COVID Self Diagnosis

[Jules]

Our home tests said negative but they expired a month ago. Almost every drug store around here is still closed due to Ian. So before I try to find a medical center open here...

This thing hit me Sunday. Fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, followed by vomiting, congestion, fever, chills, sweating, diarrhea, can't sleep, can't get out of bed, diziness. It wasn't until I took some Tylenol that I felt like getting out of bed. But it was enough to wake me up to the fact we needed to evacuate. I can't remember being this sick.

It's now Thursday and things aren't much better. Still need Tylenol to keep the fever at bay, still using OTC meds for cough and congestion. Any help is appreciated. My thinking isn't very clear now. Thank you.

 

[Marty Gingras]

Our home tests said negative but they expired a month ago. Almost every drug store around here is still closed due to Ian. So before I try to find a medical center open here...

This thing hit me Sunday. Fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, followed by vomiting, congestion, fever, chills, sweating, diarrhea, can't sleep, can't get out of bed, diziness. It wasn't until I took some Tylenol that I felt like getting out of bed. But it was enough to wake me up to the fact we needed to evacuate. I can't remember being this sick.

It's now Thursday and things aren't much better. Still need Tylenol to keep the fever at bay, still using OTC meds for cough and congestion. Any help is appreciated. My thinking isn't very clear now. Thank you.

Do you know if your blood oxygen level and heart rate are normal for you?

 

[Jules]

Do you know if your blood oxygen level and heart rate are normal for you?

No idea on blood oxygen. Heart rate is normal.

 

[Marty Gingras]

No idea on blood oxygen. Heart rate is normal.

Good about your heart rate. My daughter is a Physical Therapist who worked on many hospitalized COVID patients. For sure she'd say you almost certainly have COVID, should see a Physican ASAP, and will hopefully get some therapy (e.g., Remdesivir) ASAP. The disease often lingers like a mother...

 

[Steam Flyer]

No idea on blood oxygen. Heart rate is normal.

A widget to read your blood oxygen level is about $35 at any chain pharmacy. Commonly called a "pulse/ox" because they read your pulse too.

If your heart rate is normal and you don't fee winded or short of breath, not panting, as part of your fatigue, then you're probably OK but I think these are handy things to have in the drawer.

Old-fashioned aspirin is as good as any modern pain reliever, and it helps avoid blood clots too. If you're already on blood thinner then disregard.

 

[Jules]

A widget to read your blood oxygen level is about $35 at any chain pharmacy. Commonly called a "pulse/ox" because they read your pulse too.

If your heart rate is normal and you don't fee winded or short of breath, not panting, as part of your fatigue, then you're probably OK but I think these are handy things to have in the drawer.

Old-fashioned aspirin is as good as any modern pain reliever, and it helps avoid blood clots too. If you're already on blood thinner then disregard.

We're in Tampa now, far from where Ian struck but everything here is still closed.

 

[basketcase]

We're in Tampa now, far from where Ian struck but everything here is still closed.

best of luck....

 

[Steam Flyer]

We're in Tampa now, far from where Ian struck but everything here is still closed.

Well, hell, it's just the day after. Weather is probably as nice as it's been for months. But I hope your home is OK and you can go back soon... cleaning up and rebuilding is going to be a massive job.

 

[ShortForBob]

Our home tests said negative but they expired a month ago. Almost every drug store around here is still closed due to Ian. So before I try to find a medical center open here...

This thing hit me Sunday. Fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, followed by vomiting, congestion, fever, chills, sweating, diarrhea, can't sleep, can't get out of bed, diziness. It wasn't until I took some Tylenol that I felt like getting out of bed. But it was enough to wake me up to the fact we needed to evacuate. I can't remember being this sick.

It's now Thursday and things aren't much better. Still need Tylenol to keep the fever at bay, still using OTC meds for cough and congestion. Any help is appreciated. My thinking isn't very clear now. Thank you.

Hi jules, I wouldn't be too concerned about your RATs being a couple of months out of date.
Take one daily if you're worried.

Bad time to be really sick.

recipe.
Take 3 or 4 thick skinned lemons and boil them, all skins included to get the lemon oil out, with a couple of tablespoons of honey.
The lemons should be well boiled but you can keep adding water to the brew as you drink it.

toss in a nip of brandy and an aspirin on drinking.
dunno if the Brandy does anything other than making us feel "grown up"

My Grandma and My Mum used this, I've always dosed myself with this and my kids (minus the Brandy)
seems to help a lot with the general "I want to die" feeling and keeps your fluids up better than OTC stuff

and sleep.

