Think you have coronavirus but can’t get tested? Here’s what you should do
If you think you have coronavirus but your symptoms aren’t severe and you’re not considered “high risk,” you may not be able to get tested. But there are still important steps to take.
Getting tested for COVID-19 has never been as simple as walking into your doctor’s office, getting swabbed and getting your results. But as the virus continues spreading in the U.S., tests are in increasingly higher demand, meaning healthcare providers have to be more frugal with how they use them.
Some states are reserving their test kits for people who have severe symptoms or who are members of high risk groups, such as older adults and those with underlying conditions, NBC reports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have some guidelines for who should be tested, but decisions are largely left up to state health departments and individual providers when it comes to how to prioritize testing.
So what should you do if you think you have COVID-19 but aren’t able to get a test? Here’s what experts say.
First, it’s important to remember that if you’re healthy, not in an age group that would put you at a higher risk and don’t have severe symptoms, knowing you have the virus won’t change anything in terms of treatment.
“A lot of the reason we test for the flu is we have something to give you if you test positive,” Rochelle Walensky, chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, told CNN. “But this isn’t like the flu. We don’t have anything specific to give you for coronavirus.”
Instead, people who think they have COVID-19 but have mild symptoms should recover at home.
It’s crucial to stay home if you think you have coronavirus, the CDC says. Don’t go in public places or take public transportation and, if you live with others, stay away from them as much as you can. If possible, have a designated “sick room” in your home, use a separate bathroom and avoid sharing common household items.
The only time you should leave your home is to get medical care, in which case you should call your provider ahead of time, the CDC says.
While you’re recovering at home, the CDC says to wash your hands often, regularly clean the surfaces you touch a lot and wear a face mask if you do have to be around others in your home.
It’s also important to monitor your symptoms, stay in contact with your doctor and know when you need to seek medical attention.
A fever and a cough are common symptoms, but if you start having trouble breathing, have persistent pain or pressure in your chest, develop “new confusion or inability to arouse” or have bluish lips or face, you need to get medical attention, the CDC says.
Call your doctor before going in or, if it’s an emergency, call 911 and let the operator know you may have the virus.
The suggestion to call your doctor if it gets severe is the same for the flu or any other “respiratory ailment,” doctors tell CNN.
“If you’re in this group, you’re not in trouble. Whether you have flu or COVID-19 or some other respiratory virus, we anticipate you will do well,” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told CNN. “But should you develop any symptoms that show you’re getting worse, particularly if you have any difficulty breathing, you will call us.”
It’s also important to know when it’s safe to come out of isolation.
Those who can’t get a test to determine if they’re still contagious can leave home after they meet all three criteria outlined by the CDC.
▪ No fever for 72 hours, without the help of fever reducers
▪ Other symptoms, such as a cough, have improved
▪ It’s been at least a week since the first symptoms appeared
But Walensky told CNN it’s important to continue social distancing even after you’ve recovered, whether from coronavirus or something else.
“Everyone should be social distancing,” Walensky told CNN. “Where in God’s name are you going?”
This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Think you have coronavirus but can’t get tested? Here’s what you should do."
