Do You Need to Go to the Hospital for COVID-19 Symptoms?

If you’ve started experiencing the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), you’re probably wondering what you should do next. You may be asking yourself whether you need professional treatment at all, and if so, whether you need to get yourself to the nearest emergency room as quickly as possible.

Chances are good that you can skip the ER visit. Most cases of COVID-19 produce relatively mild symptoms, and as such, don’t require hospitalization. Common COVID-19 symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

In some cases, however, COVID-19 can cause life-threatening symptoms that require emergency care, such as:

• Difficulty breathing
• Bluish coloring in the lips or face
• Persistent chest pain or pressure
• Sudden confusion
• Severe drowsiness

If you’re experiencing any of these more severe COVID-19 symptoms, you should call an ambulance or make other arrangements to get to the closest hospital as soon as you can. If possible, call the hospital before you arrive so that the staff can begin any necessary preparations.

What If You’re Not Experiencing Life-Threatening Symptoms?

So, what should you do if you’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms but they’re not life-threatening? Unless your symptoms worsen, you’ll likely be able to treat them at home. Some common at-home remedies for COVID-19 symptoms are:

• Resting
• Taking over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen
• Drinking water and other fluids to prevent dehydration

You’ll also want to reach out to your primary care physician or a local urgent care provider to ensure that you’re following the right treatment plan for your specific condition.

While you’re recovering, it’s important to isolate yourself from the public and from other members of your household who haven’t been infected with the virus. You should continue isolating yourself until you haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours; your respiratory symptoms have resolved; and either 10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared or you’ve taken two COVID-19 tests and received negative results at least 24 hours apart.

COVID-19 Urgent Care Near You

If you’re experiencing mild COVID-19 symptoms, you don’t need to look far for urgent care treatment. PhysicianOne Urgent Care is pleased to offer COVID-19 testing and treatment at our 23 immediate care centers across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. You can click here to learn more about our COVID-19 testing options.

To minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19, we’re pleased to offer telehealth virtual visits. Once you’ve requested an appointment, we’ll meet with you over our secure video conferencing platform, which you can access from a video-enabled phone, tablet, or computer. Once we’ve had the chance to speak with you about your symptoms, we’ll provide you with personalized recommendations and answer any questions you may have. Most insurance carriers cover telemedicine services, and for patients who don’t have insurance, we also offer a $50 flat rate per session (which is significantly less than what you could expect to pay for an ER visit).

Contact PhysicianOne Urgent Care today if you have questions about COVID-19 virtual visits or any of our other services.