Coronavirus Q&A: The progression of COVID-19 symptoms
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - With more than a dozen cases of coronavirus in Yuma County, a Sunset Health Nurse Practitioner answers the community's questions on the virus.
Crystal Jimenez sat down with Nurse Practitioner, Laura Spindola, and asked her a wide variety of questions in relation to COVID-19.
Q: What is the progression of symptoms of coronavirus?
A: "The first week people get a cough, they start to get really tired, they get a fever for 3-5 days. The fever goes away and by day 7 or day 8 they start to feel shortness of breath. It's hard to walk to their car, hard to get through their day, to their normal job. It's hard to walk from the kitchen to their room and not feel winded. That's the progression. The second week it's more lower respiratory symptoms, and the cough is still there but not as much. Usually there's no fever, it's just the heaviness in the chest and not being able to take a good long breath.
Q: If you live with family, how should you isolate yourself?
A: "Ideally you would isolate yourself in your house with your own bathroom, and no one else there if you have the coronavirus. If you have children or family, and you don't have the financial means to isolate yourself in that way, then ideally you would isolate yourself to your room. Wear a mask anytime you leave your room, wipe down touched surfaces with bleach solution . Try not to share a bathroom with anyone else if it is possible."
Q:Is there some truth to the virus can be spread by just breathing?
A: "Droplets can be spread, and droplets carry the virus. Droplets can be spread by laughing, singing, talking. It's spit right? So anything that carries spit can carry the virus. Breathing generally doesn't carry droplets from outside of the mouth very far."
Q: Would you recommend for everyone to wear a mask?
A: As of today, CDC's official recommendation on who should wear masks was changed to everyone. They recommend cloth masks for everyone in public.
Q: If I was in quarantine for 14 days, how do I know if I can go back to work?
A: The official position from the CDC is if you have to wait seven days form the first day of symptoms. You also have to at least be fever free for three days without the use of any medications that would help the fever go down.
Q: Is it true if you let your fever run you're helping to kill the virus?
A: Not really, you want to help your body by bringing the temperature down because if you have too high of a temperature it can actually harm the brain. For children you should never let a temperature get over 103 degrees because it can cause seizures.
Q: What is the testing process for coronavirus?
A: There is priority testing across the nation because of limited testing kits. The test is done with a nasopharyngeal swab. It's basically a long q-tip that your healthcare provider will enter in your nose, and they swab around a little bit. It's then put into a little sample tube and that goes straight to the lab.
