A Coronavirus Epidemic in the US Will Be Caused by Our Healthcare System

a reply to: tanstaafl

The Spanish flu is estimated to have had a mortality rate of 2-3%. Which is fairly consistent with the current strain of coronavirus.

a reply to: Sookiechacha
Miracles and the magic of April showers.

a reply to: Sillyolme

Sounds like a great title for porn tho, it's kinda sad you nailed it with an one-liner. SAD!

a reply to: Ohanka

I hope and pray you never have to find out how useless socialized medicine is in a country experiencing an actual pandemic.

No country is prepared for a pandemic. There isn't enough money, time, medicine, equipment, bed space or providers.

In the event of an actual emergency, you will be on your own.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

I'm pretty sure this crap has hit first and foremost nations with socialized national healthcare systems... If the USA gets tagged, it will be difficult to say our non-socialized healthcare system has a lot to do with the outcome as people lay dying in communist China, Japan, Italy, South Korea, and France... all countries that receive marks fairly high on universal healthcare coverage compared to the US.

a reply to: dragonridr

Once again, this was someone who had just come back from China and was exhibiting coronavirus-like symptoms. He did the responsible thing and went to a hospital as they are the only ones that can do testing/have a quarantine protocol.

If he went to a GP/urgent care and he did have coronavirus they would've sent him to the hospital anyway at exposing others to it.

The fact that so many of you are arguing that he should have opted for a cheaper option first, (that is still more expensive than other countries) potentially exposing others is proving my point. The cost of healthcare in this country could easily drive the spread of an epidemic.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Do you honestly believe going to an ER exposes fewer people to anything he might have potentially been carrying? have you ever even been to an ER?

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

I will take my chances with a state health program over a private for profit one.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

That should be obvious, right?

Me? I'm at the edge of my seat again, nobody mentions population control once it's happening right in front of our eyes; one way or another. You pretty much laid out one way already, people must be running wild on that tangent on our conspiracy boards...

Wait! They don't? This is a partisan issue over border walls, healthcare and "socialism" a la Sanders? WTF is happening?

a reply to: Ohanka

I wish you long life, prosperity, and joy.

I love my Denver Health Plan and my docs are top-notch. I'm just under no illusion that there is enough of anything to help everyone if it all goes south.

I'd love it if we are both here to argue the details when we are 80. No snark.

originally posted by: Xcalibur254
a reply to: tanstaafl

The Spanish flu is estimated to have had a mortality rate of 2-3%. Which is fairly consistent with the current strain of coronavirus.

CDC on Spanish Flu deaths

"It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States."

That math says it was more like 10%.

originally posted by: PublicOpinion
a reply to: Xcalibur254

That should be obvious, right?

Me? I'm at the edge of my seat again, nobody mentions population control once it's happening right in front of our eyes; one way or another. You pretty much laid out one way already, people must be running wild on that tangent on our conspiracy boards...

Wait! They don't? This is a partisan issue over border walls, healthcare and "socialism" a la Sanders? WTF is happening?

As Sheldon would say , "was that sarcasm ?"

a reply to: Xcalibur254

The cost of healthcare in this country could easily drive the spread of an epidemic.

Wasn't Obamacare supposed to cure all that ?

Uni healthcare is what we have here, but that dosent mean all treatment is 100pct free. We do pay for vaccines meds and all that. Even if there is the free option many companies gives there workers insurance to private hospitals, the wait is alot shorter. But back to the evil mutant virus. I think most governments really wouldent know what to do if it all goes south. Is it best to be at the hospital all packed away or just be at home then get sent to the hospital if it gets worse? But when the vaccine comes it really should be free to those without insurance or the means to pay for it, or it would just be a boiling pot of constant virus among homeless and those that struggle to make ends meet.

On another note, all of you that barely can make ends meet, dont you have a union or something that works to better your job aka pay health and all that?

a reply to: burdman30ott6

Your argument would be a logical rebuttal to mine if I were only arguing about quality of healthcare. I'm arguing that we don't actually know how many are infected due to the fact that sick people in this country don't go to the doctor due to healthcare costs.

There've only been ~600 people tested in this country. At any given moment there's definitely more than 600 people at an international airport.

