Can I ask you to at least guess at something
by ndgotrobbedin97 (2020-04-27 15:53:40)

In reply to: My point by point of the Bakersfield "ER" doc video (long)  posted by dulac89


Because I'm sure there isn't a perfect answer given the lack of overall %'s available.

We hear a lot about how 50% (or so) of people are asymptomatic, and only a few get so sick that they head to the hospital.

What we never hear about is the percentage (here is where guessing may come in?) of people who get the virus, get sick---but not sick enough to get admitted, and what their symptoms and ride through the illness may look like. I think if the public knew more about this side of the thing it may demystify the illness.

Are young people getting sick (showing symptoms) in reasonable numbers, or is it only people at a certain age/morbidity that have this mid-range/mild illness?

If you can't answer, no big deal, but I thought you might have some idea.


Yes. So it's not 50% asymptomatic
by dulac89  (2020-04-27 16:47:44)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

It's more likely 25%. What was found when they did the testing with so many "asymptomatic" patients is that many of them were presymptomatic. It's been shown that you can shed virus for up to 7 days before showing symptoms. So of all the original people with positive tests that were asymptomatic, at least half went on to develop symptoms shortly thereafter.

So about 50% are sick, but not sick enough to be hospitalized. I think one friend (another ER doctor) and his family are a good example. He was very sick...fever, cough, body aches, short of breath. He does Ironman triathlons and he had to stop and rest going to the bathroom. He felt terrible for about a week. His wife also got sick and tested positive, but she had no fever just a moderate cough for 4-5 days. One kid had a bad cough for 2 weeks but otherwise felt fine, and the other kid just had a stuffy nose

Bottom line is that they are all over the board. We call and follow up with every patient we discharge. Some still feel terrible, but not bad enough to get admitted. Others are feeling better.


My wife had a coworker
by DBCooper  (2020-04-27 19:23:09)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Who had a fever for like 5 weeks. She was tested as positive but that’s really the only symptom. Has had some issues of just feeling lethargic.

But 5 weeks of a fever is just crazy I would think. It’s now just barely a fever, but for several weeks it was consistently 100/101. Just another weird reaction to Covid I guess


That's pretty common
by dulac89  (2020-04-28 09:06:18)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

The other one is the cough...it can last for weeks (like 6-8 weeks)

This virus is certainly not typical of the common cold or flu