More On Media, ER Use, And COVID

I had another e-mail from the visitor who commented on crowded emergency facilities a week or so ago, this time referring in particular to a CNN story that covered a hospital in Apple Valley, CA Rural hospital staff devastated by Covid-19 patients:

A couple things about this piece: Apple Valley is hardly rural; we are one of three large-sized cities in the high desert. We have three hospitals of varying sizes.

It's interesting that some people are arriving by foot -- there is a bus stop right by the ER. (Not to belittle their symptoms, but those sick must not be at death's door.)

In the "good ole days" the ER at St Mary's was overrun. I dislocated my shoulder 20+ years ago & had to wait three hours to be seen. (I speculate that is why St Mary's has instituted a new policy for pregnant women that come into the er. They are immediately whisked up to the OB ward to be seen instead of sitting amongst the er-ers. In fact, when I took a pregnant woman there last year, we passed people on gurneys in the hallways as we made our way to OB.)

It's interesting with the CRUSH of c-19, that there was time for a camera crew, interview, nurse & doc to take time to do this vignette.

Do the Nat'l Guard form up every day before heading into work? (There's a Guard unit bldg on the next block. I wonder why they don't take care of that there?)

. . . Isn't it interesting that some are calling 911 for transport to a hospital for a TEST?! UBER has got to be a cheaper alternative!

An ambulance ride costs thousands of dollars, usually not covered by medical. If you watch Live Reacue, you see that people are aware of this and choose their treatment options accordingly. Live RescLue, with three hours of real-time fire and EMT calls each week, has only very rarely covered a COVID-related call.

The only one I can think of, in Paterson, NJ, involved EMTs donning hazmat suits to enter an apartment to treat someone who was reported as having it, but the outcome was at best unclear. The chief on scene said he was proud of his unit's training in how to do this, but it's pretty much the on;y such respone the show has ever carried.

The previous e-mail from the visitor carried a report from medical relatives that people were jamming ERs due to having received only positive COVID tests. My wife sent me a press release from the LA County health departme that indirectly makes the same point:

You should seek immediate emergency medical attention if you, or a person you know, exhibits the following symptoms:

Trouble breathing

P>ersistent pain or pressure in the chest

New confusion

Inability to wake or stay awake

Bluish lips or face

If you, or a person you know develop these symptoms, go to an emergency room or call 911.

The very roundabout implication seems to be that if you don't have those symptoms, you don't need to go to the ER. This is just one example of the generally very poor public communication from the health authorities during the crisis. It's almost as though they benefit by having public misunderstanding stress the system.