The world is on edge. Suddenly, every cough or sniffle that we once wouldn't have batted an eyelash at has us all googling symptoms of the new coronavirus disease. We're feeling extra afraid, especially if we're over 60 or have other health issues. While most of us will recover from COVID-19 if we get it, the more vulnerable populations have a lot to worry about. It makes total sense that all of our alarm bells are going off.
Another challenge is that it's the end of cold season and the beginning of allergy season. So it doesn't help that COVID-19 can resemble allergies, the common cold, or the flu. Or it can look like absolutely nothing. You could be walking around without any symptoms at all and still have the virus. Even if you aren't terribly worried about your own health, you can transmit it to others whose health might be more precarious. To say this is a confusing time to know whether you're healthy or not would be a massive understatement.
To make matters worse, you can't be running off to the doctor over every sniffle when there could be other people with the virus sitting in waiting rooms. Plus, experts are advising us to stay home and treat symptoms unless we urgently need help, have other health conditions, or are in the vulnerable age group.
The only real way to diagnose the new coronavirus is by getting tested. But there some important symptoms we should all be on the lookout for.
As a parent, I've been on high alert, especially because my kids have pretty much been sick on and off most of the winter. Now all of the sudden their coughs and sniffles are a bit frightening. Practically every time I hand one of them a tissue, I feel my anxieties spike.
I also feel a little … off. But practically everyone I know feels a little off, which leads me to believe that our anxieties might also be playing tricks on us. That's probably a good thing, however, because if we're on edge, we're going to stay cautious and vigilant. However, we also don't want to be paranoid for weeks on end.
Now is a good time to rely on what we know, rather than everything we don't. Purvi Parikh, MD, is an allergist with the Allergy & Asthma Network. She says that it's not likely that minor coughs, like the ones my kids have had practically since the weather turned chilly, are related to the coronavirus.
"Kids frequently have coughs — we are looking for cough with a fever over 100.4," Dr. Parikh told LittleThings. "Just cough alone may be a cold or seasonal allergies/asthma since that has started this time of year, as well. " It's certainly tricky, though, given it's the end of cold season and the beginning of allergy season. So for many, it may feel like a bit of a guessing game.
That put my mind at ease a bit in reference to my own kids' health. Chances are, they're hanging onto their winter colds. They don't have fevers, so that alone makes me feel a bit of relief.
Since we are not planning on running out to get tested because we are not in the category of the most vulnerable populations and do not plan to be around anyone else, we'll just have to wait it out like everyone else. We'll exercise caution and be doing our dutiful social distancing. Like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say, we will stay home and treat any symptoms we are experiencing.
Still, I'll be looking out for other symptoms. Dr. Parikh says the main things we should be paying attention to are high fevers, dry cough, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Kids often get low-grade fevers for a variety of reasons, but this fever would be anything over 100.4.
I know that after a few days of social distancing, my kids are going to get bored. In fact, we'll all be bored. So I asked Dr. Parikh about playdates, which I know is on a lot of parents' minds right now. She said we don't have to be completely quarantining ourselves but rather social distancing, which essentially means doing only what we absolutely need to do, like going to the grocery store — but not socializing for fun.
"Social distancing is enough," Dr. Parikh said. "However, we are currently discouraging playdates as part of social distancing — kids are known vectors for COVID that can make adults very sick." That, and kids aren't very good at staying 6 feet away from one another if they're in the same room. No playdates is going to be pretty tough, but we're going to stick to it as long as we have to.
There are still so many unknowns when trying to determine whether or not you may have the coronavirus. Patients really need to understand what to look out for and reach out to their health care providers if their symptoms are consistent with the ones Dr. Parikh mentioned. Still, we have to understand that plenty of us may have COVID-19 and not be showing symptoms at all.
Sitting at home and waiting it out is tough. Knowing the symptoms is key. And for now, so is patience.