 

[ShortForBob]

Oh and Jules,
You know you can take ibuprofen every 4 hours in between the Panadol every 4 hours?

It will be better for any inflammatory aches and pain

 

[gptyk]

American for Panadol: Tylenol (Acetaminophen)

 

[Mid]

the common flu has been extremely nasty this year . and multiple doses common

 

[Raz'r]

Jules, take care. Covid's no joke so find a clinic or some testing.

 

[slug zitski]

Our home tests said negative but they expired a month ago. Almost every drug store around here is still closed due to Ian. So before I try to find a medical center open here...

This thing hit me Sunday. Fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, followed by vomiting, congestion, fever, chills, sweating, diarrhea, can't sleep, can't get out of bed, diziness. It wasn't until I took some Tylenol that I felt like getting out of bed. But it was enough to wake me up to the fact we needed to evacuate. I can't remember being this sick.

It's now Thursday and things aren't much better. Still need Tylenol to keep the fever at bay, still using OTC meds for cough and congestion. Any help is appreciated. My thinking isn't very clear now. Thank you.

Don’t know

but my double Covid boosted brother , 68 years old , got Covid a few weeks ago

similar to the common cold , lasted 48 hours , took about a week to get back to fighting shape

 

[EYESAILOR]

For sure she'd say you almost certainly have COVID, should see a Physican ASAP, and will hopefully get some therapy (e.g., Remdesivir) ASAP. The disease often lingers like a mother...

It is good advice to see a Physician. If your PCP is not open, your local ER will have an internist. There are also many online primary care physicians nowadays which take most insurance including medicare and medicaid.

Do not take any therapy such as Paxlovid unless you have tested positive for Covid and spoken to a physician. Remdesivir is intravenous so you are unlikely to be a candidate unless there are reasons not to use Paxlovid.

You have two immediate priorities:
1. Take a second covid test. The quick, self-test antigen tests are available in most pharmacies and even several grocery store chains.
2. Schedule an appointment with a PCP , either online or in person .....or failing that, visit your local ER.

The good news is that as long as they are stored in a cool dry place , these tests last beyond their sell-by date. However.....the lesson learnt here is that everyone should keep a couple of up to date covid tests at home. The time when you need them, is also the time when you least feel like driving to the pharmacy to pick them up. Even for a healthy under 35 year old....the first three days can feel awful.

 

[EYESAILOR]

Don’t know

but my double Covid boosted brother , 68 years old , got Covid a few weeks ago

similar to the common cold , lasted 48 hours , took about a week to get back to fighting shape

Gotta love that booster. Glad he made such a swift recovery.

 

[ShortForBob]

We're in Tampa now, far from where Ian struck but everything here is still closed.

How're you going Jules?

 

[syeven112]

I hope you are doing just fine now. Covid's impact on health will remain for years to come and we must be prepared to deal with those symptoms. you should go for a check-up every month(that's what most health professionals advise). and start asking doctors to provide you with organic medicines like CBD Oil which is extracted from plants. It really helps in post-symptoms of coronavirus. A new study published in Science Advances reports evidence that cannabidiol can inhibit infection by SARS-CoV-2 in human cells and in mice( SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.)

 

[d'ranger]

https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/covid-19-at-home-tests-expiration-date-science

Good article on how long those test kits are good for - the good news is longer than originally thought.

 

[Grog]

https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/covid-19-at-home-tests-expiration-date-science

Good article on how long those test kits are good for - the good news is longer than originally thought.

The "Best before ..." date is in most cases a legal requirement that on one hand hand actually works but on the other hand can be pretty wasteful. As far as foodstuffs go, I think "Best before ..." does not mean "DEADLY AFTER ...". When in doubt, I let my nose decide and when this seems somehow, even slightly, undecisive, I toss the product in question.

However, on any expired product where judging a bad scent doesn't work, like chemical or medial stuff, I tend to stick to the better safe than sorry policy and don't use it.

Then again, epoxy stored dark, cool and dry seems to be working just fine even a few years past the stamped on expiration date, at least for my RC plane stuff (not using that on boats). And still, I wouldn't be taking chances here with any medical products, especially when resupplies are readily available.