5 ms·

Live in the Portland area and am coming down with a bad cold that started this morning and is getting progressively worse. I know I’m in a state of paranoia, fr

Live in the Portland area and am coming down with a bad cold that started this morning and is getting progressively worse. I know I’m in a state of paranoia, from checking the news too often, but I can’t help but to have fears of the worst.

microcolonel 7y ago
It's good to pay attention. Be alert, but do not panic. Don't fall into the trap of thinking "it couldn't happen to me". It can happen to you, so pay attention, and figure out what your best course of action is while you are able.
_bxg1 7y ago
Do you have a thermometer? The cold usually doesn't cause a fever and the Coronavirus definitely does.
- burgerzzz 7y ago
  Girlfriend is picking one up at the store right now. A little surprised how hard and fast this came on. Was at a launch party (unfortunately) four hours ago and just had the scratchy throat. Thanks for the concern!
  - hanklazard 7y ago
    Even if you get a fever, still more likely influenza than this coronavirus (though that can still be pretty terrible!). Drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. Call your doc tomorrow if you’re getting significantly worse. I hope you feel better.
    - asveikau 7y ago
      Additionally the flu virus going around this season is a particularly bad one.
      - blackrock 7y ago
        Unless.. the flu is the coronavirus! But the CDC isn’t testing it.
        asveikau 7y ago
        Well, the reason I say this is I caught seasonal flu in the fall, a few months before the coronavirus was discovered in China. It was one of the worst flus I have faced. It was a very body-achy kind of flu, which afaik is not a covid symptom.
- kebman 7y ago
  Pro tip: regular flu also causes fever...
kebman 7y ago
Over here in Norway, people who suspect Covid-19 are urged to call the doctor instead of visiting the emergency room. If there are any local phone numbers for information, I'd call those first. They'll give you a check-list of stuff to verify if you're even a candidate. And if you are, then most likely a health crew will come and visit you with tests. Note: How they go about this may be different depending on your local area's response plan for the disease, though, so listen to local media, or official announcements, or find official information online if you know where. Anyway, if you haven't visited areas known for having outbreaks, then you're most likely just suffering a regular flu. Media coverage of this thing really spreads more anxiety than it's worth. Even in China there's only cases in the tens of thousands, and China has a total population of 1.4 billion people, so the chance of you actually having it is still pretty small. ^^
- _bxg1 7y ago
  > I live in the Portland area [U.S.] > most likely a health crew will come and visit you with tests Pahahahahahahahaha I'm sorry, but that's not how things work here. A man in Miami had to pay $3000 for being administered a Coronavirus test. At a hospital he'd driven himself to.
  - cma 7y ago
    Sounds like he is in a communist medical system. Pandemic prevention is something each person should price in, paying to test themselves individually, in a free market. Externalities are really just regulatory capture from being communist in one way or another, and don’t exist once truly free as in Ayn Rand. /s
    - kebman 7y ago
      Dude! I live in Norway! Bernie speaks highly of my country all the time! xD On the other hand, even in the USA, it is in the interest of the state, and not least your many companies, to defend against this epidemic. Without workers, or much less customers, then I'm afraid a lot of companies are going to go bankrupt. Moreover, supply chains may break down, and you might see shortages. The implications are pretty serious, and so testing shouldn't be a matter of who can afford it. With such a disease, it's everyone's business.
9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago
If you have a runny nose, odds are it's not coronavirus. Most patients only have a high fever and coughing.
bsder 7y ago
Pay very close attention if you have it more than a week and your symptoms start taking a turn for the worse. That's one of the hallmarks of a Covid-19 case going bad. Flu generally should be pretty cleared up by day 10.
ddalex 7y ago
if you sneeze and have a running nose, it's likely not the covid-19 virus - those start with high fever and dry coughing, but no runny nose or sneezing
lidHanteyk 7y ago
Native Oregonian here. It's probably the flu; read the linked FAQ: > Right now, influenza is still circulating in Oregon. It is a much more likely cause of cough and fever than coronavirus. The symptoms of novel coronavirus are similar to flu and other respiratory viral illnesses. Symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Illness can range from mild to severe. The only way to tell what specific germ is causing illness is through laboratory testing. We recommend people with fever and cough be tested for respiratory germs. If a person meets criteria for novel coronavirus testing, providers should call their local health department. Panicking will not help, so don't bother.

microcolonel 7y ago

It's good to pay attention. Be alert, but do not panic. Don't fall into the trap of thinking "it couldn't happen to me". It can happen to you, so pay attention, and figure out what your best course of action is while you are able.

