First of all here is the link that didn’t attach to yesterday’s post to the Washington Post article that tells what the FDA really said about chloroquine: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/19/trump-calls-anti-malarial-drug-game-changer-coronavirus-fda-says-it-needs-study/
We are expecting the first Covid test kits early next week. We hope to have our protective gear in place by then as well. We will be testing people who are sick, initially. The number of test kits should rapidly expand within the next few weeks to the point where everyone who wants to be tested can be. Our patients will call us and if they meet the criteria (fever and cough), one of us will come out to the car and do a nasal swab for flu. That takes about 10 minutes to test. If it is positive we will treat with Tamiflu, if negative, we will swab for Covid -19. The test will be sent off to the lab. Results are back in 2-3 days. There is a lab that is promising 24 hour results that we are investigating. Patients will then go home and self-quarantine. We will contact them as soon as the results are back. Patients with shortness of breath or other symptoms that suggest that they may need hospitalization will be directed to the emergency room.
We are still wondering whether warmer temperatures will have an impact on the spread of the virus as with other corona viruses. While this weekend will be cool and wet, the temperatures warm up rapidly next week. What do you get when you put water and heat together? MOSQUITOES! Now MOSQUITOES DO NOT CARRY COVID, but they can carry other diseases like West Nile Virus which scares me. If the weather allows I am going to put out my mosquito traps in the garden. These are the ones that Dr. Robert Haley, who is the Director of the Division of Epidemiology at UT Southwestern recommended when he lectured to the Texas Club of Internists several years ago on West Nile Virus. I’ve been using them ever since then.
Initially, I ordered mine from Amazon, but I know get the refills from Sunset Ridge Home and Hardware. I checked with David Doyle and he said that they are stocking them. I refill them about every six weeks during the warm weather months.
They should be placed about every 25 feet.
