Baljit Cheema

Pediatric Emergency Medicine activist for LMIC. Flamenco dancer. Closet writer. Views emanate from a crazy little alien in my head.

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

[1/3] Cloth masks may need paper filter to be effective. Ma et al https://t.co/kCK8D8MiyO tested N95 v surg mask v [1layer polyester + 4 layers kitchen paper] %viral block: 100% v 97% v 95% compared to single layer cloth. Video of how I made a version. #MasksNow #Masks @cliffreid

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

Sat: Defeated by an old fashioned monster🐝! Got 40words before bed then awoke with the C10 in my head, managed 5more with aid of today's hints then ran out of time. Great Sunday brain start #nytsb #spellingbee #hivemind #nytspellingbee

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

Thanks @sugan2503 for these detailed tables & stats... we need to watch out for ICU & hospital numbers as indicators of health service overwhelm.

[sugan naidoo @sugan2503]

PROVINCIAL UPDATE 5 JUNE

• Changes from yesterday highlighted
• Per capita update
• 7 day ave. graph

Small change from yesterday: There's brackets next to the hospital numbers to show the change from the previous day (hope this is better).

#Covid19SA #Covid_19SA

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

@Aidan_Baron 18G short LP needle - is needle of choice for infants in S Africa public sector. We don't have mechanical devices - needles extortionately expensive for LMIC. Agree @mardi_steere done 100s with 18-21G needle in Malawi Never say "we don't have IO needle" @PaedCapeTown @PECCAfrica

[Alasdair Munro @apsmunro]

Well. This pre print study from @NPEU_UKOSS blows most other antenatal #COVID19 data out of the water

https://t.co/gC3jjMykyq

Lots to digest, but here's a quick look...

1/5

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

@alanwinde The numbers in hospital and ICU are missing from FB post - please don't drop these 🙏 They give best indication of health service overwhelm

[Sa'ad Lahri @slahri7]

This is superbly done

[Dave le Roux @drdaveleroux]

Louis Reynolds: SA's current health system is unsustainable. It has to change! https://t.co/UHCIzZ8PBp (via )

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

@debMwalton @ukinsouthafrica @qatarairways @FCOtravel @NigelCaseyHC Don't get your hope's up. I'm still awaiting refund for 2 QA tickets from March (Ref#2745921). They keep sending me vouchers instead of full refund. I've emailed 6times & phoned QA Head Office - nothing. The full refund is a con 😠

[sugan naidoo @sugan2503]

PROVINCIAL UPDATE 2 MAY
- Changes from yesterday highlighted
- See thread regarding testing numbers
- Hospital numbers are important but not being updated regularly by some provinces

Thank you to those who made suggestions to help improve my data!

#COVID19 #Covid19SA

[Mardi Steere 🌏 @mardi_steere]

“Measles tops the charts with a reproduction number of 12–18, which makes it the most contagious virus known. You don’t need to be in the same room as an infected person to catch the virus.” https://t.co/JZRTmNOM11

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

@karynmaughan People who break lockdown should be sent to work in Covid-19 wards 🤨 ...without PPE 🤔

[Premier Alan Winde @alanwinde]

This morning I went to go and see for myself what the situation was during the exercise period. It is important that we have more time for exercise so we can prevent congregation in densely populated areas. @WesternCapeGov

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

@sugan250388 @HealthZA @kznhealth I know people love to see it but I don't see the point of reporting recoveries. Its just positives minus deaths, 14days later. IMO Better to use the space for more informative columns e.g. 1) no. screened v no. tested 2) percentage +ve rate or 3) no's in ICU

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

@sugan250388 Don't understand. Do you mean some Provinces reporting number of people screened and other number of people tested? They should report both. Screening number should be much higher as only some will meet testing criteria.

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

Must watch: "If you empower people with the facts, fake news will fade into the background. Ignorance & over-reaction will become less of an issue" - wise words from @ProfAbdoolKarim Thanks @miamalan @Bhekisisa_MG #COVID19 #LockdownSA #fakenewsmustfall

[Salim & Quarraisha Abdool Karim @ProfAbdoolKarim]

[ICYMI] Here is a link to a Q&A webinar both Professors Abdool Karim did with @Bhekisisa_MG yesterday. Thank you to everyone who watched and sent their questions via #AskTheAbdoolKarims

https://t.co/k9BscrvMRn

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

@alanwinde @WesternCapeGov Makes some sense to restrict exercise hours - otherwise everyone will be out wondering about all day... wearing sneakers! #Lockdownlevel4 #exercise

[Dr Aidan Baron @Aidan_Baron]

During COVID19 we must avoid:

Telling mis-truths in order “not to panic the public”

Spin doctoring

Politicising health and welfare

“Do something syndrome”

- Prof Margo Somerville AM FRSC
Professor of Bioethics

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

Great SA provincial data. Adding in numbers in ICU will help gauge level of health systems overload. WC Premier @alanwinde gives hospital + ICU admissions daily - all Provinces should do same. #COVID19 @DrZweliMkhize @GovernmentZA @geoffreyyork @nicd_sa

[sugan naidoo @sugan2503]

@GovernmentZA @DrZweliMkhize @HealthZA @nicd_sa PROVINCIAL BREAKDOWN:

- All provinces have not released testing numbers, I am updating as the numbers come through.
- Some provinces have low testing numbers but their hospital and death numbers are also low which is a good indication that the spread is slow.
#Covid19SA

[Baljit Cheema @PEM_CT]

@sugan250388 @GovernmentZA @DrZweliMkhize @HealthZA @nicd_sa Great infographic - please add 'number in ICU'. Helps show level of health service overwhelm. This is the data to watch. Once ICU beds/ventilators full => deaths rise. For WC ICU data see @alanwinde FBpost. Lets hope #LockdownSA will continue #FlattenTheCurve & avert the worst 🙏

[Karyn Maughan @karynmaughan]

So for those people who think America’s population is why its infections and deaths are so high, here’s a statistic to think about:

For every million Americans, there are 2679 Covid19 cases and 152 deaths.

For every million South Africans, there are 67 Covid cases and 1 death