Coronavirus (COVID-19): We Want to Hear from You

[tnbutterfly - Mary]

The Coronavirus/COVID-19 has been all over the news since its appearance in Wuhan, China in December. Eleven cities in China have been locked down and travel restrictions imposed on tens of millions of people in an attempt to contain the spread of the deadly virus with reports of more than 900 confirmed cases of infection and more than 2 dozen reported deaths. Infections have been confirmed in South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and now this deadly virus has now made its appearance in the United States. Two confirmed cases have been identified - one in Washington on January 21 and another in Chicago today. Health officials have reported 63 people from 22 states are under observation for the virus.

We want to keep you up-to-date on the latest news. We need your help. Are you in an area where the Coronavirus/COVID-19 has been identified or where people are under observation for possible infection? We want to hear your story.

What precautions/screening/guidelines have been implemented in your place of work, airports, schools, etc?

Please complete the form below and let us know if you are willing to share your story.

Would you like to write an article to help us keep up with the unfolding Coronavirus / COVID-19 story - historical evolution, what is it, mode of transmission, signs and symptoms, precautions, screening, diagnosis, etc. If so, send me a Private/Personal Message

Wuhan Coronavirus Form

[NormaSaline]

14 minutes ago, NurseBlaq said:

Alabama still doesn't have it, allegedly. Nobody has been tested so how would they know?

Well, almost no one - 50 people according to al.com. (Some of those tested were tested more than once. ??)

The University is going to online classes, more robust testing there is set to begin, football (lifeblood) impacted big time, concerts postponed - the usual that we find elsewhere. It's just a matter of time.

[NurseBlaq]

1 minute ago, NormaSaline said:

Well, almost no one - 50 people according to al.com. (Some of those tested were tested more than once. ??)

The University is going to online classes, more robust testing there is set to begin, football (lifeblood) impacted big time, concerts postponed - the usual that we find elsewhere. It's just a matter of time.

The news this morning said no one. I hadn't checked AL.com. UA, UAB, UAH and some other colleges are going to online, the others haven't yet but are working towards it. Doug Jones was in Bama last week and said it's not here in AL but it can be and it's possible the person hasn't been tested so there's no definitive way of knowing. Have the people been tested IN Alabama because Kay Ivey said they were waiting on kits this morning.

In the meantime, Cleveland Clinic has come up with a way to know in 8-12 hrs versus days which is good.

[NurseBlaq]

16 minutes ago, NormaSaline said:

Well, almost no one - 50 people according to al.com. (Some of those tested were tested more than once. ??)

The University is going to online classes, more robust testing there is set to begin, football (lifeblood) impacted big time, concerts postponed - the usual that we find elsewhere. It's just a matter of time.

Where did you see 50 people? From AL.com today:

Quote

At a press conference on March 10, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said “less than 20” people in Alabama had been tested.

https://www.al.com/coronavirus/2020/03/who-is-getting-tested-for-coronavirus-in-alabama.html

[NormaSaline]

https://www.al.com/news/f80301-coronavirus-covid19-in-alabama-what-you-need-to-know-now.html

Alabama's state health officer said the state has run 50 or fewer tests and some could have been multiple tests of the same person.

Robert Sims

[NurseBlaq]

OK I didn't see the live updates. Thanks for the link. I'm following it now.

[toomuchbaloney]

Alaska has a confirmed case.

[lumbarpain, ADN, RN]

Northern Virginia is vigilant but quiet, however I am not in my regular job anymore, LTC. Working with the homeless now.....and in the past two months with all the off the street people that have come in and new residents...all is well. Strong feeling this is just another flu virus and people/health facilities must just do what they always did at this time to protect themselves. Just my opinion. Incredible Hype out there now..

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

On 3/11/2020 at 8:50 AM, RedWeasel said:

They now want us to use paper gowns and masks With this: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/infection-control/infection-prevention-control-faq.html

I think paper gowns are fine. It's coronavirus, not Ebola.

DROPLET MASKS ARE NOT OPTIMAL

You can use them if you don't have a respirator.

That is the CDC message loud and clear.

The COVID-19 virus IS AIRBORNE. NIH/CDC study in NEJM prepress.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf

Now this disease is not the measles, but any HCW working with a sick COVID patient should use airborne precautions.

The droplet option is a CONTINGENCY PLAN only because that is the best that can be done in many places. A well fitting high quality surgical mask may offer 90% of the filtering of a N95 against small aerosols. A poor fit/poor mask might offer 10%.

[MunoRN, RN]

7 hours ago, SummitRN said:

I think paper gowns are fine. It's coronavirus, not Ebola.

DROPLET MASKS ARE NOT OPTIMAL

You can use them if you don't have a respirator.

That is the CDC message loud and clear.

The COVID-19 virus IS AIRBORNE. NIH/CDC study in NEJM prepress.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf

Now this disease is not the measles, but any HCW working with a sick COVID patient should use airborne precautions.

The droplet option is a CONTINGENCY PLAN only because that is the best that can be done in many places. A well fitting high quality surgical mask may offer 90% of the filtering of a N95 against small aerosols. A poor fit/poor mask might offer 10%.

To clarify, that study doesn't show COVID-19 to be an airborne pathogen, droplet transmission occurs in the air and the droplet particles are airborne, but that is different from airborne transmission.

The CDC recommends using respirators / PAPRs when available because standard masks are not as effective in preventing droplet transmission, not because the virus is an airborne pathogen. This is why the CDC prioritizes the use of airborne precautions (respirators and negative airflow rooms) to those circumstances most likely to involve the generation of droplets (aerosol generating procedures).

[nlkimmel, MSN, PhD, RN]

Here in Michigan it is official, public schools are closed for the next month or so. Colleges and Universities are holding classes online. All sporting events have been canceled.

[Gampopa]

Isn't a pt who is actively coughing producing aerosolized droplets? I would want to be wearing an N95 into a COVID 19 room regardless of what procedure I'm performing.

[NurseBlaq]

5 cases in AL, 2 confirmed (Montgomery and Jefferson County. And here we go.... ??‍♀️