_bxg1 7y ago

Do you have a thermometer? The cold usually doesn't cause a fever and the Coronavirus definitely does.

burgerzzz 7y ago
Girlfriend is picking one up at the store right now. A little surprised how hard and fast this came on. Was at a launch party (unfortunately) four hours ago and just had the scratchy throat. Thanks for the concern!
- hanklazard 7y ago
  Even if you get a fever, still more likely influenza than this coronavirus (though that can still be pretty terrible!). Drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. Call your doc tomorrow if you’re getting significantly worse. I hope you feel better.
  - asveikau 7y ago
    Additionally the flu virus going around this season is a particularly bad one.
    - blackrock 7y ago
      Unless.. the flu is the coronavirus! But the CDC isn’t testing it.
      - asveikau 7y ago
        Well, the reason I say this is I caught seasonal flu in the fall, a few months before the coronavirus was discovered in China. It was one of the worst flus I have faced. It was a very body-achy kind of flu, which afaik is not a covid symptom.
kebman 7y ago
Pro tip: regular flu also causes fever...

kebman 7y ago

Over here in Norway, people who suspect Covid-19 are urged to call the doctor instead of visiting the emergency room. If there are any local phone numbers for information, I'd call those first. They'll give you a check-list of stuff to verify if you're even a candidate. And if you are, then most likely a health crew will come and visit you with tests. Note: How they go about this may be different depending on your local area's response plan for the disease, though, so listen to local media, or official announcements, or find official information online if you know where. Anyway, if you haven't visited areas known for having outbreaks, then you're most likely just suffering a regular flu. Media coverage of this thing really spreads more anxiety than it's worth. Even in China there's only cases in the tens of thousands, and China has a total population of 1.4 billion people, so the chance of you actually having it is still pretty small. ^^

_bxg1 7y ago
> I live in the Portland area [U.S.] > most likely a health crew will come and visit you with tests Pahahahahahahahaha I'm sorry, but that's not how things work here. A man in Miami had to pay $3000 for being administered a Coronavirus test. At a hospital he'd driven himself to.
- cma 7y ago
  Sounds like he is in a communist medical system. Pandemic prevention is something each person should price in, paying to test themselves individually, in a free market. Externalities are really just regulatory capture from being communist in one way or another, and don’t exist once truly free as in Ayn Rand. /s
  - kebman 7y ago
    Dude! I live in Norway! Bernie speaks highly of my country all the time! xD On the other hand, even in the USA, it is in the interest of the state, and not least your many companies, to defend against this epidemic. Without workers, or much less customers, then I'm afraid a lot of companies are going to go bankrupt. Moreover, supply chains may break down, and you might see shortages. The implications are pretty serious, and so testing shouldn't be a matter of who can afford it. With such a disease, it's everyone's business.

9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago

If you have a runny nose, odds are it's not coronavirus. Most patients only have a high fever and coughing.

bsder 7y ago

Pay very close attention if you have it more than a week and your symptoms start taking a turn for the worse. That's one of the hallmarks of a Covid-19 case going bad. Flu generally should be pretty cleared up by day 10.

ddalex 7y ago

if you sneeze and have a running nose, it's likely not the covid-19 virus - those start with high fever and dry coughing, but no runny nose or sneezing

lidHanteyk 7y ago

Native Oregonian here. It's probably the flu; read the linked FAQ: > Right now, influenza is still circulating in Oregon. It is a much more likely cause of cough and fever than coronavirus. The symptoms of novel coronavirus are similar to flu and other respiratory viral illnesses. Symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Illness can range from mild to severe. The only way to tell what specific germ is causing illness is through laboratory testing. We recommend people with fever and cough be tested for respiratory germs. If a person meets criteria for novel coronavirus testing, providers should call their local health department. Panicking will not help, so don't bother.