May 9, 2020

by drplasticpicker

Dr. Plastic Picker in real life is an outpatient general pediatrician. Like many of my colleagues I am part of several COVID-19 MD Facebook groups, I think three now. Two months into this pandemic, I now try to review our weekly pediatric infectious disease lectures as a vetted source of information rather than these Facebook groups. They are actually really good. But early on the COVID-19 MD Facebook Groups had more trending information. I think we were all obsessively reading the posts as real time information was coming out to Italy, New York, Seattle and San Francisco. At this point, the activity on the Facebook groups has slowed down as there is more clinical understanding of this disease. Most people are asking for practical advice. I am visiting them more for camraderie. Above is my main contribution to the Facebook groups. It was amazing that it generated so many reactions and comments.

Bascially I am up this early morning and drinking my coffee. I am technically on for Upper Management this weekend, and sent the department a message “If you need admin assistance this weekend, I’ll all you get from 5/9-5/10. I’ll try to help you if I can. If not, most things can wait until Monday.” I meant it as a joke, but our department scheduler and one colleague replied back that they thought the message was meant specifically for them and almost had separate cardiac arrests. I forgot the power of a well worded sentence. But I should know that, because I am trying to clean up my photos on my phone, and I have a cache of screenshots of pithy comments I left on the COVID-19 Facebook groups that I thought were funny or meaningful. I would like to take this morning to relive them! This is so I can delete them also.

Pediatric COVID-19 Facebook Group: The collective world was worried about strep. Someone posted a questions “So just saw a girl in the office with sore throat headache no fever for 2 days. Hard to swallow. Mom has gone out of house 1x in the last 3 weeks to get food. No interaction with other people in 3 weeks to get food. Mom, stepdad and 9 yo brother in house no symptoms. Rapid test positive in office? How did she get strep? Is someone a carrier in the house as most likey explanation? I think so.” 8 Likes. A lot of back on forth about asymptomatic carriers (20% of the population). Then someone wrote “More likely someone aint telling the truth.” Dr. Plastic Picker under my real name parried back, “It’s like the teenager with a positive pregnancy test. How did that happen?” Boo yah! 21 likes and laughing emojis.

MD COVID-19 Facebook Group: Standing Up for San Diego. Mid-April. Lots of conversation about the difference of spread in New York versus California. Then someone from the Bay Area making an offhand comment about Southern California (particularly LA) rate of transmission higher than the Bay Area. The questioned Southern California’s civic engagement and the laxity of our lifestyles. Given that many in the Bay Area are actually East Coast transplants that have driven up housing prices there, and then to hear disparaging comments about Southern Californias in general – I got mad. I was born and raised in San Diego and our rates of transmission here have been lower. I replied “Random rant but in every single news article it’s like SF did that, LA did that. As a native San Diegan – we are a big city and always left out. Rant over.” Quick reply from one of the main posters “We love you in SD and other cities. You have no idea how much love we have for you.” Made me feel a bit better.

Pediatric COVID-19 Facebook Group: Pediatrics and Public Office. A post about politicians, and the need for more “caring professions” like teachers to enter office. Or it may have been about the effectiveness of women leadership. I replied “There was an article somewhere about how there are more doctors, nurses and public health officials running for office. I nominate all of you!!! More of us need to get out there! I have no filter so can’t but I will support you!” Only one LOL emoji but a nice reply “You and me both” from the author.

Well that is it. I thought I had more pithy comments that I actually had, but I did make three well received comments. I was involved early on in the albuterol nebulizer treatment discussions, and stopping that senseless practice as it tends to aerosolize droplet particles not to mention that amount of single use plastic waste generated. I’m still checking those Facebook groups here and there, but the frenetic activity on them is over. For all of my friends who have been part of those groups, thank you. Thank you for providing much needed information and camraderie. Those that manage those groups did a great service to our medical community. They are the other heros in this pandemic. Especially the pediatrician that got us all CME and MOC credit! You rock!!!

Click here to read my first COVID-19 post. When I was worried about not having enough food. Wow, doesn’t that seem so distant now? https://drplasticpicker.com/covid-19-do-we-have-enough-food-random-thoughts-on-food-supply-and-food-waste-as-the-world-panics/