HOLY CRAP: I think I may be 1 of the 11 in the US with SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)!!!!

[MAMAFUFU]

Seriously, IF you do have contracted SARS, medical bill is the least you have to worry about.

The death rate of SARS is quite high if the patient is not treated EARLY. (I would estimated to be over 50%). The period between onset of symtoms (fever, cough) and DEATH of patient is about 2 to 3 weeks, and if the patient is admited to hospital too late, usually he/she is directly transferred to Intensive Care Unit and soon will be on life support system.

The above information is summaried by reading news about SARS patients in Hong Kong and Singapore, which has a very high standard of medical care.

Remember, SARS is a new disease/virus which until now the world has know very little about it.

I'm posting from Hong Kong which has more than 470 persons contracted SARS, with 12 already dead, 53 in ICU, ONLY 43 are released from hospital.



Lastly, the good news is that if the patient is treated VERY EARLY, the death rate (estimated by medical expert) is ONLY about 5%.

1) Statistically you have almost no chance of having SARS.

(Edited with quote from skoob)

 

[sciencetoy]

Take notes, document everything, keep your reciepts, prescription recommendations, etc. Keep a diary - I know you're sick, but you're well enough to post here.

Then, go to the hospital. If you've got SARS you can sell your story and get a lawyer somewhere to sue the dr's hospital etc for your misdiagnosis, and get out of paying the bill that way.

If it isn't SARS you can negotiate with the hospital for a long-term payment plan. NEVER just pay the bill, if you're not insured. The rates are jacked up sky-high because the insurance companies skew everything. Call them, tell them hell no, you can't pay, and they'll work with you.

 

[StageLeft]

i havent' read what you said entirely but:

1) Statistically you have almost no chance of having SARS.
2) Holy sh*t that's a lot of money.
3) My God, I'm glad I have insurance.
4) Damn!!!! moneys !!! :Q

 

[glugglug]

These symptoms, especially the bloody mucus (the amount of blood loss was actually scaring me as my nose would start bleeding after sneezing a lot on the 5th day), sound like the nasty flu I got after visiting my parents in Florida for thanksgiving. It actually started with nausea and some crazy sweating on the plane on the way back. I was sick for over 3 weeks, with the first week of it being absolute hell. This was actually the first time I have gotten sick since I moved to NYC about 5 years ago. (Before when I lived in FL I went with strep/pneumonia/bronchitis several times for awhile without knowing it until the next doctor visit because the symptoms are basically the same as the severe allergies I have there -- but even that was never this bad

 

[dmcowen674]

62 people in the U.S. are confirmed SARS cases.

The Doctor that discovered and named the Outbreak has died from it Singapore.

 

[C'DaleRider]

Originally posted by: yoda291
If you are admitted to the emergency room, the hospital HAS to help you. It's part of the oath that doctors take which I'm sure I'll misspell. If you need an extensive procedure or a prolonged stay and are not covered in any way, shape, or form, there are people who can waive you into the medicare system. Indeed, these people are there to help you pay something to the hospital because many people will often rack up 100-200k in debt and then wait a year, which is usually when the hospital gives up trying to collect since the odds that you will be able to pay are slim to none afterwards and it just costs them money to beat a dead dog, so to speak. Trust me, seek out these people and let them help you. You'll receive better care and it won't kill your bank acct. Plus you can deduct medical expenses from your tax return if they amount to > 7 or 8 percent of your gross income I think.

Tho I agree, this country's healthcare system isn't the hottest... but it really does try.

Actually, the ER does not have to treat you if the facility is private unless you have something life-treatening (then they have to treat to stabilize and attempt transfer to a public facility.) They do have to evaluate you, though. County and state-owned facilities are required to treat anyone walking in the door, private facilities don't. It has nothing to do with the MD's Hippocratic oath, just federal law.

 

[LeeTJ]

If you have SARS wouldn't the CDC want to know?? would they want you just walking around?

 

[C'DaleRider]

Fortunately, you weren't on the respirator/ventilator that the symptomology/website you referred to speaks of. The respirator that is referred to uses a large plastic tube that's inserted through the mouth into the bronchial tree in the lungs, and the machine does the breathing for you through positive pressure.

