News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Covid wards 'full of children' for first time in pandemic, warn nurses. Parent comment

Re:Covid wards 'full of children' for first time in pandemic... by teslabox on Saturday January 02, 2021 @06:22PM (#25617634)
My Aunt's friend's liver had failed - I think she was going to get fluid drained off her liver semi-regularly [0], and was getting worked up for a liver transplant. Eventually she started hospice care. This woman tested negative for COVID-19 a week before she died, but the postmortem test came back positive.

My uncle (an MD) blew his gasket, "SHE DIED OF COVID", but I think really she was dying anyways. Maybe the virus pushed her over the edge, but she most certainly did NOT "die of covid". I should look up this death certificate.

The years of life lost to COVID-19 is minuscule - many deaths are simply "pulled forward" by 6 months or a year.

The deaths of teenagers and young adults who kill themselves because of the response to the pandemic are tragic [1, for example]. 60+ years of life lost vs. 0 years lost by my Aunt's friend (who was already on hospice).

[0] https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/patient-guide/leaflets/files/110215pa... says fluid buildup in abdomen is commonly caused by liver disease

[1] https://nypost.com/2020/12/08/maine-teen-commits-suicide-ami...

(minor edits)

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Covid wards 'full of children' for first time in pandemic... by DanBC on Sunday January 03, 2021 @05:59AM (#25621041)
> he years of life lost to COVID-19 is minuscule - many deaths are simply "pulled forward" by 6 months or a year.

Imagine your aunt is being transported to the hospice and there is a road traffic accident and she dies in that accident. What killed her, the RTA or her failing liver?

Imagine she gets to the hospice safely, and a negligent nurse gives her a triple dose of some medication and she dies. What killed her, the failing liver or the incompetent nurse?

People seem to misunderstand how cause of death is worked out.

> he years of life lost to COVID-19 is minuscule - many deaths are simply "pulled forward" by 6 months or a year.

We know from the first wave that covid-19 was killing people on average 11 years before they would have died otherwise.

[ Parent | on HN ]