogan announced would be open
for drive-by business has not happened yet. I do
expect that within the next several days, patients who are
in need of a test will be able to get this locally.
Remember, testing is only necessary if you are a healthcare
worker with symptoms, or if you have flu-like symptoms and
clear-cut exposure.
There have been 2 children who have tested positive for
COVID-19 in Howard County; they are both stable and were not
admitted to the hospital.
Starting today, Whole Foods announced that they are opening
one hour early for people ages 60 and over; Giant has
announced they will be open from 6am - 7am for people ages
60 and older. Other stores may be following this;
check their respective websites (thanks DS).
Nationally:
As expected, the number of positive cases is increasing
daily; the mortality rate is staying stable. The
current mortality in the US is less than 1.5%. We have
over 10,755 people who have tested positive and
approximately 154 deaths. So each day, when you see
the number of positive cases reported, do not panic, it is
expected. We are hopeful that we can reduce the rate
of new cases as time goes forward and this may take as long
as 45 days to peak
World-wide:
China reports that they have markedly decreased the rate of
positive cases, new cases are minimal. South Korea
reports that they have tested over 180,000 people and their
death rate is low. Their number of positives is 12,000
and yet they only have had 28 deaths meaning that their
mortality rate is currently 0.22%. Good news!
Therapeutics:
There is controversy over whether or not non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil (ibuprofen), Aleve (Naprosyn)
and aspirin should be used for fever associated with
COVID-19 infections. We currently do not know the
answer. There is some data from France and England to
suggest that these should be avoided as they may cause
worsening of the infection. Time will tell, but for
now, use Tylenol (acetaminophen).
The first vaccine trial has begun; expect 90 to 180 days
before we know more.
Gilead has a drug in trials which looks promising.
Japan announced that they have a drug which was
significantly helpful in patients with moderate to severe
disease. It is a drug that was developed for influenza
and seems to be powerful. Yesterday they released
information on a trial which showed 90% improvement in those
who were given the drug.
There are other drugs that have been used for other purposes
that may be helpful, including the malaria drug chloroquine
as well as a related drug called hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil).
These seem to have antiviral effects and are starting to be
used for severe cases. There is also some information
that combining hydroxychloroquine with an antibiotic used
for bacterial infections (azithromycin) has some antiviral
effect. Based on this information, I believe these
will begin to be used as part of the treatment if you have a
significant COVID infection and get hospitalized.
The big message:
Do not discount American ingenuity and hard work, as you can
see, things are in motion. There are lots of things
that you cannot see that are happening; smart people are
working 24/7 to be problem solvers, not problem reactors.
We are in this together.
Be a problem solver and together we must, we have to, STAY
HOME to minimize the spread. Stay positive. Only
go out for critical issues.
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