As a school nurse, I mask when I go into classrooms and when children come into the nurse's office. There is a reason for my blog's name, hands on nursing in a germ factory.
So nice to hear an authority on the matter of infectious diseases. Too many contrary and unprofessional voices out there telling us to let down our guard. If you listen to them, it will be too late.
Thank you for writing your posts. Not something I enjoy dwelling on, but I feel informed and like I’m not sticking my head in the sand, not being ignorant (ignoring facts), and not being misled or misinformed either. Thanks 😊
Appreciate this thoughtful post. I work in a critical access hospital in very rural area, and with the chaotic illegal funding freezes approaching most of my kind will potentially lose jobs. Good luck fighting that TB...
It’s not a very effective vaccine (BCG) compared to other vaccines. It is no longer included in child vaccination at least in my country in Europe. But from what I understand it can be effective in areas with high disease prevalence.
I was going to say the same. They only use the vaccine for TB in places with a really high occurance, because vaccines against bacteria just don't work very well compared to those for viruses. They're only used for very high risk populations, like vaccinations for pneumonia in the elderly population. I had a classmate in nursing school who was from Kenya. She had been given the TB vaccine as a child, so the skin TB tests that we were supposed to take before we could do clinical, would always show up positive for her. She had to submit a recent chest x-ray, and antibody titers to prove she didn't have an active infection.
The sentiment is valid, although not completely accurate for this disease. People deciding that deadly diseases shouldn't be feared are definitely a part of this equation.
So I have a question, not completely related since it's about COVID, not TB. You said COVID can have an immune-suppresive effect. I mentioned in another post that my husband died from COVID in early 2021. Of course there are doubters who say it wasn't really the COVID that everyone died from because anyone who died from any cause, but tested positive at the time they died were being labeled as COVID deaths so someone could get more money (I don't understand this part)? I not one of those. Whatever the specifics, my husband wouldn't have died if he weren't so sick with COVID that he needed to be intubated. He technically died from septic shock though. Again, that part wouldn't have happened if not for the COVID, so it was still definitely a COVID death. But is it possible/likely the immune suppressive effects of the COVID allowed him to become septic so fast that it was too late before anyone noticed?
First of all let me say that the COD is definitely COVID19 infection because it is the inciting event and that is what is responsible, regardless of underlying conditions. Sepsis is never a COD; sepsis is a result of something else and may terminate by causing multi-organ system failure as a mechanism. But the immunosupressive effect is really more described as something occurring after the initial infection due to the suppression of T cells (which are often the ones that respond to viral infections). So that’s why you have repeated infections (sometimes COVID itself) a few weeks/months after an initial infection. I always tell people who get COVID to watch out in the first 6 weeks to try and avoid situations where you can get an infection and also be very cognizant of symptoms like shortness of breath, as pulmonary emboli are very common in that same time frame after an infection
For people that imply C19 is not a cause of death and it’s “something else”, I often compare this situation to a person who takes a drug or medication but also has underlying conditions. If a person with diabetes or COPD takes a drug and dies, and that drug is found to be at toxic levels (or is known to cause toxicity), then the administration of the drug is the COD, because it is the inciting event that led to death. It is a foreign entity that should not be in the body, same as a virus or bacterial infection that enters a body healthy or otherwise.
I know someone who has not been vaccinated and has gotten Covid numerous times. She’s sick all the time, I’m guessing this is the reason why. Of course she’s one of those that knows Covid is real but refuses to bother getting a Covid shot. Which is kinda what I think it should be called at this point just like we get flu shots every year. Call it the Covid shot now instead of vaccine. Just my humble opinion. I got the original series and boosters. I’m a huge germaphone, I rarely get sick and the one time I did get Covid is because my husband brought it home. He was sick a lot longer and had a harder time than I did I was only “sick” for 3 days. Where he was sick for a week. He also got original series but only one booster after that.
Right. I was assuming that COD, regardless of the specifics, was the illness itself, otherwise those other events would never come about. I actually had someone refer to it as "fauxvid" to my face, and I pointed out that my husband died from it, and our 2 small children lost their dad. He went white as a ghost! But I just wasn't sure if the immune issue would be a contributing factor. It sounds like no, in his case. I'm an RN, and I work in the patient's homes, so I was all over the community throughout COVID. I've had confirmed COVID at least 4 times, and probably more than that. I developed HTN and adie's tonic pupil after the first bout, but despite being asthmatic, it seems to get less severe with time. Clearly I've been lucky.
