What I'm Seeing Now
If you find yourself in a hospital get the hell out as fast as you can. I wanted to fill in the blanks more, but I'll just leave it at that. Keep your hands clean and avoid highly populated and/or crowded areas. American health care isn't as good as it could be...
I've been in agreement with your statement on hospitals for years, but I sense you have more current data to share.
As I type this I can overhear the news on the tv (my wife likes to leave that garbage on) saying that very close to home here they are going to start fining people who don't wear face coverings. Can't help but chuckle...
The way I see it, no, any problem is with the source of the airflow in each room.
So I suggest- filter and treat all airflow in and out per room,
at least when there is a procedure going on,
and especially when the patient is very sensitive, and/or is a source of infection.
I particularly like the new idea, old knowledge, of using UV lamps in air ducting for disinfecting the harmful micro-organisms.
There are reports of cross infection in hospitals. So, the point has merit, yes hospitals are very strict about disinfecting by wiping, but may be ignoring risks from airborne transmission of nasties.
Opening windows more may help sometimes, but air filtering, and UV, seems to be the way to go.
FWIW - UV can be used with success. If I were to us it I'd aim it at the cooling coil, and keep it well maintained.
Oh, and yes - room pressure is vital to infection control.
Are you saying that the same systems are being used for negative pressure and that is making delivery of oxygen to critical patients even worse?
Please excuse my lack of even rudimentary knowledge on this topic as I am a neophyte in this area.
Operating rooms are supposed to be positive pressure as one of the measures to keep bacteria out of the room and surgical site. The airflow in an operating room is complicated. Some out there think making the room negative protects everybody but the person being operating on. They're knowledge and priorities should both be questioned. Note - I've not seen a lot of this second problem.
I've seen bureaucrats making technical decisions. That's when you see things like brand new 737s crashing and space shuttles blowing up on the launch...
100k a year dead due to contracting an infection while in hospital -- infection having no relation to the ailment that requires the patient to be in the hospital.
100k a year dead due to incorrect Rx while patient is in the hospital.
... And other elements of incompetence... just so long as the hospital bills get paid.
Before I retired (30 year software engineer) I invested 20+ years in the Electronic Health Records space ... many of the doctors that I spoke to at conferences indicated that 70-80% of hospital visits, procedures, treatments could be eliminated via a change in the patient's behavior ... things to eliminate -- drugs (smoking, drinking, etc), inactivity, etc... things to add: improved hydration, diet, sleep. All things that are readily controllable at the individual level. However -- lots of folks are defined by their ailments. Mom has her T2D. Others have their bad back (which often coincides with obesity ... "Mr. Jones, I suspect your back pain would be reduced if you reduced your midriff by 30 pounds").
Long Story Short (as my dad likes to say) ... Staying out of hospitals has been one of the side-effects to living a clean and simple life. Stay healthy out there.
I occasionally speak to different technical groups on medical information. I use statistics like 108,000 killed every year by known EXPECTED prescription drug side effects. Hospital acquired infections kill the equivalent of crashing a fully-loaded 737 every day. Around 225,000 people die every year that would have otherwise lived had they not gone in to get medical treatment. These are (or were) CDC statistics.
The story yet to be told is about the childhood vaccine schedule. That one is a barn-burner...
maybe they are thinking something else?
This is a criticism, but of who?
Can the experts be wrong? Has been known.
Several years ago I had a doctor I really liked. She ended up eventually quitting that practice and going to work for the American Indians. She looked at my chart and said, "I see you're way behind on your tetanus vaccine." "Hasn't tetanus been eradicated?" "Uh, yes." "Only a couple cases per year in the US, right?" "Yes, that's right." "And, if I get it I can be cured with antibiotics." "That's right....but it's very painful!" "It was eradicated with the automobile. Shot still has mercury, and aluminum?" "Yes." "I think I'll take my chances." (she smiled that smile...)
The experts are whomever people agree with. And, they can be full of s*&t...
Tetanus- yes not now widespread. . Jab still recommended if you are in a place with a poor health system.
I have just had my winter (southern hemisphere) jab for flu. They say, works for 3 or 4 months, and 60% effective, not sure exactly what that means. At 60% the user (patient/victim) should take all the precautions they would as if not jabbed.
There is more to this vaccination subject than meets the eye.
Whenever I hear the word 'expert' I get the heebijeebs,
time there was a medication for that.
Brainwashed Stepford wives syndrome.