I’ve been missing. Ever since the middle of last week I haven’t been all there. Or all here. Depends on your point of view I suppose. By Friday I ended up in the emergency room. Nothing horrible but with my history and the ever present compromised immune system, things that aren’t horrible for many others usually get a “go to the ER” response when I call the doctor to see if there are any open times in the day’s schedule that I might get squeezed into. So off to the ER I went and from there off to an inpatient unit were I relished in playing with all the buttons on the bed making it go up and down at the push of … well, a button.
For all the complaints health care takes in general, the system we’ve put together is pretty remarkable. I might be biased having worked in the system for longer than some lifetimes but I’m still impressed when I have to put on my patient hat. Or more appropriately, my patient gown. And yes, there is still nothing appropriate about those! Even an unbiased user will see more good done by American health providers than what the lawyers advertising on daytime television would have you think. I’ll put on my jade colored glasses and wager that as you are reading this there is a personal injury law firm somewhere in America readying suits claiming injury because some organization had a better test, a treatment, a vaccine, or all the above to combat covid-19 but put profits ahead of patients.
I can’t help with any of that. I do not have reassuring words for those concerned about the pandemic and have only prayers to offer for anyone who lost a love or has a family member or even him or herself suffering from a corona virus induced illness.
What I can offer is the personal observations of someone who has been chemically immunosuppressed for twenty years and for whom handwashing and social distancing is a way of life.
The chance of infection from any virus spread by touch will be minimized by minimizing touching where the virus may reside. Since you cannot see a virus assume anything you touch is contaminated. You have heard it ad infinitum but one more time won’t hurt. Wash your hands. Sure go ahead and sing happy birthday if you want but if you scrub them well and get between each finger and up to your wrist, you will take at least 20 seconds doing that. If you think you’ve washed them enough today, you haven’t. Do it again. If you can’t wash your hands, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Then as soon as you can, wash them again with soap and water. Before you touch your face pretend you just ate a rack of barbecued ribs and have to take our your contacts.
When possible, stay out of crowds, wipe down surfaces like supermarket shopping carts with available cleaning wipes. Rooms you typically clean weekly, clean daily, things you typically clean seasonally clean weekly, anything you haven’t cleaned yet this year, clean! Opt to order from the menu rather than choosing the buffet, and there is no “five second rule.” If it’s not on a plate, don’t eat it!
Do not buy up all the masks at the store if any are even left. They will not help you not get the virus because it isn’t terribly active while airborne. By taking all the masks out of circulation for people who need them like recent organ transplant recipients or severely immunosuppressed individuals who need them as a matter of everyday precautions, scary novel viruses notwithstanding.
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The best thing you can do if you aren’t feeling well is to stay home. This is not to say that everybody who doesn’t feel well is infected with the corona virus. Any illness is going to make you more susceptible to any other virus and you become a greater threat to anybody who is immunocompromised.
You have heard the symptoms are similar to flu symptoms. Flu symptoms are similar to bronchitis which is similar to pneumonia and so and so on. To help you determine that you don’t have covid-19 but may be looking at an oncoming cold I’ve put together a quickie comparison of the most common upper respiratory conditions.
Always consult your physician for diagnosis and appropriate treatment
Please remember this is not a diagnostic tool. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms call you doctor. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see him or her in the office. If you aren’t, I’m in room 428.
The Real Reality Show Blog 
I concur on the medical system despite the numerous anecdotal complains it works very well. cheers to Room 428
Thanks! Room 428 has been vacated for more worthy slackers. Ah, there’s no place like home!