My family’s personal experience with a potential Coronavirus infection - not good

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm so sorry - I would also be frantic and terrified. But I just don't understand what you think getting a test is going to do. Treatment isn't any different than treatment of the flu - rest, liquids, etc. I'm guessing even if he's tested and diagnosed, unless he's showing life threatening symptoms like sepsis or inability to breathe, they'll send him home to recover.

Hang in there. If you can have him use a separate bathroom, I would do that.

Really? You don't know what a test can do? If you find out you're positive, you can immediately start to quarantine yourself. You should also notify your place of work, worship, and places that you have frequented. You should tell anyone you visited that you have the virus, so that if they develop symptoms, that information can be reported.

If the test turned out negative, and it was just a really bad cold or flu, then you would go on as one normally would. But as far as we know, COVID-19 has a much higher fatality rate especially among older people and immunocompromised people than the flu. The information a test provides could save a life.

Um, if you have the flu, wouldn't you quarantine yourself anyway? And would you really remember everyone you came across? I took the Metro yesterday. I went to work. I went to my client site. If I were infected, there's no way even 1/3 of the people I saw could be made aware. Plus it seems a good number of the infected appear to be asymptomatic or only have some minor upper respiratory symptoms. Should you test everyone with the sniffles?

For two weeks? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just my opinion - they aren’t testing because they don’t want increasing numbers to cause panic. And sadly, it’s probably at least partially politically motivated. My DH returned from an overseas trip. Fever, chills, difficulty breathing, cough, extreme fatigue. The diagnosis was pneumonia. When I expressed concern about Corona, the doctor says they weren’t testing for it. WTF? The doctors and nurses weren’t wearing masks. We sat in a crowded waiting room. This is going to spread like wildfire.

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2020/3/2/21161067/coronavirus-covid19-china

Here is an interesting interview with a WHO expert. According to him, rapid detection, isolation of diagnosed patients, and contact tracing were key to controlling the virus in China.

Great explanation of what we could have done if we took this seriously early enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm so sorry - I would also be frantic and terrified. But I just don't understand what you think getting a test is going to do. Treatment isn't any different than treatment of the flu - rest, liquids, etc. I'm guessing even if he's tested and diagnosed, unless he's showing life threatening symptoms like sepsis or inability to breathe, they'll send him home to recover.

Hang in there. If you can have him use a separate bathroom, I would do that.

Really? You don't know what a test can do? If you find out you're positive, you can immediately start to quarantine yourself. You should also notify your place of work, worship, and places that you have frequented. You should tell anyone you visited that you have the virus, so that if they develop symptoms, that information can be reported.

If the test turned out negative, and it was just a really bad cold or flu, then you would go on as one normally would. But as far as we know, COVID-19 has a much higher fatality rate especially among older people and immunocompromised people than the flu. The information a test provides could save a life.

Um, if you have the flu, wouldn't you quarantine yourself anyway? And would you really remember everyone you came across? I took the Metro yesterday. I went to work. I went to my client site. If I were infected, there's no way even 1/3 of the people I saw could be made aware. Plus it seems a good number of the infected appear to be asymptomatic or only have some minor upper respiratory symptoms. Should you test everyone with the sniffles?

For two weeks? No.

Even if people knew they were ill, I can't imagine most workers in the US could afford to miss two weeks of work. People would be going in anyway unless somehow penalized or forcefully quarantined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would go to the ER and get tested.

And then...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/upshot/coronavirus-surprise-medical-bills.amp.html

This is highway robbery. If people have inadequate insurance, they won’t go to get checked out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm so sorry - I would also be frantic and terrified. But I just don't understand what you think getting a test is going to do. Treatment isn't any different than treatment of the flu - rest, liquids, etc. I'm guessing even if he's tested and diagnosed, unless he's showing life threatening symptoms like sepsis or inability to breathe, they'll send him home to recover.

Hang in there. If you can have him use a separate bathroom, I would do that.

