Many people are asking what they should do if they think they’ve been exposed to the SARS Co-V2 (virus) and think they’ve contracted COVID-19 (disease), the novel coronavirus. In the video, Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Control and Prevention at The University of Kansas Health System says the first thing to do is get on the phone. He says to call your doctor or your county health department for instructions. He says it’s important not to simply show up at the doctor’s office or a hospital emergency department unannounced. He also says if a medical professional advises you get tested, you can expect a specimen collection. That involves a nasal and a throat swab. The samples are sealed and sent to the state health department for testing and results are usually available within hours. He says it’s important to note that not everyone who tests positive for the SARS Co-V2 virus will develop COVID-19, the disease. Dr. Hawkinson says typical symptoms are fever, cough, shortness of breath and headache. If a test confirms the disease, several options are available, from self-confinement at home to isolation care at the hospital, depending on the individual patient’s needs. If a patient is admitted to isolation for care, they will be in a special negative airflow room to keep the virus from spreading, and staff will treat them wearing special protective equipment.
The video also demonstrates how a specimen collection works, the special protective equipment worn by staff treating a patient admitted to the hospital, and the inside of a negative airflow room.
