Covid-19? - should I get tested? (1 Viewer)

p5woody

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I have been fighting a severe headache the last few days. I have now developed a low grade fever, sore throat, body aches, and feel like total crap. No cough and my lungs seem okay, is there any benefit of being tested to verify? I am being told it could take 12-15 days to get results because the labs are backed up. This seems like a waste of time if I have to wait that long. I work from home and have pretty much quarantined myself since march, and I wear a mask when I do leave the house.

Additional information if it matters: I am 52, Diabetic, and I have a wife and two 20-something kids at home. Everybody else is fine
 
I have been fighting a severe headache the last few days. I have now developed a low grade fever, sore throat, body aches, and feel like total crap. No cough and my lungs seem okay, is there any benefit of being tested to verify? I am being told it could take 12-15 days to get results because the labs are backed up. This seems like a waste of time if I have to wait that long. I work from home and have pretty much quarantined myself since march, and I wear a mask when I do leave the house.

Additional information if it matters: I am 52, Diabetic, and I have a wife and two 20-something kids at home. Everybody else is fine
Hate to hear that. I know here at the prison they have a rapid tester that can give results in 15 minutes but I'm not sure about the accuracy.
 
I got tested and it took 12 days total including weekends to get results back. I also had a headache and sore throat and results came back negative. I went to a CVS pharmacy.
 
If being diabetic puts you in a higher risk category it might be worth looking into.

A test definitely wouldn't hurt.
Any benefit finding out 12 days later? Assuming I will either be better or much worse by then.
 
Regardless of how long it takes to get results, get tested.

Get lots of rest, drink lots of fluids, and take it easy until you're feeling better. Call your doctor if you feel worse suddenly, thinks can change on a dime with this virus. Quarantine at least a week until after symptoms resolve, and wear a mask and wash your hands. Good luck and get well soon!
 
Any benefit finding out 12 days later? Assuming I will either be better or much worse by then.
There's no real benefit, but just presume that you have it and proceed as if you do. Your experience with your symptoms, however severe (or not) can help us understand the progression of the virus down the line if you turn up positive.
 
Yes, I think you should get tested anyway. If you wait a week and your symptoms get worse, you'll still need to be tested but the wait time starts then, pushing the results date out a week.

I'm so sorry to learn that you're sick and hope that it's nothing serious. You know the drill: Drink plenty of fluids, get lots of rest, yadda yadda.
 
Yes. The sooner you test, the sooner you get results. I went through CVS and it’s free.
 
I have been fighting a severe headache the last few days. I have now developed a low grade fever, sore throat, body aches, and feel like total crap. No cough and my lungs seem okay, is there any benefit of being tested to verify? I am being told it could take 12-15 days to get results because the labs are backed up. This seems like a waste of time if I have to wait that long. I work from home and have pretty much quarantined myself since march, and I wear a mask when I do leave the house.

Additional information if it matters: I am 52, Diabetic, and I have a wife and two 20-something kids at home. Everybody else is fine
You are in a high risk category and showing all the early symptoms - you need to be seeing a health care professional NOW, and I mean RIGHT NOW
 
Yes, you definitely should. See if any Urgent Care centers have rapid testing by you, I know some by me during our current peak are offering these and were even covered by most insurance.

Either way, hope you are alright! Stay safe.
 
Sorry to hear Woody - I would get tested, mostly because of this:

Yes, I think you should get tested anyway. If you wait a week and your symptoms get worse, you'll still need to be tested but the wait time starts then, pushing the results date out a week.

I'd also reach out to your primary doctor for a recommendation. When we were going through the thick of things here in NJ, most of the time they told you stay home as long as your breathing was OK, but this way you're at least on your doc's radar. Good luck my friend, shooting some prayers your way that it doesn't get any worse.
 
Hope you are okay and feeling better soon! I would get tested either way and buckle down for some quarantine and doctor's suggestions on care asap!
 