Really? You don't know what a test can do? If you find out you're positive, you can immediately start to quarantine yourself. You should also notify your place of work, worship, and places that you have frequented. You should tell anyone you visited that you have the virus, so that if they develop symptoms, that information can be reported.

If the test turned out negative, and it was just a really bad cold or flu, then you would go on as one normally would. But as far as we know, COVID-19 has a much higher fatality rate especially among older people and immunocompromised people than the flu. The information a test provides could save a life.

Um, if you have the flu, wouldn't you quarantine yourself anyway? And would you really remember everyone you came across? I took the Metro yesterday. I went to work. I went to my client site. If I were infected, there's no way even 1/3 of the people I saw could be made aware. Plus it seems a good number of the infected appear to be asymptomatic or only have some minor upper respiratory symptoms. Should you test everyone with the sniffles?

Most people I know would NOT quarantine themselves with the flu, especially a mild case. They'd go to CVS to buy some Advil, stop by the Whole Foods to pick up some soup, and then hunker down for a couple of days--not two weeks. And if you did have COVID-19, you would tell your office and your client. You don't need to remember everyone you met, but your work and your client would know to send out an alert to their offices to let them know. It's not about you or me developing minor respiratory symptoms, it's about preventing the spread of the virus the old and the immunocompromised who are dying a relatively high rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm so sorry - I would also be frantic and terrified. But I just don't understand what you think getting a test is going to do. Treatment isn't any different than treatment of the flu - rest, liquids, etc. I'm guessing even if he's tested and diagnosed, unless he's showing life threatening symptoms like sepsis or inability to breathe, they'll send him home to recover.

Hang in there. If you can have him use a separate bathroom, I would do that.

Really? You don't know what a test can do? If you find out you're positive, you can immediately start to quarantine yourself. You should also notify your place of work, worship, and places that you have frequented. You should tell anyone you visited that you have the virus, so that if they develop symptoms, that information can be reported.

If the test turned out negative, and it was just a really bad cold or flu, then you would go on as one normally would. But as far as we know, COVID-19 has a much higher fatality rate especially among older people and immunocompromised people than the flu. The information a test provides could save a life.

Um, if you have the flu, wouldn't you quarantine yourself anyway? And would you really remember everyone you came across? I took the Metro yesterday. I went to work. I went to my client site. If I were infected, there's no way even 1/3 of the people I saw could be made aware. Plus it seems a good number of the infected appear to be asymptomatic or only have some minor upper respiratory symptoms. Should you test everyone with the sniffles?

Most people I know would NOT quarantine themselves with the flu, especially a mild case. They'd go to CVS to buy some Advil, stop by the Whole Foods to pick up some soup, and then hunker down for a couple of days--not two weeks. And if you did have COVID-19, you would tell your office and your client. You don't need to remember everyone you met, but your work and your client would know to send out an alert to their offices to let them know. It's not about you or me developing minor respiratory symptoms, it's about preventing the spread of the virus the old and the immunocompromised who are dying a relatively high rates.

So the real answer here is that companies should be allowing for telework and/or time off. A test doesn't necessarily change that, although I realize they'd have a much harder time saying no. But I think the news over the past couple of days may change their perspectives.

[Anonymous]

Seriously OP: how many times did he go into a doctor's office? It's frankly irresponsible for him to be out and about so much. No matter whether he knows it or not, the clear and plain direction from all sides has been that if you are sick, stay home. Until it got serious, there was no point in going to the doctor.

[Anonymous]

We should be testing everyone with flu symptoms or pneumonia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He has had a fever, sweating, chills and fatigue for 9 days. Cough started on day 5. Diagnosed with pneumonia today (day 9). When at the doctor earlier this week, he inquired about Coronavirus because his flu test was negative and this came on within a week of being with a group in which several members had just returned from travel in Europe. Furthermore, he spent time in a US resort over Pres. Day with a lot of tourists from all over the east coast. Doctor said prob not Coronavirus if he hasn’t been exposed to a known infected person and since he hasn’t been to China.

