"I think I made a mistake" ... 30 y/o Dies after Attending COVID-19 Party

[sirI]

Quote

A San Antonio doctor says a man in his 30s who thought the coronavirus was a “hoax” died from the disease after attending a COVID-19 party.

Dr. Jane Appleby, chief medical officer at San Antonio’s Methodist Hospital, says lately she’s been hearing about COVID-19 parties, which young people allegedly attend to see who gets infected first or who can survive the virus.

“One of the things that was heart-wrenching that he said to his nurse was, ‘You know, I think I made a mistake.'"

In its entirety: 'I think I made a mistake': Young man from Texas dies after attending COVID-19 party

It is imperative that we take all of this seriously.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Since his care is protected by HIPAA, I would assume the hospital has a signed consent either from the patient or the family. SA isn't actually all that small - over 2.2 million people and that is just the city itself, not counting the surrounding suburbs. Either way, the message is one of regret and people ought to take heed.

[A Hit With The Ladies, BSN, RN]

10 hours ago, umbdude said:

We do ban the act of drinking and driving, and there are numerous programs designed to intervene drunk driving as there are to heroin overdose and suicide.

Just because hundreds of thousands of people die naturally everyday doesn't mean we just sit and do nothing about preventable deaths.

Yeah but those programs are directed at those who have a history of drunk driving or alcoholism, rather than anyone and everyone who dares to take a sip of beer, right?

If public programs were geared at promoting quarantine at those already diagnosed with Coronavirus, that's one thing. Trying to house arrest everyone is flat-out tyranny and government overreach.

[TriciaJ, RN]

8 hours ago, DMQ48 said:

I don't know, I guess it's just me, but I always thought it was weird that anyone would admit they smoked. Like why would you give that info to the hospital that's going to report it to your insurance company and charge you an extra $300 a month? Or that you go on the occasional bender and so they won't give you painkillers after an accident when you are legit in pain.

But people do it for some reason, I don't know why LOL, so I guess I'm an exception.

TBH, I'm questioning if he would have revealed this if he knew it would be made so public after his death. San Antonio isn't that big of a city. I'm sure announcing this is pretty stigmatizing for his family and I doubt he would have wanted that.

I think you have some misconceptions about healthcare. Smoking history is an important part of one's medical history. There are people who will lie about such things but they don't fool anyone. A prudent person is generally honest with their providers because it's in their best interest.

I'm not sure why you think pain relief would be withheld from someone who has been in an accident. Even if he had been on a bender.

It's sad that a 30 year old wasn't a bit more mature and savvy. Very sad that he knew he was dying of his own stupidity. If his name wasn't publicized then his privacy was respected. His situation certainly needed to be publicized to serve as a warning to others who aren't taking this seriously and still believe in their own immortality.

My heart hurts to think of someone so ill and saying "I think I made a mistake."

[guest874748]

That is something I've been wondering, does admitting you smoke get reported to your insurance? Does illicit drug use ever get turned over for criminal charges or some kind of mandated recovery program? I always hear about people overdosing and being worried to reach out because of that.

It is very sad. I just know public commentary is cruel as well and not sure I would want to read as a family member.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

Of course this happened in Texas.

[TriciaJ, RN]

8 hours ago, DMQ48 said:

That is something I've been wondering, does admitting you smoke get reported to your insurance? Does illicit drug use ever get turned over for criminal charges or some kind of mandated recovery program? I always hear about people overdosing and being worried to reach out because of that.

It is very sad. I just know public commentary is cruel as well and not sure I would want to read as a family member.

Smoking history is part of your medical record and your insurance carrier can access that. Smoking-related health conditions are pretty hard to hide even if you lie about actually smoking.

No, overdoses and drug history are not reported to police. All medical information is protected by law. If you have involvement with the police and they need to access protected information they need a subpoena.

I believe in most jurisdictions it is mandatory to report gun shot wounds to the police. As well as suspected or confirmed child abuse.

[NurseBlaq]

Folks out here playing Russian roulette with their lives. SMH

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

13 hours ago, A Hit With The Ladies said:

Yeah but those programs are directed at those who have a history of drunk driving or alcoholism, rather than anyone and everyone who dares to take a sip of beer, right?

If public programs were geared at promoting quarantine at those already diagnosed with Coronavirus, that's one thing. Trying to house arrest everyone is flat-out tyranny and government overreach.

The idea of quarantining just infected people (possibly) works only if we have an efficient testing program in place. We don't.

The results of not properly locking down are becoming more than evident in the hot spot states. Do you feel that mask mandates are also tyrannical?

[A Hit With The Ladies, BSN, RN]

Just now, Jedrnurse said:

The results of not properly locking down are becoming more than evident in the hot spot states

Yet the greatest number of new cases is in... California!! The state where their governor Newsom practically locked everyone up way before anyone else.

No more mask mandates. If you want to wear a mask, wear one. If you don't, don't. FREE COUNTRY. It's not that hard.

Plus, the public health "experts" are saying it's airborne now. Translation: It's anywhere and everywhere. You could wear masks round-the-clock, and if you dare pull it down for a second to take a bite of food.. BAM! You may just get the Coronavirus right then!

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

11 hours ago, DMQ48 said:

That is something I've been wondering, does admitting you smoke get reported to your insurance? Does illicit drug use ever get turned over for criminal charges or some kind of mandated recovery program? I always hear about people overdosing and being worried to reach out because of that.

It is very sad. I just know public commentary is cruel as well and not sure I would want to read as a family member.

That would be your choice, of course, but not everyone feels as you do. Many parents of adults or teens who died by drug overdose make that part of the obituary for their loved one and start nonprofits in their memory to help combat drug addiction. Many drug addicts or drunk drivers or prior criminals go to schools to talk about their addiction, their membership in gangs, their choices that lead them to destructive places. Shame is a destructive force, but when harnessed, life experiences such as these open the door to healing for others, as I believe the young man's admission that he was wrong about COVID and should have taken it seriously is intended to do.

Hiding problems doesn't make them go away. The only way we can discuss things and find ways to make them better is by being transparent. It is a cornerstone of a well run medical facility and it is a cornerstone of managing public health crises such as a pandemic.

[OinksNemisis]

On 7/13/2020 at 1:45 PM, DMQ48 said:

ah I hate seeing young(er) people constantly getting the blame for spreading this. Nobody is having 'corona' parties, just like the tide pods that .0001% of teenagers were eating a couple years back

Considering they are responsible for a fair shake of it, why not?

Just today

https://news.Yahoo.com/least-43-test-positive-coronavirus-174500832.html

[guest874748]

Oh yeah, I definitely have a lot of solutions and explanations for people's perceived downward spirals but I view it more as society failing them and that's a whole lot of pretentious, non-expert whining no one wants to hear.

As far as young people spreading it, that may be true. I'd be willing to bet those cruise ships and flights full of COVID were almost all individuals 40+ though. A lot of them were taken to the military base in San Antonio and released there if I remember correctly. The tragedy of the commons isn't just for young people.