Community Chat

[esmerelda]

I don't blame Fauci for not knowing or thinking in the early days it would become as bad as it has.

His mask advice (don't wear one if you aren't sick or compromised) is a whole other story.  Asymptomatic carriers aside, how many people go out and about with a fever and a cough?  Getting tested was not easy in the beginning.  Some were infected and didn't know it yet.

He could have said THEN that wearing a mask is voluntary.  Fear that medical masks would be scarce for those on the front lines?  People who are making their own masks now could have done it THEN. 

I think it's one's personal responsibility to do whatever they think is best for them, whatever makes them confortable.  Unfortunately some people, in addition to doctors themselves, think doctors are gods and believe every word and follow every instruction.  Sometimes to their own detriment.

[Trinity11]

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@BrandiDavis wrote:
It's so interesting to me those who are questioning the use of this drug, bc I can guarantee if you were faced with all other treatments failing to work and they said this is our last option to try or you might not make it, you'd jump on It! Anybody would!

Sadly, THIS exact situation is occurring around the world! Hence the reason for the emergency approval of using this drug bc it HAS been shown to WORK/HELP! It's up to the drs to weigh the risks/benefits re treatment, but when all else has failed you better believe people will take it and I've seen videos from those that are beyond grateful bc it saved their life!!

During times like these, there are going to be exceptions made for all kinds of things. Just look around. A lot of things have been adjusted to deal with this pandemic. These are times NONE of us have ever experienced. Instead of pointing the blame everywhere (governments) at some point we have to be responsible for ourselves.

I really hope things start to get better very soon!! I know we can use some good news right now! Hopefully people will continue to follow the stay home guidlines/orders and unfortunately those that don't should be facing consequences. How they'll actually enforce that though is a diff subject altogether. I've been for a national lock down from the beginning but sadly that never happened so it's been left up to each state. Some taking it seriously, others not so much. We mine as well be pissin in the wind!

Stay safe everyone!!

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@BrandiDavis My take on it is a lot of clinicians/scientists are fearful that further research to find a drug will stop if this unproven drug works on just a small number of patients with covid19. Dr Fauci expressed as much...he didn't feel the science is there yet..

[ms traditional]

hydroxychloroquine is made by many many companies under some of these brand names

Plaquenil, Hydroquin, Axemal (in India), Dolquine, Quensyl, Quinoric. it is not a proprietary drug as has been suggested.  many of the doses in use here were actually donated: by Bayer, by Teva and others.

interestingly a call was made from WH  to Prime Minister of India on Sunday to lift its export ban on their huge exports to help us/U.S. India is the drug's main manufacturer

According to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence, 47% of the U.S. supply of the drug last year came from India makers.  PM Modi has lifted part of the ban

NY requested and received a huge number of doses for its ongoing trials - in fact the governor requested more of it just yesterday.   results of that trial may take many weeks, if not months.  

[ms traditional]

tweeted at Kensington Palace (Duke/Duchess of Cambridge):

Our thoughts are with the Prime Minister and his family, who like so many in the UK and around the world are affected by coronavirus. We wish him a speedy recovery at this difficult time. W

[pitdakota]

For the hydroxcholorquine situation, let the doctors do their jobs. 

No one here knows specific information about the medication and unfortunately the issue has become political.  It should not be.  There are multiple reasons that some might not be placed on this medication.  One is that there has in the past been a concern about its ability to interfere with the electrical cycle of the heart that conducts a normal heart beat in some individuals.  That disturbance has been deadly for some in the past. 

With all of the controlled trials that are going on now they will learn quite a bit more about this medication, which is a positive.  Maybe the cardiac risk is not as great as they once thought?  Maybe it is greater?  Maybe it works for Covid-19 in controlled studies, maybe it doesn't. And maybe the controlled studies identify the medication is risky for those with some type of abnormal heart rhythm, but effective for others.  The point is we don't know yet.

At any rate, lay people that don't understand the basics of pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics don't need to be touting what should or should not happen based on just something they hear.   

I think there is concern by the medical community that some will try to obtain it through other measures not understanding the existing concerns and contraindications regarding the medication.  In fact, I know a pharmacist that told about a request from someone he knew to just slip him about 15 tablets. There just had to be a way he could do it and write it off as an abnormality due to the high demand of the medication.  Of course, he would never do that.....but it is kind of crazy what is going on out there with people that don't understand the importance of having your doctor work with you in making the decision. 

Not to mention that there are beaucoup medications out there under clinical trial right now for treatment of covid-19 and multiple areas that are researching vaccines.  There are also some that are very hopeful  regarding a medication they tried with Ebola....remdesivir.  One of the patients in Washington was placed on this and improved within 24 hours.  Now, will that hold out in controlled studies?  Who knows. 

Fingers crossed that one of them offers some hope in treatment.  But in the meantime, why not leave it to the ones that are conducting the clinical trials or the specific doctors using it without a clinical trial.  Just because someone wants to play a doctor on TV, at home or on a discussion board, doesn't mean that is the best approach.   We just need to let them do the studies and hope for the best.  

And by the way, there is something known in research in which they abruptly stop a study.  It doesn't happen often, but when the study group has such a better outcome than the control arm, or the arm receiving care according to current treatment they will stop the study.  At that point it becomes unethical to withhold the experimental treatment from all people when that arm of the study is outperforming the other 2 arms in the study to a significant degree.

As I said, doesn't happen all that often, but when it does they will stop the study where they are & publish results quickly to re-establish new treament guidelines. 

In the meantime, I think we just need to let them do the research and hope that something out there turns out beneficial in the treatment.  Doesn't matter what it is....just something that is safe and effective.

[ms traditional]

Latest Update:

The British Prime Minister remains in intensive care on oxygen but without the need for a ventilator and does not have pneumonia, says Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. He is in stable condition.

[lovesrecess]

I am dismayed that one of the experts who has been on TV almost nonstop talking about the drug treatment and trials they are doing right now is Dr. Oz. I thought his area was cardiology and I frankly have always regarded him to be a quack......I see too many "miracle" pills and creams with his name attached to them.

[Stray]

This is a new virus and no one could have anticipated it or how bad it would be. Other countries have different populations, size and quite frankly, much more disciplined. So please stop with the politics. I live in an epicenter in NJ and have lost two friends and four hospitalized. It’s very easy to Quarterback we you don’t have to make big decisions.

[JaneMarple]

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@lovesrecess wrote:
I am dismayed that one of the experts who has been on TV almost nonstop talking about the drug treatment and trials they are doing right now is Dr. Oz. I thought his area was cardiology and I frankly have always regarded him to be a quack......I see too many "miracle" pills and creams with his name attached to them.

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I take this medication under my doctor's care, my doctor only prescribe it every six months for 90 days each. I;m closely monitored because it does have side affects.

Just tonight I've read 2 stories concerning this drug's use on the Covid-19 patients. A Mayo clinic doctor says that it can cause cardiac problems and a hospital in France has stopped giving it to its virus patients because of the same reason.