The woman who had the virus detailed how her symptoms started. First was the severe headache. If you don't normally get severe headaches, that's something to look for. I never have dry coughs. That's something else to watch for.
Weekend before last I had a terrible headache for 3 days - not at all like my usual migraine presentation, accompanied by serious digestive upset and a temperature consistently 2 degrees higher than my usual 97. I also had some upper back pain and tightness in my chest.
I spoke to my primary care doctor and she advised she couldn’t refer me for a covid test because of the protocol for the limited testing available in my area. She advised I should keep monitoring my temperature daily and call her back on Friday with an update, which I did. She also recommended I mask outside my house before the CDC made that the standard recommendation for the public - basically that I should act like I had covid and could transmit it to others.
I am so frustrated and angry that testing is in such limited supply; the immense relief I would feel knowing I’d had it and was in recovery could not be overstated. I’m sure millions of others would feel the same - especially since some modeling now indicates that 10s of millions of Americans have already contracted the virus. They need to get the damned testing ramped up and antibody testing online ASAP. I don’t understand why this is so hard here when other countries are making it happen much faster. I suspect it’s somehow about money and that makes me crazy angry.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
she couldn’t refer me for a covid test because of the protocol for the limited testing available
Until widespread testing becomes available not just for the clearly sick but for the general population, (with all the success we've had with mitigation, California continues to lag badly with testing) as well as antibody testing, it is not even minimally rational to talk about any kind of major relaxation of mitigation protocols,...
Somebody needs to explain this to the Moron-In-Chief, who's talking rubbish about, "opening the country with a bang"...
I’ve heard over and over that one of the big issues with the limited testing is a shortage of the swabs required and in some cases of the reagents required. Apparently a major worldwide manufacturer of the swabs was located in northern Italy and is now offline or at vastly reduced capacity.
Wouldn’t a responsible federal response have already utilized the DPA for the testing kit supplies as well as for PPE supplies? As far as I can recall hearing or reading, he has only used it to mandate GM produce ventilators - very important, but far from all that is needed to tackle this crisis.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
I’ve heard over and over that one of the big issues with the limited testing is a shortage of the swabs required and in some cases of the reagents required. Apparently a major worldwide manufacturer of the swabs was located in northern Italy and is now offline or at vastly reduced capacity.
Wouldn’t a responsible federal response have already utilized the DPA for the testing kit supplies as well as for PPE supplies? As far as I can recall hearing or reading, he has only used it to mandate GM produce ventilators - very important, but far from all that is needed to tackle this crisis.
Abbott Labs is now making a smaller piece of test equipment available that might show up near you. That would be a fast test. It's designed for non-lab use.
"The new Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 test runs on Abbott's ID NOWTM platform—a lightweight box (6.6 pounds and
the size of a small toaster) that can sit in a variety of locations.
Because of its small size, it can be used in more non-traditional places where people can have their results in a matter of minutes, bringing an alternate testing technology to combat the novel coronavirus.
We're ramping up production to deliver 50,000 ID NOW COVID-19 tests per day, beginning next week, to the U.S. healthcare system."
If I had my peak experience of the virus two weeks ago, I assume I’m fast approaching the point where I would test negative except on an antibody test.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
Darren, really - I’m not a moron. I work in healthcare. I’m under care of a licensed physician. I really don’t require random guy on internet diagnosing me.
And FYI, if you are stuck on that symptom, you’re missing a shitload of people with mild covid, as per a volume of medical/scientific literature out there now.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
Well duh, because trouble breathing is a sign of possible viral pneumonia and that’s when you go to the hospital after consult with your doctor - or not, depending if your doctor is returning calls.
I’ve been monitoring my O2 sat for two weeks now to be careful, because in some cases folks go from mild to very compromised in a very short time, and low O2 sat can present in some folks without immediate ‘felt’ symptoms.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
