COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

• Symptoms:
  • Include fever and chills, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell, fatigue, sore throat, pink eye, or known recent exposure by a close contact
• Importance of diagnosis:
  • To self-quarantine and prevent spread to others, hospitalization may be required
• Treatment:
  • Often with quarantine, rest and recovery, you may need hospitalization if conditions worsen

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has greatly affected many in the US and worldwide. It is primarily because the transmission of the disease is at a very high rate. Unfortunately, many of the people transmitting the disease don’t even know they have it in the first place. 

Proper and adequate diagnosis is essential in fighting the virus by limiting spread, enhancing contact tracing, and helping patients stay strong enough to fight the illness. Urgent medical centers are well equipped to diagnose and treat this virus, which significantly helps the fight against COVID 19. 

While medical facilities are trying to contain the virus, it is also essential for people to practice preventative measures in the community and in their daily lives against the disease. For starters, people should practice social distancing if they are unvaccinated of at least 6 feet or greater, not congregate, wear masks whenever they are in close contact, wash their hands frequently, and avoid touching their face. 

Fortunately there are now several COVID-19 vaccines that will help prevent people from getting the virus and help to ultimately contain this virus and bring an end to this awful pandemic.  The CDC initially made recommendations to the states in a tiered manner of who should get the vaccine first based on occupation, personal risk factors and age.  However, now the COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available to all across the United States and are strongly encouraged to help protect yourself and other more vulnerable individuals.  There are three approved vaccines and those eligible for at least one vaccine are aged 12 and up as of June 2021.

How is COVID-19 spread?

The virus is primarily transmitted through droplets (coughing, sneezing, talking and singing), which causes person-to-person spread.   There are ongoing questions about some instances of airborne transmission and surface transmission. Currently there are no known cases transmitted through food.  As the virus is very contagious, people need to get tested to know their status to prevent spreading the virus to other people. Fortunately, Urgent Care Centers are now adequately equipped to diagnose coronavirus disease. 

COVID-19 Symptoms

It is very important that patients understand the different symptoms of COVID-19 so that when they experience these symptoms, they can visit urgent care centers for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Some COVID-19 symptoms have been linked specifically to this disease, such as loss of taste and smell, but others are non-specific and resemble the symptoms of many other conditions. Thus, it is impossible for someone experiencing these symptoms to know if they are suffering from coronavirus unless they get tested. The symptoms associated with the virus include:

Fever, cough, loss of taste and smell, shortness of breath, fatigue and malaise, sore throat, and/or a known close contact.

Tell me more about these symptoms…

• Fever. A fever is an increase in body temperature greater than 100.4.  Sublingual (under the tongue) thermometers are often more reliable than those scanning the forehead or ear.  A fever may be a sign that the body is responding to an infection, which could be COVID. When someone has a fever, they may also experience the feeling of chills.  If your temperature increases from baseline over time, with other suggestive symptoms, you should get tested for coronavirus.
• Cough. A cough is a common symptom that could be a sign of allergies or a common cold but can also be a sign of Coronavirus.  A patient with a cough from COVID-19 can increase the risk of spreading the disease to others more rapidly.  When someone experiences this, they should visit the urgent centers for a proper diagnosis to avoid spreading the virus to other people.
• Loss of taste and smell. It is a common and very unique symptom COVID as over 80% of the people diagnosed with the virus experience loss of taste and smell. Interestingly, this may be the only symptom that some patients exhibit.  Patients first experience the loss of smell, but since smell is essential in tasting flavor, they also lose the sense of taste.  COVID testing is highly recommended as this is uncommon in other conditions and very specific to COVID.
• Shortness of breath. It is usually associated with a feeling of inability to take in enough air to rest comfortably or with typical exertion or even feeling suffocated.  When there is a sudden change in breathing at rest or with exertion/exercise, it could also be a sign of the COVID-19. Thus, a person should go for testing and proper diagnosis to avoid spreading the virus to other people.
• Fatigue and general malaise. If you feel more tired than usual or “blah”, this could be a concerning symptom.  Others report feeling achy in muscles and joints. Primarily, fatigue is a common symptom of COVID, and you should get tested at your closest Urgent Care so that adequate measures get taken to prevent the spread of the disease.  These feelings may also occur with the flu and other viruses so getting a correct diagnosis is important.
• Sore throat.  Sore throat with a scratchy feeling or irritation with swallowing can be a finding of several conditions including strep throat or flu but they could also indicate that someone has contracted coronavirus. Hence, if someone experiences a sore throat, with or without other symptoms, or especially with a potential exposure risk, an urgent care can determine the cause and recommend the proper treatment.
• Pink eye.  Pink eye, also called conjunctivitis, presents with red, itchy, swollen eyes and can be a clinical finding in COVID-19.  Take caution by washing your hands and avoid touching your eyes and face during the day.  Wearing contact lenses with good hygiene practices appears to pose no additional risk as initially thought.
• Close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.  The CDC defines close contact as spending greater than 15 minutes or multiple shorter interactions at a distance of less than 6 feet with an infected individual.  While outdoor location can help reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, it does not eliminate your risk.

