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Post by Shannon on Aug 13, 2020 21:22:51 GMT -5
Well, temperature screening is interesting. The latest data suggests that 70% of symptomatic COVID patients, even severely ill ones, never have fever. At our clinic, we don't check temps before someone enters the building, because we don't feel it is a reliable screening tool. Questions about cough, shortness of breath, known exposures, and change in taste or smell are much better at identifying infected persons. The presence of altered taste/smell is probably the most sensitive screen.
Still, getting your temp checked is quick and painless, so it doesn't bother me that a lot of people require it.
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Post by John B on Aug 13, 2020 21:28:38 GMT -5
I get checked before every Rotary meeting. I just wish they could afforded a touchless thermometer, or at least an oral one.
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Post by aquaduct on Aug 13, 2020 21:42:58 GMT -5
I don’t understand why this is such a big deal to you, Aqua. It’s a simple screening, no one is going to send you home for two weeks. Get your temperature taken, answer the questions and move along. I’ve been doing that all summer driving a courier route for the local hospital, and the best thing to do is to be polite about it. It might not be much, but it is for your protection. Just like wearing a mask. And, just like wearing a mask, those seemingly silly protocols are also in place to protect the people around you. I assume you care about the people around you. Todd, love ya man, but you don't understand. This is a customer's facility in a commercial operation. If I'm not allowed in, my boss will know and then be forced to do something about it. The only possible answer is two weeks of not going in to work. It's already happened to one 3rd shift production worker. Which really isn't much of a big deal for me since I'm an engineer and easily wired in at home, but now I've been tested. And assumed COVID positive for all intents and purposes. But the less fortunate in this mega-COVID hype probably wouldn't survive being tagged with the dreaded COVID badge, quite probably without any basis. That's the current state of these lies. I do care about the people around me. Maybe more than you.
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Post by Russell Letson on Aug 13, 2020 21:47:13 GMT -5
A week or so ago I was feeling draggy for a couple days--ready for bed way before my usual midnight--so I took my temperature, which measured 99.1. So I took it again later and got 100.1. Since I'm usually below 98 (generally 97.8-ish), I figured this was a mild fever. Next day, down to 98-something. Googling reminded me that one's temp varies and that 98.6 is a norm arrived at in the mid-19th century. And I didn't have any of the latest list of symptoms. My temp went back to my-normal, so I figured it probably wasn't COVID--but on the other hand, the number of asymptomatic or mildly-symptomatic infected is considerable, so the only way to be sure would be to get a test. Which most docs will not authorize without symptoms, of which I don't have any. So uncertainty remains--though if C. remains well, it's not likely that I've been infected. (Her lungs are less robust than mine. And fear for her is why this fucking disease gives me the wimwams.)
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Post by aquaduct on Aug 13, 2020 21:48:03 GMT -5
Well, temperature screening is interesting. The latest data suggests that 70% of symptomatic COVID patients, even severely ill ones, never have fever. At our clinic, we don't check temps before someone enters the building, because we don't feel it is a reliable screening tool. Questions about cough, shortness of breath, known exposures, and change in taste or smell are much better at identifying infected persons. The presence of altered taste/smell is probably the most sensitive screen. Still, getting your temp checked is quick and painless, so it doesn't bother me that a lot of people require it. 70% huh......? So why did we start this nonsense again?
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Post by Jawbone on Aug 13, 2020 21:54:35 GMT -5
What am I'm I missing here. Do you have a fever? What does "assumed COVID positive" mean?
No fever, what's the big deal? I wouldn't want you next to me with a fever. Would you?
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Post by aquaduct on Aug 13, 2020 21:59:18 GMT -5
What am I'm I missing here. Do you have a fever? What does "assumed COVID positive" mean? No fever, what's the big deal? I wouldn't want you next to me with a fever. Would you? What's the point of taking my temperature? Never used to do it. Prior to 3 or 4 months ago, you'd have never known I had a fever if I was next to you. So what's changed?
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Post by epaul on Aug 13, 2020 22:18:46 GMT -5
Testing is simple and free. I can get tested for free once a week. If I want to drive, I could get tested twice a week. Charlene and kids have been tested a couple times, easy-peasy, no wait, and they get the results back in five days (unless the test positive, then it is a phone call the next day early).
I have not been tested because I don't want that thing shoved up my nose. If everyone else in the house get tested regularly, I can keep my nose unviolated.
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Post by Marshall on Aug 13, 2020 22:24:01 GMT -5
If he has a fever they won't let him in the building.
I got my test results and I am negatory. - I'm just sayin'
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Post by epaul on Aug 13, 2020 22:24:35 GMT -5
Clinics here don't require a temperature check. They do ask a series of questions and a mask is required. The other day, I was part of a recording project done by the TRF Arts Council at the college in Thief River Fall, MN. No temperature taken. Same list of questions as the clinic and mask required for entrance to the building but dumped for the recording project.
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Post by Village Idiot on Aug 13, 2020 22:28:32 GMT -5
Aqua, what you will be asked to do isn’t a test, it’s a screening. You won’t be declared positive or negative, just go through with it.
I’ve read several things about how to make these screenings more accurate is to look at the sense of smell, as apparently that’s a bigger indicator of things than taking a temp then asking the usual questions. Bring out some odor infused wands and ask the person what they smell like. To keep things accurate, have some wands with no odor and ask what they smell like.
