This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/well/what-if-i-have-coronavirus.html

The article has changed 34 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 13 Version 14
What to Do if You or a Loved One Might Have the Coronavirus What to Do if You or a Loved One Might Have the Coronavirus
(1 day later)
As the coronavirus spreads around the globe, the reality is that many of us will probably get it at some point. Fortunately, a vast majority of people will develop only mild to moderate symptoms that will not require hospitalization.As the coronavirus spreads around the globe, the reality is that many of us will probably get it at some point. Fortunately, a vast majority of people will develop only mild to moderate symptoms that will not require hospitalization.
Even so, many people remain frightened about the uncertainty of getting sick with a new disease, and wonder how and when to seek medical care. Here’s what to do if you, or someone in your family, develop symptoms or test positive for infection with the coronavirus.Even so, many people remain frightened about the uncertainty of getting sick with a new disease, and wonder how and when to seek medical care. Here’s what to do if you, or someone in your family, develop symptoms or test positive for infection with the coronavirus.
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 potential exposure. But right now, widespread testing of everyone with symptoms is not happening in the United States. If you have flulike symptoms, you should assume you have the illness and take precautions. Call your doctor for guidance.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 potential exposure. But right now, widespread testing of everyone with symptoms is not happening in the United States. If you have flulike symptoms, you should assume you have the illness and take precautions. Call your doctor for guidance.
If you’re worried (and have symptoms that would send you to the doctor during normal times), call your family doctor and ask for guidance. You can also call your emergency room for advice. The important thing is that you shouldn’t just show up. Hospitals have plans for the arrival of potential coronavirus patients, to protect staff and other patients, so call ahead.If you’re worried (and have symptoms that would send you to the doctor during normal times), call your family doctor and ask for guidance. You can also call your emergency room for advice. The important thing is that you shouldn’t just show up. Hospitals have plans for the arrival of potential coronavirus patients, to protect staff and other patients, so call ahead.
Emergency room waiting rooms are packed with very sick people and overworked staff and doctors. It’s not a place you want to be, and if you show up unnecessarily, you’re taking care away from people who really need it. Before going to the E.R., stop and ask yourself, “Would I go to the E.R. for these symptoms (a cough or fever) under normal circumstances?” In most cases, the answer is probably no. Coughs, fevers, sore throats and runny noses have rarely been an emergency in the past, and those symptoms, even if due to the coronavirus, won’t be an emergency in most cases. Call your doctor.Emergency room waiting rooms are packed with very sick people and overworked staff and doctors. It’s not a place you want to be, and if you show up unnecessarily, you’re taking care away from people who really need it. Before going to the E.R., stop and ask yourself, “Would I go to the E.R. for these symptoms (a cough or fever) under normal circumstances?” In most cases, the answer is probably no. Coughs, fevers, sore throats and runny noses have rarely been an emergency in the past, and those symptoms, even if due to the coronavirus, won’t be an emergency in most cases. Call your doctor.
Patients at high-risk should check in with their doctors as soon as they have symptoms. A doctor who knows your situation can help you navigate the system and advise you on how and when to seek treatment. High-risk patients include the elderly as well as people with asthma or lung disease, or a history of pneumonia, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, a compromised immune system due to illness or a drug therapy, or a person who has recently been treated for cancer.Patients at high-risk should check in with their doctors as soon as they have symptoms. A doctor who knows your situation can help you navigate the system and advise you on how and when to seek treatment. High-risk patients include the elderly as well as people with asthma or lung disease, or a history of pneumonia, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, a compromised immune system due to illness or a drug therapy, or a person who has recently been treated for cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the following symptoms should prompt you to seek emergency treatment.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the following symptoms should prompt you to seek emergency treatment.
Difficulty breathingDifficulty breathing
Persistent pain or pressure in the chestPersistent pain or pressure in the chest
Confusion or inability to arouseConfusion or inability to arouse
Bluish lips or faceBluish lips or face
Any other symptom that is severe or concerningAny other symptom that is severe or concerning
Many people who have the coronavirus will not stay in a hospital and will be isolated at home. If you have all of the symptoms of the virus but haven’t been tested, you should assume you have it and still take precautions.Many people who have the coronavirus will not stay in a hospital and will be isolated at home. If you have all of the symptoms of the virus but haven’t been tested, you should assume you have it and still take precautions.
