Coronavirus: US healthcare system ill-equipped, says doctor

People should avoid partying with groups of people and touching their face while regularly washing their hands in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Dr. Travis Stork of The Doctors Podcast said.

The doctor gave his tips on what the public needs to know about the coronavirus as it continues to spread across the United States.

So far, the pathogen has infected nearly 2,000 Americans. The authorities say that at least 42 people have died in the US.

Stork said that the coronavirus is a ‘game changer’ that can cause severe problems for vulnerable people, including respiratory damage, organ failure, and even death.

Stork said that the irony is that if people take preventative measures now, they will likely look back on this period and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Dr. Travis Stork of The Doctors Podcast said the coronavirus is a ‘game-changer’ because of the damage it could do to vulnerable populations with underlying health conditions

‘Viruses are interesting little creatures,’ the medical podcaster said. ‘They are dependent upon infecting our cells. They use our cells’ machinery to replicate and to create proteins that cause damage.

‘This particular virus…can invade your respiratory cells and in some people it is causing severe lung issues.’

Stork said that anyone experiencing symptoms of coronavirus should self-quarantine and avoid socializing.

‘Self quarantine yourself is the best thing you can do,’ he said.

Stork said that even those with mild symptoms should self-isolate because they can mistakenly be under the impression that they can’t infect others.

‘Even if I get the virus and have relatively mild symptoms and I feel fine, and I go out into the community and I’m high-fiving everyone and hanging out and drinking beers and chilling out at the barbecue with all of my friends, I’m still a vector,’ he said.

‘There are a lot of people in America who have this and don’t know they have it.’

Stork is urging those with mild symptoms to avoid public gatherings for fear of passing the virus on to others. Subway riders are seen above in New York City on Friday

Stork is urging those with mild symptoms to avoid public gatherings for fear of passing the virus on to others. Subway riders are seen above in New York City on Friday

So far, there have been more than 1,900 cases of coronavirus nationwide

So far, there have been more than 1,900 cases of coronavirus nationwide

As of Friday, there have been a reported 1,930 cases of coronavirus nationwide

As of Friday, there have been a reported 1,930 cases of coronavirus nationwide 

Stork said that social distancing is the key to stopping the spread of the virus.

He praised the decision by sports leagues like the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, and pro tennis to cancel events.

Stork also said the cancellation of Coachella, SXSW, and other mass gathering was correct.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS?

Like other coronaviruses, including those that cause the common cold and that triggered SARS, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness.  

  • The most common symptoms are: 
  • Fever 
  • Dry cough 
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty breathing 
  • Fatigue 

Although having a runny nose doesn’t rule out coronavirus, it doesn’t thus far appear to be a primary symptom. 

Most people only become mildly ill, but the infection can turn serious and even deadly, especially for those who are older or have underlying health conditions.  

In these cases, patients develop pneumonia, which can cause: 

  • Potentially with yellow, green or bloody mucus
  • Fever, sweating and shaking chills
  • Shortness of breath 
  • Rapid or shallow breathing 
  • Pain when breathing, especially when breathing deeply or coughing 
  • Low appetite, energy and fatigue 
  • Nausea and vomiting (more common in children) 
  • Confusion (more common in elderly people)
  • Some patients have also reported diarrhea and kidney failure has occassionally been a complication. 

Avoid people with these symtpoms. If you develop them, call your health care provider before going to the hospital or doctor, so they and you can prepare to minimize possivle exposure if they suspect you have coronavirus.  

 

‘If we do all these things, people may look back and say “What was the big deal?”

‘Well, the big deal is if you do the right thing, we can make it not that big of a deal.’

Most people who get this virus seem to have relatively mild symptoms and do recover from it.

The danger, according to Stork, is ‘if you pass it to a loved one and they pass it to your mother or grandmother or father or grandfather… they might die.’

‘Vulnerable’ populations are suffering as a result of coronavirus, he said.

If there is an ‘onslaught’ of sick people who flock to hospitals and emergency rooms, ‘we do not have the capacity to handle it.’

Stork lamented that the American health care system ‘has slowly but surely put profits above all else’ – which means that the country is ill-equipped to deal with a pandemic.

‘If you’re really sick during a normal time in our society, and let’s just say you need brain surgery, I want that done in America,’ he said.

‘But when it comes to something like this, we do not have surge capacity in this country.’

He said Americans can be waiting as long as six hours if they go to the emergency room seeking treatment.

‘Our hospitals are not designed as much for public health as they are profit,’ Stork said.

‘It’s not as though we have thought about having enough respirators if God forbid this does get worse.’ 

Stork said that the federal government ‘pulled wool over many people’s eyes’ in the early stages of the pandemic when it claimed that testing was readily available.

In reality, testing is not available to the wider public.

So far, the US has tested very few individuals. The actual number of coronavirus cases in the country is likely much greater than what is being reported thus far. 

‘It was such bull***t because we were all led to believe the tests were being done,’ he said on The Doctors Podcast. 

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