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

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

It is important for everyone around him to know. But for him, go to the ER if he is experiencing shortness of breath or trouble breathing. Otherwise, his diagnosis only matters for the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

I would go to the ER and get tested.

[Anonymous]

I am so sorry for your experience. I hope he will get well. Chances are if he did not go to the doctor with the initial cold/flu symptoms but just stayed home he might have been better. Perhaps getting out of the bed strained the system and also might pick up few other bugs at the office. Unless obvious pneumonia and trouble breathing I would not go with flu symptoms that could be managed. You can bring more form there then you take to check.

Which state are you in if you may?

[Anonymous]

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

Tested for what? If it is not flu A or B which might not be then they will just tell okay, it is not flu A nor B.
They will not test for CV because nobody is testing yet outside the few hot spots and also probably per super special channels. Not a regular ER in Anytown will test anyone with pile of symptoms per CDC recs for travel background at this point still right?

[Anonymous]

If he can breathe well, then why go to the ER? Or the doctor?

[Anonymous]

What would they do differently if it was coronavirus and not some other virus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is important for everyone around him to know. But for him, go to the ER if he is experiencing shortness of breath or trouble breathing. Otherwise, his diagnosis only matters for the rest of us.

Yes. Because since at this point there is no known medicine nor widely used procedure in our area then he would be treated for symptoms only. Pneumonia or CV, the same symptom treatment. Whatever symptoms are, they address them individually. For shortness of breath they might do ventilator. Intubation is serious procedure and sometimes not without the risks in itself so it is a thin ice.

[Anonymous]

Where are you, OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he can breathe well, then why go to the ER? Or the doctor?

Because man have legendary much lower pain threshold and go to the doc with much smaller cold symptoms. Not to discount this case because clearly there are issues that need immediate medical attention if the breathing is difficult but otherwise do look up on YouTube "man cold" satire.

[Anonymous]

Someone said somewhere that this current virus is tricky comes to breathing. People who have dry caught might benefit from humidifier. However those who have shortness of breath or trouble breathing, any humid can make it worse. Also with cough, if dry cough and used cough suppressants, can make it worse because body needs to cough, If wet cough the same story but worse, can lead to pneumonia because body can not expel the mucus from the lungs. So those mucus expellers are supposedly okay but not the cough suppressants. Also since this is a viral disease starting with flu like symptoms so in any case the Aspirin is not recommended in any viral disease because it can be deadly. This has been discussed here plenty.

[Anonymous]

Have him call the local paper.

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he can breathe well, then why go to the ER? Or the doctor?

So he cannot spread it? He should quarantine irregardless if he suspects he has it.