I recently learned about the term “VIP Healthcare” and the higher likelyhood of negative outcomes, i.e. Prince, MJ, etc… But how likely are they to use the president as a human lab rat?.. tempting as that may be in this case.
I can foresee the Trump post-presidential protection detail becoming the assignment the SS uses as punishments for malfeasance on the job.
Well, you can certainly imagine that the psychological pressure on a doctor in this position might lead to overtreatment, where under normal circumstances the prudent course of action would be to simply wait.
We really need to find another abbreviation for the Secret Service.
This is true. But the doctors may have worried two episodes of desaturation was significant. No one would be surprised if Trump or his family had even demanded treatments - although this should not always change medical management. They may have given a lesser dose, or may have thought the sequelae of inflammation was a bigger risk than the virus - which may be true. Really, who can say?
Leaving the hospital for a ego-boosting “look at me” was more likely dangerous than a single dose of dex. I don’t know much about his viral treatment but presumably the aim was to decrease the viral load.
The choices I listed above are excessive but were meant to illustrate the line between mild and moderate and severe has not really been established and in practice can be complex.
No argument from me - I was just being a contrarian. I have no more reason to believe we’re being told the truth re POTUS’s condition than anyone else does. I also don’t know what the current protocol re usage of dexa for COVID - whether they typically administer antibiotics alongside (to deal with secondary infections) - or how it plays along with the use of remdesivir (antiviral).
I’ve certainly been given steroids solo when dealing with an asthma flare; on one occasion when it was rather clear to me that I was probably dealing with a bacterial infection (and no shock, the steroids did not help that time) but on others where the steroids, solo, WERE the appropriate treatment. Never had the Wonder Woman syndrome though - unless food tasting odd is a superpower 
. That may be dose-related.
Is it at all worth pointing out that the Regeneron drug that Trump is on involved human embryonic stem cells to develop?
I also wonder if the availability of the monoclonal Ab treatment may have influenced their judgment of the benefit/harm tradeoff for dex. Not something they have any data for, but you can see the logic.
The usual. IOKWARDI
Agree (unless and until Trump makes a more or less full recovery).
Just FYI, I have had N95 masks for years that do not have a valve. They have to go through the fabric for in and out.
Kaleigh McEnany tests positive.
Yeah, the N95 masks come in versions with and without the exhaust valves. The ones with the valves are definitely easier to have on for long periods of time. That’s not just because they make it easier to exhale, but also because they allow all the moisture to easily be removed from the mask. A N95 without a valve will start to feel pretty humid after a short while. When I wear my N95 without a valve, I will need to periodically find a place to lift the mask off my face and let the humidity out.
But why did the people in the cars have masks with valves anyway? It seems they all should have been wearing the valve-less masks to be as safe as possible. Any virus they exhale is going to increase the viral load of the interior of the car. Trump is going to be adding to that viral load of course, but anyone else in the car could also have the virus as well. Even if someone doesn’t breathe in the virus, it can get in through your eyes, land on your clothes and body, get on your possessions, etc.
Yeah, it seems like Biden’s strategy at this point is, “I’m not going to get into the muck with Trump, that’s where he excels. Instead, I’m going to model every day what a president used to look like. It’s up to voters to decide if they prefer the old model of ‘being presidential’ to the new model.”
If he can do that–if he can present a front of being sober, diplomatic, and thoughtful–he stands a good chance of capitalizing on the nation’s growing coulrophobia.
Why is this outbreak spreading so much? There have been other infections of the WH staff or their family members, but they seemed pretty self-contained and died out quickly. Why did those outbreaks infect so few people while this one is spreading like a wildfire?
I was just reading the wikipedia article on dexamethasone, and it says it’s sometimes given to asthmatics with an antibiotic because the dead bacteria, themselves, release crap that can cause inflammation.
Yeah, the two likely options are:
- He’s a lot sicker than they are letting on
- He’s getting substandard care (too much treatment) due to being a VIP, and perhaps, due to demanding it.
Do they have valves? I didn’t spend a lot of time peering at the photo, but I thought they were wearing ordinary disposable medical-style N95 masks, which do not have valves.
You can see the valve on the agent’s mask.
Not sure that is a valve. Might be some type of insignia. The valves I have seen have generally been on the side of the mask, not directly in front of the mouth.
I have seen mask adaptions that would allow you to drink thru a straw. Those would go in front of the mouth.
I’ve seen plenty of people walking around with masks like that, with a square valve in the middle.
This is my guess. Trump is demanding that he be treated with everything under the sun; Bleach, UV light up his ass, experimental drugs, blood transfusions from small children, anything, EVERYthing! GIVE IT TO ME NOW!