Yeah, if the fever persists another day or two, she’s going to go to the local urgent care that has tests (it’s one block away). And if she has any trouble breathing she’ll go straight there or to the ER (ten blocks away).
@Oro That’s a good idea on calling the doctor’s office. I’ve thought of that too but seems like we’d have to go to urgent care or ER anyway if she gets worse? And I don’t think the regular doctor has access to tests.
Depending on your areas guidelines, your PCP might have to contact the health department for the test approval? I think it’s becoming more streamlined, but it can’t hurt to loop them in.
I think you still have to call ahead to prevent infecting anyone.
The whole thing reveals what a mess our healthcare system is, and how unprepared and disorganized we are for a pandemic. The guidelines are all different at every medical facility.
Our regular doctor specifically says not to come in and do a virtual visit instead if you have covid symptoms, but they aren’t authorized to do any tests. The local urgent care that has tests also offers virtual visits, but our insurance doesn’t cover virtual visits for this urgent care chain. Only in person visits. The urgent care’s website says to come in with a mask and gloves and notify staff if you have covid symptoms, no need to call ahead.
Maybe I’m old-fashioned/naive, but I just don’t get virtual visits. I absolutely don’t want her to go out and expose people unnecessarily, but how can a doctor really know what’s going on with a respiratory illness without a physical exam and listening to the patient’s lungs? What if her fever is a non-covid secondary infection from the cold/allergy cough she’s had for the last month and she needs antibiotics instead of a covid test? Can they diagnose something like that virtually?
In a normal, non-pandemic scenario, we wouldn’t think anything of going to the doctor for a five-day fever after a prolonged cough to get a proper exam, diagnosis, and treatment. But now there’s so much more to consider. She doesn’t want to infect anyone else if it’s covid or catch it if it isn’t.
Yes, but if they think you have it and you need an in-person visit, they may be able to keep you away from people much better than just sitting in the waiting room with everyone else etc. etc.
Yep, we got told to call the COVID hotline (this is in Australia, I don’t know the equivalent in the US) with any flu symptoms, who will then let you know what to do next. It’s advised not to go to a clinic yourself (unless told by the phone hotline to) because even if you don’t have it, you have a higher chance of catching it there. If you have any shortness of breath though, straight to emergency regardless.
Yeah I will be hitting Lowe’s today so I can finish my chicken coop. Broke a couple tools necessary to complete it properly.
I know there are a number of software people here, so thought I’d share this opensource project in case anyone is in a position to contribute https://www.coepi.org/
Taking a look and checking with my leadership if I’m allowed to contribute.
I have a close friend where it’s likely all three of them (two parents in their thirties, and a 4 year old) have it. They weren’t candidates for testing, but they had all the symptoms. The father is immunosuppressed and has asthma, and while his kiddo and wife have mostly recovered after 10 days, he’s still doing poorly and they’re constantly on the edge of if they should go to the hospital.
Because he’s immunosuppressed, treating him is much harder and he doesn’t display a heightened temperature (common with immuosuppression). I’m scared for him and everyone else.
Good link on grocery sanitation:
A chef I really admire died yesterday from Covid-19. His name was Floyd Cardoz, and he did a lot to encourage people to think of non-Western cuisines as high-end and worthy of respect. He was most recently on the India episode of Ugly Delicious, but he had also been on Top Chef. When I interned at a publishing house, I helped on his cookbook, and my husband and I went to his restaurant in New York last year and met him. He was in his 50s. It makes me so terribly sad. His cookbook is called Flavorwalla if anyone wants to check it out. 
I decided to donate $25 on Kiva to someone in India trying to set up a food stall in his honor.
The city just shut down the entire lakefront because people all ran outside yesterday because it was above 50 degrees and were right fucking on top of each other.
PEOPLE. The lakefront is huge. It is not that hard to stay 6 feet apart.
But people didn’t, people aren’t listening, so now we have lost this indefinitely. The lake is something that’s really helpful to my mental health, and I was looking forward to taking a socially-distant walk down that way when I had time and the weather wasn’t terrible. Wish I could’ve done so yesterday but I had to spend my lunch break on a phone therapy session.
I know this was the right decision, but I am angry about WHY this was the right decision (because people are dumb shits who aren’t taking this seriously.)
I think you and your wife probably have covid, and it would be good to quarantine yourselves at home accordingly. Even if you get a negative test, you can’t rule out it out, because there’s a 30% false negative rate.
I’m rounding on confirmed covid patients, and I’ve informed the building our family is high-risk. I ordered a portable washer, the kind that can hook up to a sink, so we’re not mixing laundry with others. Would it be possible to wear thinner layers (no denim) and hand wash for a few weeks? I told our super he should take precautions with the trash: change clothes immediately and shower afterwards. And would it be possible to ask a friend or neighbor to do a grocery run and contactless drop-off? My local grocery store, Foodtown, will do grocery deliveries. There’s also Amazon Fresh. If you must go out, it would be good to wear a mask and gloves. If those aren’t available, then a scarf or bandanna around your mouth and nose and strict hand hygiene.
If there isn’t formal grocery delivery in your area, check buy nothing. Most groups are still open to essential asks/offers, and that would qualify. Neighborhood to the door grocery delivery is a common one through my group right now.
KP can be a serious piece of shit. This is definitely shittery (especially since that particular med does not seem to actually be very helpful against COVID-19, apparently).
I found the secret to Amazon Fresh! (The only place I’ve been able to get a delivery slot since everyone is slammed).
They seem to open up spots every two hours EXACTLY on the hour starting at 8am. If you refresh the delivery options page at 8am/10am/etc. it will give you ‘limited’ options. Don’t delay in picking that option because it will be gone within 60 seconds.
