Category: International Risk

COVID-19 Overwhelms Border ICUs

On By SupremeCmdrIn COVID-19, Infectious Diseases, International Risk, Travel Risk4 Comments

COVID-19 Overwhelms Border ICUs

El Centro Regional Medical Center was so overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients it had to divert some to health care facilities in San Diego, National City and elsewhere. There have been more than 2,025 confirmed cases in Imperial County, which has the highest COVID-19 hospitalization rate in the state, said Andrea Bowers, special projects coordinator for the county health department.

“We know that our community has family on both sides of the border, so we’re relating the uptick to Mother’s Day weekend,” said Suzanne Martinez, assistant chief nursing officer at the medical center. “That means more risk as people travel back and forth over the border.”

Mothers’ Day weekend.

Hmm…then there’s Memorial Day weekend.

Followed by protests (not a political statement, just an observation of large crowds).

We are doomed.

 

House Hunters International (Pandemic Version) – Mexico

On By SupremeCmdrIn COVID-19, Infectious Diseases, International Risk, Survival strategies, Travel Risk3 Comments

Citation: California Border Hospitals Hit by Surge in COVID-19 Cases From Mexico – Medscape – May 20, 2020.

Here’s the link:

California Border Hospitals Hit by Surge in COVID-19 Cases From Mexico

Here’s an excerpt:

Imperial County has registered fewer than 800 known coronavirus infections and just 15 deaths to date. Baja California, by comparison, has reported 3,458 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 134 deaths.  Two main medical centers in Baja’s state capital – Mexicali Hospital General and IMSS Regional Hospital 30 – are both “saturated” by the outbreak, Mario Cervantes, head of relief services for the Red Cross of Mexicali, told Reuters.  Some arriving ambulances have had to wait hours to deliver new patients, while others were turned away altogether, he said.  Baja health department officials said neither Mexicali hospital had exhausted its bed space, but Dr. Rafael Abril, president of the Mexicali College of Surgeons, told local news in April that half the IMSS hospital’s doctors were infected with COVID-19, which could lead to staffing shortages.

COVID-19 – Oklahoma 03.19.20

On By SupremeCmdrIn COVID-19, Infectious Diseases, International Risk, Survival strategies, Travel Risk3 Comments

I’ve spent most of my life learning about what kills people.  Hey, it’s a job and I love it.

The numbers in Oklahoma are blessedly small.  Too small for statistical significance but there are some interesting aspects to these numbers.  The 2 out of state positives are professional basketball players.  We shouldn’t expect a huge increase from out of state since Oklahoma is not exactly a vacation tourist type destination and no one is traveling much nowadays.   The first positives were in Tulsa county.  That number hasn’t really moved much but Oklahoma county numbers have,  a clear indicator of community spread.

The most disturbing numbers are the positives ages 18-64.  This is not Wuhan.  This is not Italy.  This is not Iran.  This is not Spain.  This is Oklahoma.

Stay safe and act accordingly to your specific locale.

COVID-19 Oklahoma Test Results
Positive (In-State) 29
Positive (Out-of-State) 2
Negative 378
PUIs Pending Results 110

COVID-19 Cases by County
County COVID-19 Cases by County*
Canadian 2
Cleveland 4
Jackson 1
Kay 2
Oklahoma 14
Payne 1
Tulsa 4
Pawnee 1
Total 29

COVID-19 Cases by Age Grouping
Age Group, Years COVID-19 Cases*
00-04 1
05-17 0
18-49 13
50-64 10
65+ 5
Total 29
Age Range 0-75 yrs

COVID-19 Cases by Gender
COVID-19 Cases by Gender
Female 13
Male 16
Total 29

Data Source: Acute Disease Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health.
*As of 2020-03-18 at 07:00 AM.

A Physician’s Chilling COVID-19 Diagnostic Journey -KevinMD

On By SupremeCmdrIn COVID-19, ICYMI, Infectious Diseases, International Risk, WTF?2 Comments

Madilyn and I waited for communication from her sister and were shocked that she landed in DFW, on a plane with 348 passengers with masks, and no one asked any questions about exposure or symptoms — there was no screening at all. She quickly realized her mask at DFW looked conspicuous, so she removed it and awaited her connecting flight home.

A physician’s chilling COVID-19 diagnostic journey

Here’s your daily dose on Covid-19.

If you are suffering from Covid-19 anxiety disorder please don’t read the full article.

