COVID-19 Symptoms and Testing: When to Test, Rest or Get Care

What it involves

MedlinePlus describes COVID-19 as a respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It spreads most readily within about six feet, when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, talks or breathes out droplets and very small particles. Most people have mild to moderate illness, while older adults and people with certain health conditions are at higher risk of severe illness.

Who this is for

• Adults with fever, cough, sore throat, body aches or loss of taste or smell who want to know what to do next
• Patients with diabetes, heart, lung or kidney disease who are at higher risk of severe illness
• People who tested positive at home and want to talk about symptoms and what to watch for
• Anyone exposed to COVID-19 who is deciding when to test and how to protect others

What to expect

• Questions about your symptoms, when they started, any exposure and your health conditions
• An exam that includes your temperature, breathing and chest, and a check for signs that need emergency care
• Advice on testing, such as a home self-test or other testing your provider recommends
• A plan for rest, fluids and warning signs, and a talk about antiviral medicines when your risk is higher

Symptoms MedlinePlus lists

The encyclopedia lists fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, a stuffy or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea, and says the list is not complete and may change with new variants. Some people have no symptoms at all. Symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure, most often around day 5, and you can spread the virus without symptoms. The cold versus flu guide, the loss of smell and taste guide and the sore throat guide cover the overlap.

Types of tests

MedlinePlus says a viral test tells you if you have a current infection. Rapid tests, often antigen tests, give results in minutes and some are self-tests for home use, while laboratory tests such as PCR can take days. An antibody test might show a past infection. It advises buying a self-test authorized by the FDA, checking your local health department, or contacting your provider. A negative result does not mean you should stop protecting others. Samples are taken with a swab from the nose or throat.

Who is at higher risk of severe illness

MedlinePlus says older adults and people with certain health conditions have a higher risk of severe illness. The listed conditions include moderate or severe asthma, cancer, COPD, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, kidney, lung or liver disease, obesity, smoking, a weak immune system and pregnancy. The practice lists diabetes management among its services, and the asthma guide and the COPD guide describe how breathing conditions are followed.

Care at home and treatment

For people recovering at home, MedlinePlus says supportive care helps relieve symptoms and severe illness is treated in the hospital. If you test positive, your provider may recommend antiviral medicines, which work best when started soon after infection, within about 5 to 7 days depending on the medicine. National Institutes of Health guidelines recommend against chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, and MedlinePlus advises taking only medicines prescribed for COVID-19. The same-day sick visit guide explains what a visit looks like. Adults who want a regular provider for a respiratory illness and a follow-up afterward can call the family and internal medicine office in West Palm Beach to ask about an appointment.

Protecting others and vaccines

The encyclopedia says COVID-19 spreads mainly through close contact, can spread through the air in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation, and less often through touching a contaminated surface and then your face. MedlinePlus adds that a COVID-19 vaccine can reduce the risk of severe illness and hospitalization. The practice does not list vaccines among its services, so ask your provider where to get one. If you are unsure where to go for care, the sick visit, urgent care or ER guide can help you choose.

When symptoms last

MedlinePlus says many people get better within days or weeks, but symptoms that last at least three months may be long COVID. It describes tiredness, fever, cough, trouble breathing, chest pain, palpitations, trouble thinking and concentrating, headaches, sleep problems and stomach symptoms, and says most people slowly improve. If symptoms linger, the fatigue guide, the brain fog guide, the persistent cough guide and the shortness of breath guide describe how each is worked up.

Sources

• MedlinePlus: COVID-19 (health topic)
• MedlinePlus: COVID-19 Testing (health topic)
• MedlinePlus: Coronavirus disease 2019 (medical encyclopedia)
• MedlinePlus: Long COVID (health topic)
• MedlinePlus: COVID-19 Vaccines (health topic)