Excellent article and great suggestions too. As someone with long covid, who took precautions, but still got it, I have no desire to get that again or any of the other myriad of viruses that seem to be going around.
It still amazes me here doesn't require the BCG, that may change eventually! In the UK it was required at the age of 12, and was given in school! Apparently they no longer do it though! Then i had a second vaccination as part of immigration, so it was a shock when my husband said he never had one!
Well illegals don't go through the true immigration process, which requires all vaccinations. An xray is also required to rule out TB, which they look at upon entry to the US. I would say illegals could be a factor, but without the the true data it's hard to say for sure!
Thank you for your factual information. Anesthesiologist here; I am still masking on all public transit/ crowded spaces.
I am quite concerned about both the SuperBowl and upcoming Mardi Gras being super spreader events for any type of respiratory contagion. Only time will tell.
Love this! I too walk out of stores or change spaces if I see or hear someone coughing and they most likely are not covering their cough. I wear my mask inside places other than my home and car. I’ve never had COVID. I have also worked on a larger TB outbreak in California in the mid 2000’s. We had 38 active cases at one time, numerous latent cases, and several more cases over two years. The contact investigation was in the hundreds with many lost to follow-up.
I haven’t read the article yet. What population is this outbreak in, I wonder?
I haven’t stopped wearing a surgical mask indoors. When I see my md going to ask about which vaccines I need to be re-inoculated with. Thanks for the heads up. Just checked my GGM’s death certificate she died of pulmonary tuberculosis in the 1913 outbreak in NYC
As a school nurse, I mask when I go into classrooms and when children come into the nurse's office. There is a reason for my blog's name, hands on nursing in a germ factory.
So nice to hear an authority on the matter of infectious diseases. Too many contrary and unprofessional voices out there telling us to let down our guard. If you listen to them, it will be too late.
Thank you for writing your posts. Not something I enjoy dwelling on, but I feel informed and like I’m not sticking my head in the sand, not being ignorant (ignoring facts), and not being misled or misinformed either. Thanks 😊
Appreciate this thoughtful post. I work in a critical access hospital in very rural area, and with the chaotic illegal funding freezes approaching most of my kind will potentially lose jobs. Good luck fighting that TB...
Way to go, anti-vaxxers for resurrecting dormant, deadly viruses
TB is a bacteria
Ok…fair point. I was thinking that the TB vaccine was one of the ones we get as kids, but I guess it isn’t?
It’s not a very effective vaccine (BCG) compared to other vaccines. It is no longer included in child vaccination at least in my country in Europe. But from what I understand it can be effective in areas with high disease prevalence.
I was going to say the same. They only use the vaccine for TB in places with a really high occurance, because vaccines against bacteria just don't work very well compared to those for viruses. They're only used for very high risk populations, like vaccinations for pneumonia in the elderly population. I had a classmate in nursing school who was from Kenya. She had been given the TB vaccine as a child, so the skin TB tests that we were supposed to take before we could do clinical, would always show up positive for her. She had to submit a recent chest x-ray, and antibody titers to prove she didn't have an active infection.
The sentiment is valid, although not completely accurate for this disease. People deciding that deadly diseases shouldn't be feared are definitely a part of this equation.
And to think if Kennedy is appointed
So I have a question, not completely related since it's about COVID, not TB. You said COVID can have an immune-suppresive effect. I mentioned in another post that my husband died from COVID in early 2021. Of course there are doubters who say it wasn't really the COVID that everyone died from because anyone who died from any cause, but tested positive at the time they died were being labeled as COVID deaths so someone could get more money (I don't understand this part)? I not one of those. Whatever the specifics, my husband wouldn't have died if he weren't so sick with COVID that he needed to be intubated. He technically died from septic shock though. Again, that part wouldn't have happened if not for the COVID, so it was still definitely a COVID death. But is it possible/likely the immune suppressive effects of the COVID allowed him to become septic so fast that it was too late before anyone noticed?