Caring for someone with mild to moderate symptoms of the coronavirus is similar to caring for someone with the flu. Give them supportive care, fluids, soups and Tylenol, and have them take their temperature regularly. If a person is so sick or weak that he or she can’t eat, drink or go to the bathroom, call a doctor. The World Health Organization has guidelines on home care for patients with suspected or confirmed cases of the coronavirus.Caring for someone with mild to moderate symptoms of the coronavirus is similar to caring for someone with the flu. Give them supportive care, fluids, soups and Tylenol, and have them take their temperature regularly. If a person is so sick or weak that he or she can’t eat, drink or go to the bathroom, call a doctor. The World Health Organization has guidelines on home care for patients with suspected or confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
Yes! The patient should be confined to a separate room with no or minimal contact with the rest of the household (including pets), and should use a separate bathroom if possible. Most of the time, a sick person will feel miserable, but he or she can pick up food trays left at the door and sanitize a shared bathroom after using it. (This may not be the case with young children.) If you have masks at home, both patient and caregiver should wear them when in contact with each other.Yes! The patient should be confined to a separate room with no or minimal contact with the rest of the household (including pets), and should use a separate bathroom if possible. Most of the time, a sick person will feel miserable, but he or she can pick up food trays left at the door and sanitize a shared bathroom after using it. (This may not be the case with young children.) If you have masks at home, both patient and caregiver should wear them when in contact with each other.
Make sure that shared spaces in the home have good airflow by turning on an air-conditioner or opening a window. Don’t share dishes, towels or bedding with a sick person.Make sure that shared spaces in the home have good airflow by turning on an air-conditioner or opening a window. Don’t share dishes, towels or bedding with a sick person.
Updated June 30, 2020
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
[Watch: How to wash your hands][Watch: How to wash your hands]
If a sick person can be isolated in the home, you should try to reduce cleaning in their area as much as possible to avoid unnecessary contact with the ill person. The C.D.C. recommends providing cleaning supplies — tissues, paper towels and disinfectants — for an ill person’s bedroom and bathroom (unless it’s a small child or a person with disabilities). If family members must share a bathroom, the ill person should do their best to clean and disinfect it after each use. Caregivers should wait as long as is practical after use by an ill person to enter and to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces. Always wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning.If a sick person can be isolated in the home, you should try to reduce cleaning in their area as much as possible to avoid unnecessary contact with the ill person. The C.D.C. recommends providing cleaning supplies — tissues, paper towels and disinfectants — for an ill person’s bedroom and bathroom (unless it’s a small child or a person with disabilities). If family members must share a bathroom, the ill person should do their best to clean and disinfect it after each use. Caregivers should wait as long as is practical after use by an ill person to enter and to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces. Always wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning.
If you are sharing spaces with a sick person, you should wear gloves and disinfect door knobs, light switches, faucets, toilets and any other high-touch areas the patient has used. Read the C.D.C.’s guidelines on cleaning and disinfecting a home shared with someone with a suspected case of the coronavirus.If you are sharing spaces with a sick person, you should wear gloves and disinfect door knobs, light switches, faucets, toilets and any other high-touch areas the patient has used. Read the C.D.C.’s guidelines on cleaning and disinfecting a home shared with someone with a suspected case of the coronavirus.
[Watch: How to clean your home during a viral outbreak][Watch: How to clean your home during a viral outbreak]
No. If one person is infected or suspects they have the coronavirus, the sick person should isolate and the whole household should quarantine in the home for 14 days, according to public health officials. If you don’t have a confirmed test, but the family member is exhibiting all of the symptoms of the virus, you should probably err on the side of caution and stay quarantined.No. If one person is infected or suspects they have the coronavirus, the sick person should isolate and the whole household should quarantine in the home for 14 days, according to public health officials. If you don’t have a confirmed test, but the family member is exhibiting all of the symptoms of the virus, you should probably err on the side of caution and stay quarantined.
[Read: A guide on social distancing and self-quarantine][Read: A guide on social distancing and self-quarantine]
Most people will feel better after a week, according to the C.D.C.Most people will feel better after a week, according to the C.D.C.
A hospitalized patient will typically be released after two negative tests, 24 hours apart. But because there is a shortage of tests, many people recovering at home will not receive a follow-up test to determine if they are still contagious.A hospitalized patient will typically be released after two negative tests, 24 hours apart. But because there is a shortage of tests, many people recovering at home will not receive a follow-up test to determine if they are still contagious.
Guidelines are changing rapidly. The W.H.O. recommends that patients isolate for 14 days after symptoms have resolved. The C.D.C. guidelines are not as strict, now saying three things must happen before you can leave isolation after a bout (confirmed or unconfirmed) with Covid-19.Guidelines are changing rapidly. The W.H.O. recommends that patients isolate for 14 days after symptoms have resolved. The C.D.C. guidelines are not as strict, now saying three things must happen before you can leave isolation after a bout (confirmed or unconfirmed) with Covid-19.
No fever for at least 72 hours (that is, three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)No fever for at least 72 hours (that is, three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)
Other symptoms are gone (cough and shortness of breath have improved)Other symptoms are gone (cough and shortness of breath have improved)
And at least seven days have passed since the patient’s symptoms first appearedAnd at least seven days have passed since the patient’s symptoms first appeared
[Read: Frequently asked coronavirus questions and advice][Read: Frequently asked coronavirus questions and advice]