Covid-19 — Navigating the Uncharted – MUST READ

On By SupremeCmdrIn Business Continuity Planning, COVID-19, ICYMI, Infectious Diseases, International Risk, Management, Remote Underwriting, Survival strategies, Technology4 Comments

This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza (which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%) or a pandemic influenza (similar to those in 1957 and 1968) rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS, which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10% and 36%, respectively.2

Click here to read the full NEJM Editorial.

I’m hoping the NEJM editorial gets read and shared widely.  Clearly all individuals and businesses need to be prepared for the worst case scenario.  If you manage a large company, go back and review/revise your disaster recovery/business continuation plans. I’d make absolutely certain your tele-commuting platform is A+ and working as well as possible.  You may even consider expanding your remote work capabilities because every one of your employees might be using it.  Soon.

 

 

Corona Sales Plummet in China Amid Coronavirus Pandemic — VinePair

On By SupremeCmdrIn COVID-19, ICYMI, Infectious Diseases, International Risk, WTF?Leave a comment

Despite the fact that the COVID-19 coronavirus has nothing whatsoever to do with Corona, the parent company of the Mexican lager has nonetheless suffered a crushing financial loss due to the growing pandemic. Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B InBev), the international producer and distributor of Corona beer, reported Thursday that a decline in Chinese on- and off-premise…

via Corona Sales Plummet in China Amid Coronavirus Pandemic — VinePair

Yikes!

Singapore develops antibody test to detect novel coronavirus infection — Science Chronicle

On By SupremeCmdrIn COVID-19, Infectious Diseases, International Risk, Medical News, Travel RiskLeave a comment

Unlike the currently used molecular test that uses oral swab samples, the antibody test developed by Duke-NUS Medical School has several advantages — it can detect past infection in people who have now recovered, it relies on blood samples, and can identify asymptomatic cases. Using an antibody test developed by the Duke-NUS Medical School that […]

via Singapore develops antibody test to detect novel coronavirus infection — Science Chronicle

Plant Protein Linked to Longer Life

On By SupremeCmdrIn Culture, Diet and Disease, International Risk, NutritionLeave a comment

Plant Protein Linked to Longer Life

Link above is to NEJM Journal Watch article.

Conclusions and Relevance  In this large prospective study, higher plant protein intake was associated with lower total and CVD-related mortality. Although animal protein intake was not associated with mortality outcomes, replacement of red meat protein or processed meat protein with plant protein was associated with lower total, cancer-related, and CVD-related mortality.

JAMA Internal Medicine article (Free abstract)

Note: Study focused on Japanese adults.

Another Reason Why I Live in Oklahoma

On By SupremeCmdrIn Diversions, Economy, ICYMI, International Risk, Success, Survival strategiesLeave a comment

Priced Out 2019.08.21hk

Image Credit:  “A Generation Without A Future”: Millennials Struggle To Survive In Modern Hong Kong

While reading this article the graphic reproduced above caught my eye.

OKC is mentioned!  I seem to recall blogging about this affordability gap here, here, here, and here.

I guess HK is out of my retirement plans.

Heavy Drinking ‘Strongest’ Modifiable Risk Factor for Dementia

On By SupremeCmdrIn addiction, Alcoholism, Diet and Disease, International Risk, Neurology, NutritionLeave a comment

The retrospective analysis involving 30 million people in France shows that those with a history of alcohol use disorders had a threefold increased risk for dementia and that over half those with early-onset dementia had a history of alcohol problems. “This study used a phenomenally large database, and the result showing that half the cases of early-onset dementia were associated with alcohol use disorders is truly staggering,” Ballard told Medscape Medical News.

The researchers used diagnostic codes on hospital records to identify patients with dementia and those who had a history of alcohol use disorders. They found over a million cases of dementia, after excluding people with diseases that can lead to rare types of dementia and those with early-life mental disorders that can increase or confound dementia diagnosis. There were also 945,000 people with alcohol use disorders.

Results showed a strong association between a history of alcohol problems and dementia. This was especially noticeable in early-onset dementia, with 57% of the 57,000 patients who had developed dementia under the age of 65 years having a history of alcohol use disorders (66% of men and 37% of women).

In an analysis of just those patients in whom the first record of dementia occurred in 2011-2013 and adjusted for other risk factors found in the medical records, the risk for dementia was three times greater if the patient had a history of alcohol use disorders. The hazard ratio was 3.36 for men and 3.34 for women.

Read the Medscape article here.  Or get down and dirty with the full study here.

Be careful with interpreting these results.

France.  I’m not joking.  Here’s  a Global Consumption Map.