COVID-19: What to Do if You Are Ill
COVID-19 cases are continuing to increase as the virus spreads in our community and throughout the country. We now have evidence of widespread coronavirus transmission in the Los Angeles area, which means that any type of cold or flu symptoms should be treated as a possible case of COVID-19. Most people, especially adolescents, will have only mild illness and can recover at home. Here are some guidelines:
Presume that you have COVID-19 if you have any upper or lower respiratory symptoms. Hallmarks of the illness are fever, cough, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, but you may also have sore throat, muscle aches, runny nose, nausea/vomiting, or diarrhea. Some people have reported a loss of their sense of smell.
Home treatment and precautions:
Rest
Drink plenty of fluids, including water, tea, Gatorade, chicken soup, etc.
Use Tylenol for fever or muscle aches, if needed. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) is not recommended.
Isolate yourself from others in your family.
Schedule a Telehealth appointment with us (established patients only).
Everyone who lives with you should quarantine at home for 14 days. Close contacts (anyone who has been within 6 feet of you for more than 10 minutes, or has had contact with your body fluids/secretions) should also be quarantined for 14 days.
Testing is not recommended for contacts or people with mild illness at this time.
Go to your local emergency department if you have any of these symptoms:
Trouble breathing. What does that mean? Getting winded when going up stairs, or walking to the bathroom. You sound… like this… when you try… to talk. You are unable to complete a sentence without working hard to breathe.
Bluish color on the lips, around the mouth, or beneath the fingernails.
Confusion.
Vomiting to the point where you can’t keep anything down and/or noticing much less urine production than normal (a sign of dehydration).
Anything else that might mean you are taking a turn for the worse or becoming very sick.
Not sure? Call the Torrance Memorial Medical Center 24-hour COVID-19 hotline: 310-517-1111
Torrance Memorial’s Emergency Department is set up to route suspected cases to a designated area, so you don’t need to call ahead. Bring only one person with you. Wear a mask or bandanna if you have one.
If symptoms are of sudden onset and/or very severe, you may need to call 911.
When calling 911, advise the dispatcher that you may have COVID-19. Put on a mask or bandanna if possible.
Covid-19 Resources
Information and recommendations are constantly changing. Visit these websites for updated information:
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
California Department of Public Health
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
Video: Empowering and Protecting Your Family During the COVID-19 Pandemic. This video was recorded on March 22 by intensive care specialist Dr. David Price of Cornell Medical Center. It is one of the best I have seen; a refreshing change from all the doom and gloom. Comprehensive information in an accessible, conversational format (he made the video originally for his friends and family). Includes a reasonable strategy for protecting the rest of your household when someone you live with is infected.