Returned to doctor today because fever and illness continues and pushed harder on the Coronavirus question and she said it’s feasible to be concerned but there isn’t anything she can do other than advise him to call the county health department. She can’t test and has been told only to use screening procedures which inquire about recent travel (as if that even matters anymore).

He called the county health department immediately after leaving doctor and they said that he doesn’t sound high risk because he hasn’t been out of the country. He pushed back and said that that doesn’t seem to matter anymore, and they didn’t budge.

So basically, a person who is legitimately concerned about this is on their own. Good luck getting help.

I’m FURIOUS.

What exactly would you like them to do differently?

Advise us how to proceed to be tested and to take this seriously. Mainly so we know if he needs to be quarantined to protect others. Lastly, two of his family members are immunocompromised, so it would be beneficial to know.

[b]Why don’t you just keep him away from those family members and have him self quarantine. Everyone wins.

New poster. You and some other PPs are totally ignorant of the entire point of getting test results for coronavirus. It is NOT just about the one patient, and saying "just have him self quarantine" is not helpful, nor is the poster who said why bother to test, just treat the pneumonia. The country needs to track ALL coronavirus cases and getting test results is the only way to do that.

If OP's child has the virus, that is a data point in the tracking of the disease and what's more, health departments need to know who else has had contact with him, his family needs advice on how to self-quarantine the ENTIRE family (not just the one child), the parents have to tell their employers they are going into quarantine. Health care workers/doctor/nurses/others in doctors' waiting rooms with him previously need to be told and tracked because they were exposed to him.

How do so many posters on DCUM utterly fail understand that it is a huge risk to many, many more people to think like this: "It doesn't matter if it's coronavirus, don't worry about testing, just treat the pneumonia and everyone else in the household goes about their daily lives." That's a recipe for a cluster of cases affecting the family and possibly every patient, doctor and nurse who has been around him. The OP is entirely right to be concerned for both son, the whole family AND the larger community.

I find OP's experience so far very, very disturbing. Especially the part where the health department said the son didn't meet criteria for testing. I had heard that the CDC had lowered the bar on testing so that people did not have to be showing big-time symptoms or pneumonia etc. to be tested. Sounds like that is not the case, or the news has not trickled down to local health departments.

OP, please -- when you have more news, let us know. Both about your dear son and about your progress or lack of it with the health authorities.

Because what people are losing sight of is that actually getting coronavirus is really no big deal. It kills a slightly higher number of people than the flu. It's no more dangerous (and probably less so than getting pneumonia. This isn't the black plague people. Personally I couldn't give a f**k if I got Coranivirus.

It kills a significantly higher number of people than the flu. And a significantly higher number of those with coronavirus need to be hospitalized. And there’s no vaccine for coronavirus.

2%. And it’s mainly the elderly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just my opinion - they aren’t testing because they don’t want increasing numbers to cause panic. And sadly, it’s probably at least partially politically motivated. My DH returned from an overseas trip. Fever, chills, difficulty breathing, cough, extreme fatigue. The diagnosis was pneumonia. When I expressed concern about Corona, the doctor says they weren’t testing for it. WTF? The doctors and nurses weren’t wearing masks. We sat in a crowded waiting room. This is going to spread like wildfire.

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2020/3/2/21161067/coronavirus-covid19-china

Here is an interesting interview with a WHO expert. According to him, rapid detection, isolation of diagnosed patients, and contact tracing were key to controlling the virus in China.

Great explanation of what we could have done if we took this seriously early enough.

And now let's imagine what could have China do not to let the cat out of the bag by implementing laws banning wild animals sales? Wow. novel idea.. that many epidemics later we still are celebrating containment and not focusing on prevention. Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We should be testing everyone with flu symptoms or pneumonia.

And we should all be rich and never die. But that just not how it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He has had a fever, sweating, chills and fatigue for 9 days. Cough started on day 5. Diagnosed with pneumonia today (day 9). When at the doctor earlier this week, he inquired about Coronavirus because his flu test was negative and this came on within a week of being with a group in which several members had just returned from travel in Europe. Furthermore, he spent time in a US resort over Pres. Day with a lot of tourists from all over the east coast. Doctor said prob not Coronavirus if he hasn’t been exposed to a known infected person and since he hasn’t been to China.

