Prioritizing who gets ventilators question

[Em in Ohio]

Maybe in general yes, the younger person would get it. But here in MI I've just seen video on the news of a certain segment of Detroiters jamming parks, having BBQ's, playing basketball and football and just large gatherings in spite of a shut down order saying no gatherings of 10 people, (it might actually be 2 people now). When one of these A-holes get sick, should they take a ventilator from someone older who isolated but got the virus on a necessary trip to the grocery store? Not in my book. Of course, there's no way to enforce this.

Stupid may be harder to cure than this virus.

 

[Em in Ohio]

I think priority should be healthcare workers that know how to intubate and manage ventilators. Then parents or guardians rearing children.

Sounds harsh, but I also think treatment should be merit based. There's a patient I know with Covid-19 who is on a vent in the Memphis metro area. She has diabetes with complications that she's made no attempt to manage over the years. Up until she fell ill, she had been running around town doing her regular daily shopping, eating out up until restuarants went to take out only etc. Pisses me off royally when I think of the medical team wearing themselves out and exposing themselves caring for someone like her who has never taken care of herself.

Unfortunately, in this situation, I don't think that medical staff have time to debate individual merit, unlike organ transplants. Life expectancy based on age, likeliness of recovery, and then value to society... Definitely agree that healthcare workers should have priority in this crisis, if they can be saved and brought back into the fight.

 

[Aneeda72]

I am 73. Yes, give my vent to the 23 year homeless crack head or the 68 year old grandmother. Give it to anyone but me. If God wants me to survive, I will. But I will not end up for months on a vent, not the way I want to die.

 

[WhatInThe]

I see why many might need a ventilator but the last person/senior over 80 I know treated in the hospital for pneumonia was treated with humidified oxygen, antibiotics and diuretics. Showed improvement in 24 hours. O2 levels to normal with in 3 days. They even wanted to release them with a low grade fever. This before covid19. O2 normal plus by end of week at home.

For now I'd say first come first serve as really needed, not for somekind of precaution. Use should be the last resort.