Odds are there are more people in this country with coronavirus than have been reported, but there's no way to know actual numbers because lower income people have been priced out of testing and treatment.

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

Going to only an ER versus going to an urgent care and then that same ER.

Logic says this introduces an infected person to more people. I wonder which it is.

originally posted by: rickymouse
Doctors send people for expensive tests they do not need to send them for all the time around here. Getting one that will not do that is really a miracle, the hospitals want the doctors to prescribe services so the hospital can survive to employ their workers. Nobody is getting rich off of the healthcare system around here, but it creates jobs. The technology is really expensive and to buy that technology, money needs to be acquired to pay for it...hence tests that are not really needed. It is getting like the show "House" on TV where they almost kill people with tests before discovering what disease that person has....usually the simplest of disease is misdiagnosed here to create income for the healthcare system. This for profit healthcare system wants us to be dependent on it so we supply money to the system.

and socialized medical care isn't any better. in fact it's worse. you see they seem to only run all those expensive tests as a last resort (if at all). in fact getting those tests can be a miracle. first off it can take well over a year just to get to see a specialist, IF your doctor happens to feel you need to of course. and even then they love to treat via cheapest way possible. which of course means expensive medications first, since that costs the healthcare system nothing, since that is up to the person or their private health insurance to pay for. it seems the motto is "treat for the least expensive treatment first". expensive tests seem to be a last resort, normally after years of suffering.

one Canadian friend hurt themselves at a sporting event. went in to get help. was told was a sprain. pretty much given pain killers. going back in because it was not getting better was told after a more thorough check, that it was something much worse (i can't remember exactly what now). and that if they had realized the problem, they could have fixed them right up. but now it was a permanent, and crippled the leg. many years later they were able to get it repaired with a new surgery (down in the US of course).

another Canadian friend went in complaining of pain. they spent at least FIVE YEARS prescribing heavier and heavier pain medication to treat their "back injury". after spending those years in pain, which the medications could not cover, they were finally able to go down to the US to be checked out. turns out they had stomach cancer. now they live pain free. thanks to the US medical system and their actually testing for problems.

then there is a very close relative. they have had issues with "seizures" for years (at least 20 years). even lost their driver's licence a few times until they had been "seizure free" for several months. put on all sorts of medications to help prevent seizures. just recently went in after injuring themselves in a fall from yet another seizure. the doctor asked why they did not immediately call an ambulance and take them to the hospital. in which my relative replied that they had been told on numerous occasions that unless the seizures lasted over a certain amount of time, not to go to the hospital, because it was just wasting money, and they were fine. turns out the reason the doctor was upset they did not immediately go to the hospital, is because they had not been seizures at all. that in fact they had been having small STROKES and not seizures. seriously lucky they are not dead or permanently crippled.

those tests and equipment have a very real purpose. yet they don't actually need to be anywhere as expensive as they are. after all how can other (non socialized medical), countries give those exact same tests, using the exact same equipment, charge only a fraction of the price?

and rather disheartening. a friend posted a news story just this week. it seems a teenager died of Leukemia in Southern Ontario this week. they even had more than enough people willing and able to donate bone marrow, which would have saved their life. the only problem was the hospital did not have the room available to do the needed work and treat them. it seems they can only do 5 a month. and were just unable to accommodate them. so they died.

I've heard it was commie liberals. They're really scary, apparently.

a reply to: Gothmog

Touché.

Well. Can't say the Rapepublicans would't do everything in their power to keep this a partisan issue, so yeah... no. Hard no on the sarcasm, it's an observation. The irony in that is priceless tho, innit?

a reply to: generik

Your stories sound exactly like the stories of people I know in the US.

My wife dropped a full keg on her foot. Thinking it was broken she went to urgent care. An x-ray didn't show a break so they sent her on her way. Two weeks later it didn't improve so she went to a specialist. They pretty much repeated the same thing as the urgent care doctor, just for more money.

Over a year later her foot still has issues but the only way to get a definite diagnosis is an MRI. And then, depending on the outcome of that, she would require surgery. That alone would cost us thousands of dollars, even with insurance. Then factor in the fact that she would not be able to work for months.

That's the US healthcare system right there. Sure it's probably the best in the world if you can afford it. But if you can't, prepare to go bankrupt or live with your condition.