Returned to doctor today because fever and illness continues and pushed harder on the Coronavirus question and she said it’s feasible to be concerned but there isn’t anything she can do other than advise him to call the county health department. She can’t test and has been told only to use screening procedures which inquire about recent travel (as if that even matters anymore).

He called the county health department immediately after leaving doctor and they said that he doesn’t sound high risk because he hasn’t been out of the country. He pushed back and said that that doesn’t seem to matter anymore, and they didn’t budge.

So basically, a person who is legitimately concerned about this is on their own. Good luck getting help.

I’m FURIOUS.

What exactly would you like them to do differently?

Advise us how to proceed to be tested and to take this seriously. Mainly so we know if he needs to be quarantined to protect others. Lastly, two of his family members are immunocompromised, so it would be beneficial to know.

[b]Why don’t you just keep him away from those family members and have him self quarantine. Everyone wins.

New poster. You and some other PPs are totally ignorant of the entire point of getting test results for coronavirus. It is NOT just about the one patient, and saying "just have him self quarantine" is not helpful, nor is the poster who said why bother to test, just treat the pneumonia. The country needs to track ALL coronavirus cases and getting test results is the only way to do that.

If OP's child has the virus, that is a data point in the tracking of the disease and what's more, health departments need to know who else has had contact with him, his family needs advice on how to self-quarantine the ENTIRE family (not just the one child), the parents have to tell their employers they are going into quarantine. Health care workers/doctor/nurses/others in doctors' waiting rooms with him previously need to be told and tracked because they were exposed to him.

How do so many posters on DCUM utterly fail understand that it is a huge risk to many, many more people to think like this: "It doesn't matter if it's coronavirus, don't worry about testing, just treat the pneumonia and everyone else in the household goes about their daily lives." That's a recipe for a cluster of cases affecting the family and possibly every patient, doctor and nurse who has been around him. The OP is entirely right to be concerned for both son, the whole family AND the larger community.

I find OP's experience so far very, very disturbing. Especially the part where the health department said the son didn't meet criteria for testing. I had heard that the CDC had lowered the bar on testing so that people did not have to be showing big-time symptoms or pneumonia etc. to be tested. Sounds like that is not the case, or the news has not trickled down to local health departments.

OP, please -- when you have more news, let us know. Both about your dear son and about your progress or lack of it with the health authorities.

Because what people are losing sight of is that actually getting coronavirus is really no big deal. It kills a slightly higher number of people than the flu. It's no more dangerous (and probably less so than getting pneumonia. This isn't the black plague people. Personally I couldn't give a f**k if I got Coranivirus.

It kills a significantly higher number of people than the flu. And a significantly higher number of those with coronavirus need to be hospitalized. And there’s no vaccine for coronavirus.

2%. And it’s mainly the elderly.

2% is a lot

20% will be severe

Health facilities will be overwhelmed, putting at risk of complications millions of other patients. Think about all the chemo patients who go to the hospital for treatment every few weeks and are immunocompromosed. Also, the most common genetic mutation in humans, G6PD deficiency, makes one more susceptible to coronaviruses.

It's never good to panic but it's also not good to stick your head in the sand. Rice and beans stockpiles won't save you or us but social distancing and goof hygiene might.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should be testing everyone with flu symptoms or pneumonia.

And we should all be rich and never die. But that just not how it works.

That was what a public expert said in an interview after analyzing the situation. Sounds like the are pushing for more testing now (“any doctor can order the test”).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should be testing everyone with flu symptoms or pneumonia.

And we should all be rich and never die. But that just not how it works.

That was what a public expert said in an interview after analyzing the situation. Sounds like the are pushing for more testing now (“any doctor can order the test”).

Actually it was in the Vox link about. Great read.
What could be done instead is that every hospital should test people with atypical pneumonia for Covid. People with flu-like symptoms — test for Covid.

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2020/3/2/21161067/coronavirus-covid19-china