What If I Feel Sick?
Frequently Asked Questions During The Coronavirus Pandemic
What symptoms should I look for?
Common symptoms of this infection include fever, a dry cough, fatigue, and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. The illness causes lung lesions and pneumonia. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common.
Patients may also exhibit gastrointestinal problems or diarrhea, and Dr. Neill said we are learning about different symptoms as we go. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure. However, some symptoms may appear in as fast as two days in some people, while other people may show symptoms in as many as 14 days.
What should I do if I feel sick?
If you think you’re sick as a result of the novel coronavirus, you can first help safeguard your loved ones and your community by staying home, except to get medical care.
The current C.D.C. guidance recommends that you call a medical professional if you notice symptoms and:
Live in or have traveled to an area with a known coronavirus outbreak
or
Have had close contact with someone who has traveled to an area with an outbreak
or
Have had close contact with anyone infected.
Don’t rush to the emergency room — it is most likely packed with very sick people and overworked employees and doctors.
When you call your doctor, he or she will advise whether you should come in. If you do, calling ahead of time will help the doctor prepare for your visit and prevent the spread of the virus to other people in the office. Be sure to wear a mask when you go to the doctor’s office and when you’re around other people. If you cannot find a mask, you can create a makeshift one from a scarf or a T-shirt.
The C.D.C. also suggests that you avoid public transportation, ride-sharing services and taxis, and that you separate yourself from other people and animals in your home as soon as possible. That means not letting anyone enter your room and, ideally, not sharing bathrooms. Others should stay more than three feet away from you and avoid any surface you might have coughed on or touched, including doorknobs, plates, cups and towels. Disinfect the environment as much as possible.
Many state health departments have set up hotlines for people who want more information, but long wait times have been reported. Eventually, specific coronavirus testing centers may be set up.
It’s very possible that even if you have the virus, you will never be tested for it. This is frustrating to people who have symptoms and want to know if they should isolate themselves and warn their friends about exposure.
If you live in In New York City, you can call this hotline: 1-888-364-3065
Do you think you might have COVID-19? Take this assessment to see what your symptoms demonstrate and what you need to do next.
What if someone in my family gets sick?
Follow the same steps listed above if you think your children, or anyone else in your household, may be infected. Children infected with the new coronavirus tend to have mild or no symptoms, and it is unclear how easily they transmit the disease to other people.
How does this compare with the flu?
The coronavirus seems to be more deadly than seasonal flu and very contagious. Early estimates of the coronavirus death rate from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak originated, have been about 2 percent, while the seasonal flu, on average, kills about 0.1 percent of people who become infected. But children appear to be more affected by the seasonal flu.
By contrast, the 1918 flu had an unusually high fatality rate, greater than 2 percent. Because it was so contagious, that flu killed tens of millions of people.
How does the coronavirus spread?
The new coronavirus seems to spread very easily, especially in confined spaces like homes, hospitals, churches, and cruise ships. It appears to spread through droplets in the air and on surfaces from a cough or a sneeze.
Whether a surface looks dirty or clean is irrelevant. If an infected person coughs and a droplet lands on a surface, a person who then touches that surface can become ill.
A study of other coronaviruses found that they remained on metal, glass and plastic from as little as two hours to as many as nine days. But there is good news: The virus is relatively easy to destroy using any simple disinfectant or bleach.
Droplets can sit on the surfaces of latex gloves. Some experts suggest wearing cloth or leather gloves that absorb droplets and are bulky enough to discourage you from touching your face.
Why do some people get very ill but most people don't get ill?
About 80 percent of people infected with the new coronavirus have relatively mild symptoms. But about 20 percent of people become more seriously ill. In about 2 percent of patients in China, which has had the most cases, the disease has been fatal.
The disease can seriously sicken adults of all ages. According to a report of the first recorded cases in the United States, young, previously healthy adults can develop severe symptoms that could require ventilators and other life support. These patients may still have a better chance at survival. Older, frailer people, or those with underlying health issues (like diabetes or another chronic illness) face the greater likelihood of dying from the virus.
Is there a cure? Is there a vaccine?
There is no approved antiviral drug for the coronavirus, though several are being tested. For now, doctors can recommend only the usual remedies for any viral illness: rest, medicine to reduce pain and fever, and fluids to avoid dehydration.
Coronavirus patients with pneumonia may also need oxygen and a ventilator if breathing trouble worsens. Some patients who appear to be doing well have a “crash” in the second week of illness.
An experimental vaccine for the coronavirus may be ready for testing in humans within a few months. But even if it is approved, it will take much longer, at least a year, before it is available for widespread use. In the meantime, experts are urging people and their children to get a flu shot.
Here Are Some Helpful Links:
Have More Questions? Read This NY Times Article for More Information
More Information About Coronavirus Symptoms from the Centers for Disease Control