It makes sense to me, yet I haven’t seen that happening anywhere.
Docs on the forum, have you come across this Idea?
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Post by t-bob on Aug 13, 2020 22:58:50 GMT -5
I don’t think I haven’t COVID. My doctors says you don’t have it.
I make sure that I have a lot of water or a different Gatorade.
I have COPD I walk careful about uphill slowly. Sometimes I just have to pause some time. I can walk a lot if it’s level. it’s great for a beach. My city - Puerto Vallarta- the beach is closed right now.
My oxygen is pretty good - 94. 115/75 blood pressure. My heart 70 BPM. My body temperature - 98.6 it’s always the same - normalcy.
I am incredibly very careful about this flu....
I was in the hospital for a three weeks with three nasty infections. I was still in recovery with two months.
Everybody be careful - be well. Most Holians are old
Okay eh?
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Post by epaul on Aug 13, 2020 23:23:08 GMT -5
... I’ve read several things about how to make these screenings more accurate is to look at the sense of smell, as apparently that’s a bigger indicator of things than taking a temp then asking the usual questions. Bring out some odor infused wands and ask the person what they smell like. To keep things accurate, have some wands with no odor and ask what they smell like. It makes sense to me, yet I haven’t seen that happening anywhere. Docs on the forum, have you come across this Idea? I know folks that haven't smelled anything for years. Others lose their sense of smell every summer due to various hayfevers and allergies. Loss of smell can be an indicator of Covid for many, but not all, if they had a sense of smell to begin with. Having to pass a stink wand test would be problematic for some Covid-free folks. No perfect solution. A basket of possible indicators , the "checklist", is all there is for now. And there is no current screening for asymptomatic folks, they feel fine and have their sense of smell.
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Post by Village Idiot on Aug 13, 2020 23:47:02 GMT -5
What if they dipped those wands into a fermenting batch of lutefisk?
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Post by epaul on Aug 13, 2020 23:54:04 GMT -5
hmm... damn! That just might work! It might even cure the damn thing. I recall that my dad used lutefisk once to cure a pig he ran over with the tractor. He was sure the bugger was dead, but one sniff of lutefisk and that pig was up and doing cartwheels. Dad always kept a small supply of lutefisk on hand after that, just in case.
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Post by howard lee on Aug 14, 2020 8:44:45 GMT -5
[...] Which really isn't much of a big deal for me since I'm an engineer and easily wired in at home, but now I've been tested. And assumed COVID positive for all intents and purposes. [...]
Peter, are you writing hypothetically here or has your test come back positive?
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Post by Shannon on Aug 14, 2020 9:21:45 GMT -5
I want to be sure I'm clear.
I do NOT think that screening for possible COVID before entering a clinic is nonsense. We do it at our clinic with a brief list of questions about symptoms and exposure. We just don't believe that checking temperature is very useful as part of the process.
So why did a lot of folks start out checking temps in the first place? Well, we didn't know at first that it wouldn't be very helpful, and it was a quick and painless thing to do. It was reasonable at first, given our state of knowledge at the time. As we learn more, we adjust our approach, which is the intelligent thing to do.
When all is finally said and done, we will have to admit to a lot of errors that occurred because we didn't know any better at the time.
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Post by aquaduct on Aug 14, 2020 10:13:58 GMT -5
[...] Which really isn't much of a big deal for me since I'm an engineer and easily wired in at home, but now I've been tested. And assumed COVID positive for all intents and purposes. [...] Peter, are you writing hypothetically here or has your test come back positive?
Nope, no 'Rona. The little thermometer gun in the guard shack said no. Bummer.
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Post by sidheguitarmichael on Aug 14, 2020 12:02:11 GMT -5
I want to be sure I'm clear. I do NOT think that screening for possible COVID before entering a clinic is nonsense. We do it at our clinic with a brief list of questions about symptoms and exposure. We just don't believe that checking temperature is very useful as part of the process. So why did a lot of folks start out checking temps in the first place? Well, we didn't know at first that it wouldn't be very helpful, and it was a quick and painless thing to do. It was reasonable at first, given our state of knowledge at the time. As we learn more, we adjust our approach, which is the intelligent thing to do. When all is finally said and done, we will have to admit to a lot of errors that occurred because we didn't know any better at the time. Shannon, I appreciate your posts on this. Very interesting stuff. Back in mid-March through the end of April/early May, when K and I had whatever it was that was causing absolutely blistering fatigue, and shortness of breath, we both lost our sense of smell. I’ve told this story here before: we had a follow-up with K’s Neurologist, so we called in advance to see if we should come in, as we had a bad feeling about doing so. “Oh, no problem, we will take your temperature at the door.” Which they did. They blew off our other concerns, because, normal temps. We were told that a fever is the MAIN symptom, and we couldn’t have COVID19 without it. So in we went—nobody wearing a mask, except for the aid out in front of the building. In hindsight, who knows. All I know is that we kept the appointment, against our better judgement, because they’re the experts. I later tested negative, BTW, but by that time, my smell had returned. That was an interesting phenomenon—one day we both realized that neither of us could smell the tea tree shampoo in the shower; normally, I can smell it coming in from the studio the minute I open the front door if one of us has showered in the last 45 minutes or so. At any rate, I find your comments compelling.
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