Covid-19 question?

[Johnny2X2X]

Should I be concerned? Here's my situation.

I work for a large corporation with offices all over the world. Early last week I had lunch with my old boss who has been living and working in Shanghai for the last few years, he had just returned a few weeks before. Yesterday and today I have developed a cough and my lungs are hurting and obviously congested.

When would you go to the doctor? Do you think they're going to quarantine me? Self quarantine?

Are there even tests available in Michigan now?

[virgogal]

1. Call your local health department,DU is hardly the place for that type of info.

[matt819]

7. Yep

Good idea.

I saw something online yesterday, I think it was Washington State. They had a form for medical practitioners to use to determine whether and when to test for COVID-19. Some very specific questions on travel, contact, dates, symptoms, etc. Unfortunately, because we no longer have a functioning national government, this is probably not something that has gone nationwide yet, and it probably doesn't matter because even if it were determined that you should be tested, we have no clue as to where the testing kits are, the costs involved in deploying and administering them, and on and on.

So. . . it makes sense to check with your state's health department to see if there's a coherent plan there, or if they can direct you to a specific facility that can deal with this.

And, of course, there' always the call your doctor approach. It's possible that some practices have a protocol in place to deal with situations such as yours.

Of, if you're independently wealthy, self-quarantine.

[Lars39]

2. fwiw, I'd go to the doctor,

but give them a heads up about being around your boss. Let them know to where he had traveled.
The hospital-clinic I go to has changed their question to, “Have you been near anyone who has traveled oversees recently?”

[lark]

3. Damn, sorry to hear this!

I would go to the doctor if I had a fever as well as your other symptoms & wear a mask just in case. Hopefully it's not Covid-19, but think you need to find out. Sorry I don't know anything about the availability anywhere, but I'd bet your doc's office know that and will gladly share the information.

[elleng]

4. Talk to your doc now,

and as suggested, check with your local health department.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. I second the recommendations from other DUers

Offhand, I'd say that you might well have been exposed

[dalton99a]

6. If you don't have a fever, you probably don't have COVID-19.

(Something like 90% of diagnosed cases in China had a fever 37.5°C or higher)

[Tucker08087]

8. I'm so sorry.

I’m afraid these questions and situations will occur in many of our lives during the next month or two. Better to err on the side of caution. Even if it’s not Corona Virus, it sounds like you may have an URI, or possibly bronchitis, and may need antibiotics. And a negative test will put your mind at ease. Keep us posted. Take care of yourself.

[CanonRay]

9. Sorry this happened

but get to your health department

[Johnny2X2X]

10. Thanks everyone, I've contacted my primary care physican

Waiting to hear back from her, but she usually responds within a few hours.

Some background. My old boss was living in China with his wife and daughter the last 2-3 years. When this started he sent his wife and daughter home and thought he'd wait it out. He left in part because he was running low on food and called the delivery service for groceries and they were closed, the local market was also closed. So he caught the next flight out and landing at LAX. Everyone on his flight were brought into a room at Customs where their passports were reviewed. They simply asked him a couple questions like, "Have you recently been to Wuhan?" and then they were all allowed to proceed through the airport to catch their connecting flights. No health screening of any kind.

He worked from home for a couple weeks of his own accord, but then was back at the office approximately 3-1/2 weeks from the time he arrived back.

They were doing nothing at US airports to stop the spread, nothing.

[dalton99a]

11. He's probably safe.

Typical incubation is only 5 days, although quarantine is 14 days to cover the range

What happened at the airport was stupid beyond belief.

[Johnny2X2X]

13. Thanks

I've read that the quarantine could be as many as 27 days. Incubation of 5 days would seem about how long after I came into contact with him before I noticed some symptoms. Every time I get sick, in any way, it's always proceeded by a couple nights of bad sleep, I've slept horrible Sunday and Monday and started feeling run down Tuesday and yesterday and today have a cough developing and some chest congestion.

Like I said, 6 weeks ago I would have thought, darned, I've got a mild cold coming on. But now...

[defacto7]

12. Temp is important. Over 101 call the doc.

[Johnny2X2X]

14. No temp at all

This sucks. I just want to do what is most responsbile.

[defacto7]

17. Any doubt call the doc.

They won't quarentine you though unless you meet other criteria than you mentioned.

[Johnny2X2X]

18. Thanks. I appreciate that

I'll be seeing my doctor this afternoon or tomorrow, her scheduler is calling me back.

[Act_of_Reparation]

15. Don't take medical advice from an internet forum.

Call your doctor. See what they say.

[moriah]

16. Agree with DU's assessment that we are not doctors.

That being said:

1) Does your doctor/health care plan offer a telemedicine offering for cold/flu season? My Medicare plan partners with Teladoc, and that is one way to get a medical opinion without exposing anyone other than yourself. Also to get antibiotics to prevent a secondary pneumonia, and they can call the script in to a local pharmacy with delivery. Explain you don't want to sign for it to spread the germs and they can probably make an x for you.

2) If they don't have an actual telemedicine thing, see if you can call and ask for them to call in something and let them know how you are/if there's a specific way they want to handle this. They may want you to come in after hours, if you know that you had contact with someone returning from Shanghai. Or how they would generally handle any cold/flu. They may want cold/flu people to come in during specific hours, or have a walk-in hour and just have you sit with a mask on in the waiting room (reducing your chances of spreading it to others).

Either way, talk to your doctor, describe your symptoms, and follow their advice.

Best of luck!

[applegrove]

19. Call right now.

[Johnny2X2X]

20. Talked to my doctor.

Basically I don’t meet the criteria to be tested and it doesn’t sound like they have tests anyway. I have a bad chest cold is what it feels like. No fever.

[Ms. Toad]

22. Call your local health department. n/t

[Ms. Toad]

21. Local health department first.

They are the ones generally in charge of quarantines, and with the most access through a chain of entites to the CDC