First of all let me say that the COD is definitely COVID19 infection because it is the inciting event and that is what is responsible, regardless of underlying conditions. Sepsis is never a COD; sepsis is a result of something else and may terminate by causing multi-organ system failure as a mechanism. But the immunosupressive effect is really more described as something occurring after the initial infection due to the suppression of T cells (which are often the ones that respond to viral infections). So that’s why you have repeated infections (sometimes COVID itself) a few weeks/months after an initial infection. I always tell people who get COVID to watch out in the first 6 weeks to try and avoid situations where you can get an infection and also be very cognizant of symptoms like shortness of breath, as pulmonary emboli are very common in that same time frame after an infection
For people that imply C19 is not a cause of death and it’s “something else”, I often compare this situation to a person who takes a drug or medication but also has underlying conditions. If a person with diabetes or COPD takes a drug and dies, and that drug is found to be at toxic levels (or is known to cause toxicity), then the administration of the drug is the COD, because it is the inciting event that led to death. It is a foreign entity that should not be in the body, same as a virus or bacterial infection that enters a body healthy or otherwise.
I know someone who has not been vaccinated and has gotten Covid numerous times. She’s sick all the time, I’m guessing this is the reason why. Of course she’s one of those that knows Covid is real but refuses to bother getting a Covid shot. Which is kinda what I think it should be called at this point just like we get flu shots every year. Call it the Covid shot now instead of vaccine. Just my humble opinion. I got the original series and boosters. I’m a huge germaphone, I rarely get sick and the one time I did get Covid is because my husband brought it home. He was sick a lot longer and had a harder time than I did I was only “sick” for 3 days. Where he was sick for a week. He also got original series but only one booster after that.
Right. I was assuming that COD, regardless of the specifics, was the illness itself, otherwise those other events would never come about. I actually had someone refer to it as "fauxvid" to my face, and I pointed out that my husband died from it, and our 2 small children lost their dad. He went white as a ghost! But I just wasn't sure if the immune issue would be a contributing factor. It sounds like no, in his case. I'm an RN, and I work in the patient's homes, so I was all over the community throughout COVID. I've had confirmed COVID at least 4 times, and probably more than that. I developed HTN and adie's tonic pupil after the first bout, but despite being asthmatic, it seems to get less severe with time. Clearly I've been lucky.
I’m sorry for your loss. I have a few friends who lost their spouses during the early days of Covid.
Excellent article and great suggestions too. As someone with long covid, who took precautions, but still got it, I have no desire to get that again or any of the other myriad of viruses that seem to be going around.
Some years ago I heard of a nasty antibiotic-resistant TB popping up in N America. Was, or is that a thing?
It still amazes me here doesn't require the BCG, that may change eventually! In the UK it was required at the age of 12, and was given in school! Apparently they no longer do it though! Then i had a second vaccination as part of immigration, so it was a shock when my husband said he never had one!
Reason 2025, why you should vaccinate.
Dr, does illegal immigration add to this matter? No Ellis Island exams to protect the public health?
Well illegals don't go through the true immigration process, which requires all vaccinations. An xray is also required to rule out TB, which they look at upon entry to the US. I would say illegals could be a factor, but without the the true data it's hard to say for sure!
I’d say they are a big factor
I remember the DON'T SPIT ON THE SIDEWALK signs signs in NYC way back in the dark ages. It was one way of preventing the spread of TB.
Thank you for your factual information. Anesthesiologist here; I am still masking on all public transit/ crowded spaces.
I am quite concerned about both the SuperBowl and upcoming Mardi Gras being super spreader events for any type of respiratory contagion. Only time will tell.
Love this! I too walk out of stores or change spaces if I see or hear someone coughing and they most likely are not covering their cough. I wear my mask inside places other than my home and car. I’ve never had COVID. I have also worked on a larger TB outbreak in California in the mid 2000’s. We had 38 active cases at one time, numerous latent cases, and several more cases over two years. The contact investigation was in the hundreds with many lost to follow-up.
I haven’t read the article yet. What population is this outbreak in, I wonder?
I haven’t stopped wearing a surgical mask indoors. When I see my md going to ask about which vaccines I need to be re-inoculated with. Thanks for the heads up. Just checked my GGM’s death certificate she died of pulmonary tuberculosis in the 1913 outbreak in NYC