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Comment by outside1234 | Hacker News Reader

I have a brutal cold right now with a ton of congestion and a fever. I am trying decide on if I should go to the hospital here in California - has anyone read anything that helps you make that decision?

I am a Caltrain rider daily and I feel like it is not fair to subject other folks to this if it is a COVID-19 - but I don't also want to overload the health system unnecessary if there are folks with Acute symptoms.

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Advice for England: https://111.nhs.uk/service/covid-19

I don't know what the US advice is, but the English advice is "please don't visit hospitals unless you've been told to do so".

We have people who'll come out and test you if needed, and we have "drive through" testing stations.

Telephone 111 or your GP for advice.

https://twitter.com/DrSdeG/status/1233715830170562561?s=20

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information...

It doesn't seem like CA has a well publicized number you can call for advice (yet?) but you should call your hospital and ask them for guidance instead of going in. I'm currently traveling in Europe and that's been the MO here - you call a hotline and until recently they then told you whether to go in or not and they now come and test you at your home if it's deemed necessary. CA might not have a number or clear process yet but your hospital should at least have some guidance.

Apparently having a runny nose is not common, only 30% of patients had it, but the study was of 40-ish people: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...

Still, a bad cold isn't fair to subject others to, either.

Either way you should call first — speak to a doctor on the phone and get their recommendations.

stupid, mostly-unrelated question: how does 'call a doctor' usually work? do most people have a doctor that they can just call? If I had a need to call a doctor (fortunately I don't at the moment), but don't know any doctors, what should I do?

Assuming you’re in the US and have insurance you can usually go on your insurance company’s website and find a local provider (doctor). You can then just call them up and say you’re looking for a new primary care physician.

Also, many areas have urgent care centers for things that are serious but maybe not emergency room serious.

Unfortunately, cost is a variable in the US and I can’t give any good guidance on that. (Not a doctor, standard disclaimer.)

Good luck with using the insurance company’s website. The doctors they list in my area seem to either be deceased or not accepting new patients.

I'm fascinated that it never occurred to you to STAY HOME and stop infecting everyone in your office with whatever you have, COVID-19, flu, or something else.

If you have a fever it is probably best to avoid exposing yourself to others anyway. There are plenty of other bugs similar to COVID-19 that can kill the vulnerable and there's no need for you to help spread them! Stay home, chill out, wait for the symptoms to pass before going out and you can help stop the spread of these illnesses :)

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