March 19, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
Do you have the symptoms of COVID-19 (coronavirus)?
Fever, cough, shortness of breath?
If so you need to see your health care provider for an evaluation
https://www.wjle.com/corona-virus-interview/
“You must exhibit one of the symptoms, fever, shortness of breath, or cough and then you must have a negative swab for influenza A & B which can be done in your physician’s office. You also have to be screened for strep either with a white blood cell count or a strep screen or swab. If you don’t have strep or influenza but you have one of those three symptoms then you can be virus tested,” said Dr. Hugh Don Cripps in a WJLE Radio interview on Wednesday.
“If you are suspected of having the coronavirus but the test is not back you should be quarantined in your home until you get the report back which usually takes two days. If the test comes back and its not that (coronavirus) it may be some other infectious disease like influenza or strep. We have seen patients who thought they had it (COVID-19) but didn’t. Still if you have fever, cough, or other symptoms you should be home. You should not be spreading the disease especially if you test positive, “ he said.
The older one is the more susceptible and vulnerable he or she is to the disease.
“If you are young, healthy and have minimal symptoms you may not get any medication except some cough syrup and Tylenol but if you are older and have shortness of breath, pneumonia, ARDS, low oxygen saturation, then you are going to be admitted to the hospital. So the first thing you do if you think you have it (coronavirus) is see a doctor either at the emergency room, your family doctor, or whoever you see,” Dr. Cripps continued.
Precautions are being taken at the local hospital and clinics to protect all including health care providers.
“In our office (Family Medical Center) we are letting one provider each day, wearing personal protective gear including gowns, N95 masks, goggles, etc., see those who have a fever and think they may have an issue. Everybody else is seeing their regular doctor. We’re letting those who think they may have the problem (COVID-19) come in one door and we have even put up tape to keep people and social distancing at least six feet apart. We’re trying to do it in a responsible way and still be of service because the emergency room couldn’t see everybody if we had to get going big . We’re even strapped sometimes during flu epidemics to see everybody. And at the local hospital everybody has to come in one door through the emergency room and all including every nurse and doctor has to have their temperature checked and answer a questionnaire before they can even come in,” said Dr. Cripps.
So far no confirmed cases of coronavirus has shown up in DeKalb County.
“We have done several tests from our office since Lab Corps and others started offering tests. Lab Corps is where we have been sending our tests and we have been getting them back within four days. So far every test we have done has been negative. I think we have tested maybe seven or eight. The biggest risk factors number one is age, especially age over 70. The second biggest risk factor is cardiovascular disease. Heart disease. Heart failure, heart coronary artery blockage, having a history of heart attacks, etc. The third largest risk factor is pulmonary which would be asthma, COPD, pulmonary emphysema. Those are the big risk factors. And if I were age 80 or older the most important thing I would do is stay away from everybody if it is not necessary to be around them. Get somebody to do your food shopping. Have them leave the food at the door or don’t let them get within six feet of you. If you do things like that you should make it through fine. But you are better off if you are at home than if you are in a nursing home or retirement home because you are not around as many people,” said Dr. Cripps.