How to Know If You Need to Go to the E.R. With Coronavirus
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get in touch with a doctor at all. Even if your symptoms are mild, you should still notify your primary care doctor if you can so you can get their advice. This is especially true for people with underlying illnesses that are known to create a higher risk of new coronavirus complications, such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma, Dr. Ivers says, and people 60 and over who are also more vulnerable to complications.
“Watch out for [a] 100.4 temperature [as] an indicator of when you should start making calls and ensure that you are isolated from others. A thermometer is a good tool during this pandemic,” Brandon Brown, M.P.H., Ph.D., an epidemiologist and associate professor in the Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health at the University of California, Riverside, tells SELF.
Your doctor can advise you on whether you’re a candidate for testing and where testing might be available in your area. They may have even set up a specific hotline for new coronavirus concerns, which can be a good starting place. Otherwise, check your local department of health’s online resources. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) are good resources for national and international information, but when it comes to handling your own potential or confirmed new coronavirus case, experts typically agree that local information has a lot of advantages.
“Your own state will have a public health website, like the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. That’s going to give more specific information,” Dr. Ivers says. (Your state might even have set up a dedicated new coronavirus hotline as well.)
Beyond that, take care of yourself and follow guidance from your doctor and resources like the CDC. Overall, you’ll need to do things like isolating yourself in your home and from other people who live with you as best you can, washing your hands frequently, and wearing a mask when you’re around other people. (Since masks are in such short supply right now, you might have to ask medical personnel or a nearby health center for help getting one.) Here’s more information about taking care of yourself at home if you have mild new coronavirus symptoms.
Also, for the sake of your mental health, try not to panic, as hard as that is right now. “We do know that most people who get the infection do just fine,” Dr. Ivers says. “We want to make sure that we have enough capacity to take care of the people who don’t do fine.”
If your symptoms get noticeably worse, it might be time for emergency care.
“The reason to go to the emergency room hasn’t really changed,” Allison Bond, M.D., infectious disease fellow at UC San Francisco, tells SELF. If you’re having severe symptoms, it’s critical that you seek out care or ask the person who’s looking after you to help you get medical care immediately.
The CDC suggests that immediate medical attention is necessary if you think or know you have the new coronavirus and are experiencing:
- Difficulty breathing
- Persistent chest pain or pressure
- Confusion that you weren’t experiencing before
- An inability to get up
- A blue tint to your lips or face
There are a lot of caveats when it comes to applying this type of list to real life. For example, difficulty breathing is on the above list, but what exactly does that mean when shortness of breath is one hallmark sign of the new coronavirus to begin with? “People who can’t catch their breath should go to the E.R.,” Dr. Bond says. “Everyone else with less severe breathing symptoms should call their doctor.” Also, the CDC notes that this isn’t a complete list, and if you have other concerning symptoms, you should contact your doctor. For example, if you’re vomiting and/or have diarrhea, are unable to keep down food or water, and you’re starting to feel lightheaded or weak, that may indicate it’s time to seek medical attention, just as you might if there weren’t a pandemic. “Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are not associated with coronavirus very often, but they do occur,” Dr. Bond says. If you’re not sure what you’re dealing with is concerning enough that you need to leave to go to the emergency room, that’s when it can be especially helpful to call your doctor, a new coronavirus hotline in your state if one is available, or even the emergency room itself to discuss your symptoms.
Try to call ahead before going to the emergency room.
Of course, the first priority in any emergency is to make sure you’re contacting 911 or heading to the E.R., especially if you’re alone and don’t have anyone to help you. But if at all possible, experts recommend that people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 do two things before going into the emergency room with worsening symptoms: Put on a mask and call the emergency room before you arrive.
https://www.self.com/story/coronavirus-er-signs, GO TO SAUBIO DIGITAL FOR MORE ANSWERS AND INFORMATION ON ANY TOPIC
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