Call your doctor if you might have coronavirus, experts say. But many don’t have one
If you’re worried you have coronavirus, experts say you should call your doctor.
But it’s not so simple for some.
Amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19, which has infected at least 100 in the U.S. as of Thursday, health experts emphasize that anyone who thinks they have the virus should call their primary care provider to discuss symptoms and the next steps before going in for a visit.
But that advice may pose a problem for the many Americans who don’t have one.
A December study done by researchers are Harvard Medical School found that fewer Americans have a primary care doctor than in years past.
Researchers analyzed data spanning from 2002 to 2015 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s annual Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, The Harvard Gazette reports.
In 2002, 77 percent of adults in the U.S. had an “established source of primary care,” researchers found.
By 2015, it had dropped to 75 percent.
That 2 percent difference represents “millions fewer Americans” who have primary care, The Harvard Gazette reports.
So what happens if someone without an established doctor thinks they have coronavirus? There are options, health experts say.
If symptoms are extreme, such as severe shortness of breath, unresponsiveness, an ashen or blue look or low blood pressure, 911 should be called immediately and the patient should be taken to an emergency room, The Washington Post reports.
In milder cases, those who don’t have a primary care doctor can call a nearby urgent care clinic or emergency room.
This may be the best option for those who do have primary care access if symptoms don’t warrant calling 911 but need quicker attention, experts tell The Washington Post.
Regardless of where you decide to go, it’s imperative to call ahead to prevent spreading the virus to others.
Health care providers of all kinds, including those at primary care offices, urgent care clinics and emergency rooms, should be prepared to care for a coronavirus patient, USA Today reports.
Most important is the “identification, isolation and appropriate transfer” of COVID-19 patients wherever they come for care, Dr. Daniel Varga, chief physician executive at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, told USA Today.
In some states, it may be possible to be tested for the COVID-19 at home.
In North Carolina, which reported its first case of the virus Tuesday, at-home tests for the virus are available, Kelly Connor, spokesperson for the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, told McClatchy News.
Despite the options available to those without primary care, the trend is still concerning.
“Continuity of care — having a provider who knows you, and knows your history — is very important,” David Levine, a Boston physician, told HealthDay News.
Additionally, patients who have primary care doctors are more likely to get “high-value” care, the study found.
“Primary care is the thread that runs through the fabric of all health care, and this study demonstrates we are potentially slowly unweaving that fabric,” Levine told the Harvard Gazette. “America is already behind the curve when it comes to primary care; this shows we are moving in the wrong direction.”
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Call your doctor if you might have coronavirus, experts say. But many don’t have one."
