| I was halfway through an at-home workout one weekday evening when my boyfriend approached to say that he had a fever. It wasn’t long before I started feeling sick, too.
As a health reporter for Bloomberg News, I’ve been covering the pandemic for months, and it was hard not to jump to conclusions. We live in New York City, the virus’s U.S. epicenter, but our illness seemed to come out of nowhere. We’re in good health and had been working from home. Groaning on the couch, incredibly fatigued, with a strikingly severe headache and stomach unrest, I wondered: Could this be Covid-19?
We strapped on masks and gloves for a trip to a local urgent-care clinic that was doing diagnostic testing. After waiting on a socially distanced line outside, I was seen by a doctor who administered a test using a long swab that went so uncomfortably deep in my nose I was left in pained, stunned silence. I wouldn’t get the results until later, but following a physical exam, the doctor said she was worried I might have appendicitis, which can be fatal if not treated quickly. She advised I go to a hospital emergency room or imaging facility—soon.
A swab used for testing for Covid-19.
Photographer: Bloomberg
That left me in a bind that I fear countless other patients are facing. I wanted to get appropriate care, but the imaging facility was too far to walk, and I didn’t want to take public transit or a cab if I had Covid-19, since it would put others in danger. And if I didn’t have it, going to a hospital would put me at risk. I also didn’t want to strain medical resources with what felt like fairly mild symptoms.
As I sat in the examining room, mind whirling with questions, a big white sign on the wall not far from a canister of Purell underscored how long it would be before I had concrete answers about my Covid-19 results: As many as five to seven days.
It turned out that we didn’t have Covid-19. And because I’m still here typing these words, I’m pretty sure I didn’t have appendicitis, either. The advice of my primary care doctor, who I consulted virtually after the urgent-care visit, proved invaluable in figuring out what to do and ultimately avoiding the emergency room.
Knowing whether you have Covid-19 affects the options patients have as they navigate the health-care system—and has profound consequences for your health and the health of those around you. Testing availability has improved in the U.S., but fast screening is mostly being reserved for the very sickest patients.
We’re still a long way from being able to test everyone and test them quickly.—Emma Court |