Get a pulse oximeter if you can, and watch your blood oxygen levels. If they drop below 90 get yourself to a hospital stat. Silent hypoxia is a very real risk with this disease, sometimes without any other symptoms.

Quoted to second a VERY good idea. I just went through a very scary situation with my wife last month. She ended up in the hospital with bacterial pneumonia after being sick for about a week and a half and also going to the ER at the start of the week because of a very high temp. She was on high flow oxygen at 100% for almost four days and hovering around 91% oxygen saturation. That’s very close to a breathing machine and had we waited any longer might be what she needed. If we had had an oxygen monitor we might have been able to catch it a little bit earlier.

Oxygen levels are everything when you are dealing with illness in the lungs and you can get into trouble real quick. She got sent home with one, it’s very cheap and something that is going to be a permanent member of the household in the same drawer as the thermometer and all that other stuff for life now.

Feel better dude, thoughts from my household to yours.
 
Felt yucky last week. Smoked a bunch of cuban cigars and feel right as rain. Hope you feel better soon. I'm not a doctor.
Hot toddies and Irish coffees (and sometimes just bourbon) works for me.
 
I agree with the above folks, call your doctor, and get tested. hope you feel better soon.
 
If it were me, I'd get tested and isolate from the rest of the family if you have a possible setup for that. I had a friends wife test positive and the doc told her to isolate for 10 days and everyone quarantine for 14 days. They came out of it with her recovering and no one else in the family testing positive. Her symptoms were severe headache, low grade fever, and fatigue.
 
Seek medical advice. Asking your forum buddies for advice seems like a very poor second choice.

I see no benefit to knowing one way or the other several weeks out, but your doctor might. Assume you are covid-19 positive and self-isolate. Get medical advice / care from your doctors. If they want you to get tested, get one.

This isn't a risk free choice. Going for a pointless covid19 test "just to find out" will expose you to all the risks inherent at the testing site. But don't rely on us for the decision, ask your doctor.

No matter your testing decision, you should assume you have contracted covid19 and self-isolate. By the time you get test results back, it will be too late to take proper preventative measures.

Oh - be sure to ask your doctor(s) what they recommend. PCF people mean well, but we are not subject matter experts. On the other hand, your personal physician(s) are the best people to ask. Also, you might find they have access to faster testing results than you might find at a public clinic.

This is no time to dither. Call your doctor's office tomorrow. Please -=- DrStrange
 
I would recommend getting tested, as well as everyone in your immediate household. Perhaps it's possible that the labs will prioritize results for persons with symptoms rather than asymptomatic contacts of positive cases? Even if the results are delayed, knowing whether you're negative or positive may yield some useful info. For example, if you're positive and get through the first couple weeks, then it is possible you've got acquired immunity for at least a few weeks.

(But to be honest we have NO IDEA how long immunity will last nor if it's robust enough to protect you from re-infection in general.)

I hope that you'll be feeling better really soon. Stay as healthy as you can with the routines that you can do, i.e. healthy eating, healthy exercise, etc.
 
I have been fighting a severe headache the last few days. I have now developed a low grade fever, sore throat, body aches, and feel like total crap. No cough and my lungs seem okay, is there any benefit of being tested to verify? I am being told it could take 12-15 days to get results because the labs are backed up. This seems like a waste of time if I have to wait that long. I work from home and have pretty much quarantined myself since march, and I wear a mask when I do leave the house.

Additional information if it matters: I am 52, Diabetic, and I have a wife and two 20-something kids at home. Everybody else is fine
Oh man... I think u should. My gf & I actually got Covid last month. We got the usual achy body, chills, coughing. Our fever never went over 101 though & I lost my sense of smell & sense of taste for almost 16 days. I was worried about my gf because in April 2019 she received a kidney & liver transplant. Thankfully, we battled it well & haven't had any symptoms in over 3 weeks.
 
Get tested Woody. After you've recovered, the test will be no good as it only works for active infections. If anything it's peace of mind for you.
 
Seek medical advice. Asking your forum buddies for advice seems like a very poor second choice.
But you’re a doctor!

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