Why You Should Go To An Urgent Care Center To Get Medical Care for COVID-19

If someone experiences any of the above conditions, it would be best to visit an urgent medical care facility to properly diagnose your illness.  Urgent Cares are fast, convenient and staffed with skilled providers to determine the cause of your symptoms.  The providers can advise you the best course of action for your health and well-being and that of your family, friends, coworkers and anyone else you may have been in contact with prior to your illness.

What will be recommended by the Urgent Care?

• Testing to detect the COVID-19 virus is typically a nasal swab (up the nose) or nasopharynx (throat) PCR test.  Some testing requires more than a day to result, while other innovative testing is point of care in order to receive results much more quickly, such as rapid test results in 15 minutes.  Finally some tests use saliva or spit as the way to test the patient.
• Stay home. If someone has contracted a mild case of coronavirus, the doctor is likely to advise them to stay home and quarantine themselves for up to 14 days while they recover depending on symptoms. This is essential as it helps control the disease, preventing it from spreading to other people.  The CDC has guidelines for a shorter quarantine which can involve viral testing and your urgent care can assist with these needs.
• Quarantine may not be required for vaccinated people (at full immunity after two weeks of final dose) or in those patients who have had COVID in the past few months. We recommend following the most recent CDC guidelines or your doctor’s advice.
• Alert close contacts. The urgent medical center doctors should also encourage the patient to tell their close contacts if they have been diagnosed with COVID 19. A close contact is generally defined as someone that lives with you, or with whom you have spent 15 minutes at a distance of less than 6 feet.  Being indoors greatly increases the risk of transmission but being outdoors does not protect you completely either.  Importantly, this alerts the people in contact with you to be cautious and consider testing as well. 
• Taking care of yourself.  Getting adequate sleep, eating healthy vitamin-rich foods, and avoiding alcohol can strengthen the immune system while fighting the infection and improve outcomes in patients.
• Wearing a mask covering both the mouth and nose. Anyone who has tested positive should wear a mask and quarantine in the household to avoid transmitting the virus to other people who live with you.  Even if you have tested negative, you are advised to quarantine and wear a mask for the duration of the timeframe that you could infect others, as a negative test does not mean that you will never get the virus, but rather that you do not have it at that point in time.  The peak is typically 4-5 days after contact but can be upwards of 10-14 days.

What if I start to feel worse after a diagnosis of COVID-19?

• Stay in touch with your medical providers. Staying in touch with providers is also important because people who have contracted a mild disease can also get worse with time and may require advanced testing or hospitalization.
• Advanced treatment may be needed in a hospital setting. People who develop severe infections or have baseline lung or heart conditions, often will need to be hospitalized. Thus, if someone with an underlying condition experiences a symptom or constellation of symptoms of COVID, they should get tested as soon as possible so that they begin treatment as early as possible.  Don’t wait!
• It is still possible (although much less common) for individuals who have been vaccinated to get COVID.  Often these individuals will have a much less severe form of COVID, as the vaccines have drastically reduced hospitalization rates.

Tell me more about the COVID-19 vaccine

• COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested for safety and efficacy.  Currently as of June 2021 there are three vaccines authorized for use.  Both the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 and the Moderna COVID-19 do require two doses in order to achieve maximum immunity and it is important that the second dose is taken.  Full immunity is considered to be achieved two weeks after the second dose.  The third vaccine, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, is a single dose.  The Pfizer-BioNTech has been approved for ages 12 and up and trials are continuing for younger children.
• None of the vaccines contain live virus so they cannot actually make you sick.  Also, the vaccines on the market do not contain common allergens of eggs, latex or any preservatives.  After your vaccine, you will be monitored for any immediate adverse reactions although these are exceedingly rare.  The most common side effect is local pain at the injection site.  Others include short-lived symptoms of fatigue, headache, chills and/or fever.
• The duration of immunity from the vaccine will be determined as more information is gathered.  Similarly the number of Americans needed to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity (and protect those who cannot receive the vaccine) is being researched at this time.

What is antibody testing?

• COVID-19 Antibody testing can be performed to confirm past exposure to or infection with the COVID-19 virus.  Antibodies are like memory cells in the body and are detectable in blood by various mechanisms including a blood draw or fingerstick sample of blood. Researchers are still determining the level of immunity to a future exposure that these antibodies give to individuals and how long this is effective.

The Takeaway

As nerve wracking as the thought of having COVID-19 symptoms can be, rest assured that your local urgent care is well equipped to conduct the testing that you need and provide guidance to help you navigate the best path to keep yourself and others safe.  This may mean quarantining at home or seeking additional medical care.  Every person needs to play their role to help contain the virus.