Little summary of current inpatients on my ward - every single one has Covid-19 because we are one of two "Hot" all covid wards

28 patients
Age 67 -100 - median 83
60% continuous Oxygen
60% i.v. fluids
40 % i.v. antibiotics
60% steroids
Median N.E.W.S. 4 (range 0-10)

Pre-existing long term medical conditions (the norm for hospital inpatients by the way - well before Covid -19)

Dementia/Cognitive Impairment 9/28
Chronic Lung Disease 11/28
Chronic heart failure/IHD 9/28
Diabetes 10/28
Moderate/Severe frailty 25/28
Bonus acute delirium 7/28

So what is the point of this?
Well....they nearly all have spouses, adult children, grandchildren or siblings
Many of them are no older than my parents or yours
They have contributed to our society and economy over many years
They are as entitled to healthcare as any citizen

Not only are accusations of mass denial of care based on age or co morbidities far fetched - this is the core business of acute general hospitals (and much elective and primary and social care)

But.....

But....are people *really* suggesting when they bang on about "all the people who died are over 80 or at least over 60 with pre-existing conditions"

That - oh well - that's OK then? If they die, they die?

They would NOT be saying that if it was their own family or themselves

to the covid denialists "why are you doing this?" and "wake up sheeple"

It is the NORM for people who are older to be more likely to die from infections & the NORM for people with pre-existing conditions (and the socioeconomically disadvantaged) to die more often

You are also missing the point that younger, fitter people may be less likely to die but they can still infect those more vulnerable people and older people - neither of whom live in some bubble away from the rest of society. They rely on contact and assistance and care

you are missing the point that plenty of people get sick or very sick with Covid-19 who don't die or even get admitted but can still be sick for weeks on end

and that frontline healthcare workers are 3 times more likely to get infected than others (6 times more likely if working in acute bedded areas) and constitute c 1 in 10 people admitted to hospital with Covid - yet these people are of working age and well enough to be working

the undisputed fact that most people who get hospitalised or get very sick or end up on ICU or die are middle aged or older and that many have some hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cancer, dementia, chronic lung or heart disease is an argument for what exactly
Writing them off?

also worth pointing out that if people with cancer catch Covid their death rate is high and that if you want services to work for people without Covid-19 (for instance outpatient and inpatient treatment for cancer) then you have to tackle Covid-19 effectively or else...

or else. there will be no capacity, worsening staffing gaps and serious risk of cross infection in health care settings (which is already an issue)

It is not "either/or"

for those who say "just shield the vulnerable" it is a lovely soundbite but very difficult to do in practice for reasons i have set out

For those who say "just keep the Covid patients away from the rest of us" - they are often very sick. When they rock up acutely at hospital with whole range of different problems that require acute care the notion of farming them all out to warehouses (with staff coming from???)

is not feasible in practice and they often need the full facilities of an acute general hospital. Also if c 16,000 people in acute hospitals now with Covid-19 that's a lotta lotta beds (and staff) we'd have to magic up

for those who say "how about keeping all the elective/planned procedures, outpatients investigations away from acute sites where covid patients live) you have a better chance of doing some of this for some people but nowhere near the capacity required to do it for all

so when you hear people repeating on loop that "they are all over 80 or at least over 60 with pre-existing conditions"

I'd ask

"Why are they doing this?" "Do they want these patients written off and denied any treatment?" "What would they say if it was them or their family?"