Think you have COVID-19? What you need to do
Think you have COVID-19 but not sure? Your test came our positive for coronavirus, now what? IANSlife speaks to Dr. Vikas Maurya, Director and Head, Dept. of Pulmonology & Sleep Disorders, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh to find out what steps you can take incase of such an event.
COVID-19 main symptoms
The main symptoms include fever, cough, and breathlessness. It also includes fatigue, chills, bodyache, headache, sore throat, loss of smell and taste, nausea, and diarrhoea. Some people are more prone for the disease example elderly, diabetics, patients with hypertension, heart disease, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, cancer disease, immunosuppressive therapy, transplant patients, and those who smoke cigarettes. Photo: Pixabay
Steps to follow if you think you have COVID 19
Firstly, if you feel you have COVID 19, have an e-consult with a doctor. Try to avoid going to a hospital. Not only will this significantly reduce the risk of the infection spreading, but it will also prevent you from over exertion. Photo: Reuters
Go for COVID 19 test only after doctors's consultation
Once you have had the consult, the doctor will decide if you need to get a COVID 19 test done. If he feels it should be done, he will write a formal note indicating the same.You can get the test done at the hospital nearest to you or the sample can be collected from your home. Once your sample has been collected you will need to wait for 24 to 48 hours before the result comes. Photo: Pixabay
Follow doctor's advice post-COVID-19 test
Once the result comes, the doctor will advice you on the further steps. In mild cases, doctor`s advice patients to stay at home and quarantine themselves within a single room. If more serious cases, patients need to get admitted into the nearest hospital. They will be put into isolated COVID 19 wards which has a separate staff that only tends to them. Symptomatic treatment is usually advised along with multivitamins. Photo: Reuters
Steps to follow at home quarantine
In home quarantine, the patient can either avail a homecare package for COVID 19 patients or continue e-consults with the doctor who prescribed the test. At home, regular temperature checks along with high fluid intake is of paramount importance. The rest of the family should be completely cut off from the patient - there should be no contact, interaction, a significant distance should be maintained, and shared dishes and other items are a strict no. Photo: PTI
Keep monitoring your symptoms in home quarantine
In home quarantine it is important to keep monitoring if the symptoms are getting worse. If they are it is important to get admitted to the nearest hospital because otherwise the patient`s condition can get aggravated and lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure, septic shock, and death. Photo: PIB
Steps to be taken post-shifting of patient from home quarantine to hospital
Once the patient is shifted to the hospital (in serious cases) or has recovered, his living quarters need to be completely cleaned out and disinfection of all belonging and the entire area needs to be done by professionals. Photo: Reuters