Turning one ventilator into nine.
[Update a while later]
While my only risk, based on Italian data, seems to be hypertension (which I’ve had all my adult life), I do suffer from the disability and pre-existing condition of not being a woman.
Maybe, just to be safe, or at least reduce my risk, I should start identifying as one. I’m sure it will fool the virus.
The local guy that identified as a woman walked into the ladies room. The lady in there knocked out all his teeth/ said she identified as the tooth fairy.. Be careful rand.
ROFLMAO!
As to BP meds, the ACE inhibitors are particular culprits in COVID-19. I too am healthy except for hypertension, and I just checked the web and found that one of my meds is an ACE inhibitor.
I’m going to keep taking it, but may reconsider and consult a doc if I get Kung-flu. BTW the half-life on quinipril is about half a day. But that doesn’t mean the effect on the receptors will go away that fast.
I’ve been thinking about cutting out my BP meds for the duration, since they don’t seem to be that effective, anyway.
Fun thought: Could it be that the cause of death was not the hypertension itself, but rather the medication being taken for it?
Taking 5 mg daily of amlodipine, which they tell me is a calcium channel blocker.
I had been taking an ACE inhibitor and after several weeks of that, my upper lip puffed out that I looked like a cartoon duck. I was scared because I thought I was disfigured for life, but it turns out it was only temporary. It is called angioedema, and I guess it is one of these blood-vessel dilation effects like that blue-colored pill acting on another body part?
The ER docs were stumped apart from “you have angioedema.” I really got to the head of the triage line presenting that because a person could swell in their throat and choke. The doc who prescribed ACE inhibitor said, “I have never had this happen to a patient, this reaction is rare.”
Apart from the dry cough that goes with it, the ACE inhibitor really brought my blood pressure down to good numbers. I also think it is psychoactive. I am a classic Type A kind of person, but the drug imparted a kind of mellow, “That guy in the mini-van cut me off and almost clipped my front fender. Interesting.”
As for the calcium blocker, this regimen knocks of, maybe, 5 points. Big deal
On the other hand, I was out pulling weeds (trying to get the jump on garlic mustard while it is small), and every time I stood up from a squat position, I got that light-headed feel. So the drug must be working and I must be getting better control over blood pressure than my home blood pressure gizmo is showing?
So Rand, consult with your doc before going off the reservation. Please?
Oh, the other thing about ACE inhibitors is they are so widely prescribed that fully half of angioedema cases seen in the ER are from that drug. Maybe 20 years ago when this was, your primary care physician never had this happen to a patient, but now, they know about it.
The thing is that ACE inhibitor really works well at regulating blood pressure, and it is also prescribed for “heart failure”, when your heart starts to give out slowly from an accumulation of acute damage. I guess I can’t benefit from it anymore.
I sent a link to the short paper in The Lancet that identified ACE inhibitor meds as possible co-factors. He took me off lisinopril that day and put me on amlodipine.
I don’t know why this isn’t getting more attention.
… sent a link to my doctor …
For reference, here’s the paper in The Lancet:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600%2820%2930116-8/fulltext
Human pathogenic coronaviruses (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus [SARS-CoV] and SARS-CoV-2) bind to their target cells through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is expressed by epithelial cells of the lung, intestine, kidney, and blood vessels.
… Consequently, the increased expression of ACE2 would facilitate infection with COVID-19. We therefore hypothesise that diabetes and hypertension treatment with ACE2-stimulating drugs increases the risk of developing severe and fatal COVID-19.
The paper is short. I think it’s worth reading.
Another benefit of ACE inhibitors seems to be an increased risk of lung cancer.
https://www.pharmacytoday.org/article/S1042-0991%2818%2931844-9/fulltext
If a person needs the meds, the increased risk looks a lot less than not taking them.
However, everyone should be aware that many doctor’s offices are incompetent at taking blood pressure. You’ll find the correct procedure often posted on their walls – but ignored.
The correct procedure entails letting the patient sit quietly for 5 minutes before taking the pressure. In my experience, they usually hustle you in from the waiting room, then take it within seconds. This can, and does, often result in a higher reading.
Make certain they do it the right way.
As others here have speculated, I too wonder if a CPAP machine could double as a respirator? I’d be willing to donate mine in this crises if it would help as I am not using it. There must be millions of these out there?
I just looked up ventilators for the first time. Amazed at how simple the concept really is once it is thought of as an air supply machine rather than some esoteric medical wizardry. It’s an intermittent, low pressure, low volume air compressor that requires monitoring.
One of the early models was apparently driven by a windshield wiper motor. If it’s life or death, I think a couple of hours instruction to family members could supply the 24/7 monitoring required for a crude device that could be built in a day or less.
Wouldn’t have bothered looking it up except for this post and all the articles about the megadeaths from lack of.
“Maybe, just to be safe, or at least reduce my risk, I should start identifying as [a woman]. I’m sure it will fool the virus.”
I made the same remark to the lovely and ingenious KfK, who suggested I go that way, buy some dresses and sell the idea via internet infomercial. Want become business partners?