You have pneumonia and your symptoms are exactly what pneumonia does.......depending on the bactreium present, white counts drops initially are common.

I'd suggest you quit reading web sites for symptoms........what you are doing is what med school and nursing school students do......hear of a disease and immedialely think he/she has that exact disease. Saw it all the time in school.....did the same thing myself once.

 

[FelixDeCat]

You have a plane to catch? Where are you going to spread this stuff? :Q

Hope everything turns out ok.

 

[etalns]

Originally posted by: LeeTJ
If you have SARS wouldn't the CDC want to know?? would they want you just walking around?

 

[glen]

Do you have SARS?

 

[LeeTJ]

DAYUM, Madcowz lives in New Jersey. IF you have SARS, GET AUTHORITIES INVOLVED. don't go traveling around like a moron and infecting everyone else.

 

[Beattie]

Originally posted by: Madcowz
The problem is that I can't even AFFORD to talk to anymore doctors! Health care in the US is just absolutely ridiculous if you're not rich & don't have health insurance. The estimated bill for my long stay at the 2nd hospital was between 10k and 20k! I could frigggin buy a car for that much! They wanted me to stay longer & my doctor originally wouldn't release me, but I had a plane to catch. I can't imagine what the bill would be like if I stayed longer! Not only that, the antibiotics he prescribed to me, I bought today, and it turned about to be $50 for 6 pills! Argh, I'm being f'ed by our health care system!

go to a canadian hospital?

 

[darrenford]

madcowz

I do hope you get better. When you do, be sure to negotiate with them on those bills.

Usually an insurance company pays about 25% - 50% of a hospitals "retail" rate. A medical facility is usually willing to give you the same insurance rate, since it means you will probably pay instead of skipping out. Ask them to charge you the same as they do the insurance companies. Although each insurance company negotiates rates upfront and will be different, as them for the best rate.

 

[blakeatwork]

so what happened??? Did/do you have SARS?? Or was it just a nasty pneumonia??

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Madcowz
The problem is that I can't even AFFORD to talk to anymore doctors! Health care in the US is just absolutely ridiculous if you're not rich & don't have health insurance. The estimated bill for my long stay at the 2nd hospital was between 10k and 20k! I could frigggin buy a car for that much! They wanted me to stay longer & my doctor originally wouldn't release me, but I had a plane to catch. I can't imagine what the bill would be like if I stayed longer! Not only that, the antibiotics he prescribed to me, I bought today, and it turned about to be $50 for 6 pills! Argh, I'm being f'ed by our health care system!

Uhhh....

 

[Spac3d]

Originally posted by: blakeatwork
so what happened??? Did/do you have SARS?? Or was it just a nasty pneumonia??

Maybe he died?

 

[iwearnosox]

If you die can I have your stuff?

 

[Comp625]

Honestly guys, it does seem like he has SARS. If this is some cruel joke, then he's got me. However, he hasn't posted since that night of his self diagnosis.

He probably didn't die yet but is in ICU or some form of isolation.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Comp625
Honestly guys, it does seem like he has SARS. If this is some cruel joke, then he's got me. However, he hasn't posted since that night of his self diagnosis.

He probably didn't die yet but is in ICU or some form of isolation.

Well he visited today at 8:38 AM

 

[Comp625]

Originally posted by: BigJ2078

Originally posted by: Comp625
Honestly guys, it does seem like he has SARS. If this is some cruel joke, then he's got me. However, he hasn't posted since that night of his self diagnosis.

He probably didn't die yet but is in ICU or some form of isolation.

Well he visited today at 8:38 AM

Hahahha how did you find that out? Guess I'm gullible and wrong.

<-- AT Newb who's been here since Aug 2000.

 

[Dudd]

Originally posted by: Comp625

Originally posted by: BigJ2078

Originally posted by: Comp625
Honestly guys, it does seem like he has SARS. If this is some cruel joke, then he's got me. However, he hasn't posted since that night of his self diagnosis.

He probably didn't die yet but is in ICU or some form of isolation.

Well he visited today at 8:38 AM

Hahahha how did you find that out? Guess I'm gullible and wrong.

<-- AT Newb who's been here since Aug 2000.

Click on his profile to see the last time he visited here.