{"id":39226,"date":"2020-03-17T13:54:47","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T20:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=39226"},"modified":"2020-03-17T13:54:47","modified_gmt":"2020-03-17T20:54:47","slug":"a-short-and-not-very-sweet-article-on-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2020\/03\/17\/a-short-and-not-very-sweet-article-on-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"A Short (and not very sweet) article on COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is both too short and specialized to bother the Erinyes with, but also too important to wait.\u00a0 So I’m putting it up today<\/p>\n

Since we can assume we will not be able to get tested if we suspect we have COVID symptoms (and I don’t think any of us is a lead attorney from the impeachment proceedings<\/a>), no matter how well they match, we are in the position of needing to be able to self-diagnose, as well as possibly to self quarantine.\u00a0 It would appear to be helpful to have concise advice from an actual immunologist.\u00a0 So here is some.<\/p>\n

=================================================================<\/p>\n

What coronavirus symptoms should I look for, and when do I call the doctor? A doctor answers 4 questions<\/h1>\n
A nurse at a drive-up coronavirus testing station set up by the University of Washington Medical Center on Friday, March 13, 2020.
\nAP Photo\/Ted S. Warren<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

William Petri<\/a>, University of Virginia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

As the nation adjusts to the threat of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, it\u2019s only natural to worry whether a cough or aches and pains could be signs you have become infected by the virus. Dr. William Petri, a professor of medicine and immunologist at the University of Virginia Medical Center, explains when you need to call your doctor.<\/em><\/p>\n

1. What symptoms should I look for?<\/h2>\n

People should suspect that they might have COVID-19 if they are experiencing fever, cough and\/or shortness of breath<\/a>. These symptoms, however, are also symptoms of other illnesses. For example, the nation is still in the middle of a flu epidemic, and fever and cough are also symptoms of flu. It is most likely that you have flu or other respiratory illness. So, it is important to pay attention to symptoms but to also know they will not necessarily mean that you have COVID-19.<\/p>\n

2. When should I see a doctor?<\/h2>\n

If your have fever, cough and\/or shortness of breath, call your doctor. Do not just show up; it is very important to call first. Most doctors\u2019 offices will have ways to isolate someone who potentially has COVID-19. Your doctor\u2019s office will likely ask screening questions on the phone and will provide instructions about what to do when you arrive.<\/p>\n

3. I\u2019ve have a runny nose and sniffles. Could this coronavirus?<\/h2>\n

A runny nose or nasal congestion would not be likely to be COVID-19.<\/p>\n

4. What can I expect at the doctor\u2019s office?<\/h2>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you put on a face mask<\/a> before you enter your doctor\u2019s office or other health care facility.<\/p>\n

Your doctor or health care provider would likely test for flu first, because the country is in the middle of a flu epidemic. If the flu test is negative then you will be tested for COVID-19, especially if you have risk factors. That would include having traveled to a country or area of the U.S. with sustained person-to-person transmission, or having been in contact with someone with COVID-19.<\/p>\n

This likely will change as soon as COVID-19 tests are more available \u2013 at that time everyone with a fever and cough will be tested.<\/p>\n

[Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation\u2019s newsletter and get a digest of academic takes on today\u2019s news, every day.<\/a><\/em>]\"The<\/p>\n

William Petri<\/a>, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is both too short and specialized to bother the Erinyes with, but also too important to wait.\u00a0 So I’m putting it up today Since we can assume we will not be able to get tested if we suspect we have COVID symptoms (and I don’t think any of us is a lead attorney from […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":39185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[3913],"class_list":["post-39226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-covid-19","category-5-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}