Top 10 Tip: Strep Throat During the Coronavirus Emergency Care
While strep throat is usually not what you would term as a medical emergency, is can be seen in discussions on the same over at frontlineer.com, there are instances when it can be quite serious and may require a visit to the ER. This has taken more importance owing to the fact that sore throat is a symptom of coronavirus, hence why it is important to know how to deal with strep throat during the coronavirus pandemic, something this article, with the help of the folks over at frontlineer.com, will look to help with by highlighting the top 10 tips for the same.
It could actually be COVID-19
What you may think is strep throat may actually be a symptom of the coronavirus given that, as mentioned above and discussed in detail over at frontlineer.com, sore throat is one of the symptoms of the condition. You should therefore check to see if you are exhibiting any other symptoms of COVID-19 such as a fever, dry cough among others covered over at frontlineer.com. If this is the case, call your doctor so that you know how to proceed.
Know when to seek emergency services
With ERs swamped due to the response to COVID-19 as seen in discussions over at frontlineer.com, it is important that, as another tip for dealing with strep throat during the coronavirus pandemic, you know when to seek emergency services. The warning signs for strep throat include difficulty swallowing, high fever, excessive drooling in children, strep throat that has lasted for more than 3 days, pus at the back of the throat as well as red splotches on the tonsils, as is described in detail over at frontlineer.com.
Call 911 in advance rather than showing up at the ER
As a tip to aid the response to the coronavirus, one designed to reduce its spread, it is recommended that, rather than showing up at the ER when looking for emergency care services for your strep throat, you should call 911 in advance. This, as per the gurus over at frontlineer.com, allows the emergency services to prepare for our visit, making sure that you are not exposed or don’t expose others to the coronavirus.
Remember, ERs and hospitals are safe
As is seen in discussions over at frontlineer.com, many people who need to be coming in to ERs for emergency care services are staying away due to fear of exposure to the coronavirus. To make sure that this trend is reversed, it is important to note that ERs and hospitals have put in place measures that will ensure that their patients are kept safe from exposure to the coronavirus, with COVID-19 patients being treated in separate wings in the facilities.
Remember also to disclose your COVID-19 status
If you are experiencing a strep throat emergency, and have tested positive for COVID-19 or you suspect that you could be positive, make sure you disclose this information when dialing for emergency care services. According to the gurus over at frontlineer.com, this will ensure that the responders and emergency personnel that attend to you are aware of your condition and therefore take the requisite measures to protect themselves.
Call 911 or your primary care provider when in doubt
If you are unsure if your strep throat case is an emergency or not, to be on the safe side as per the gurus over at frontlineer.com, you should call your primary care provider for medical advice on how you should proceed given your symptoms. If you are unable to find your doctor, another course of action is to call 911 and ask for advice. This will ensure that you make the right decision and that you don’t end up suffering any unwanted consequences.
Telemedicine
Given the importance of leaving ERs open for those who really need it, another way you can seek treatment for your strep throat is through telemedicine, which is discussed in great detail over at frontlineer.com. This is a great avenue to get treatment while at the same time staying home hence stopping the spread of the coronavirus. You will even get access to the relevant medication, with prescriptions being sent to a pharmacy of your choice, which is important as treatment for strep throat is mostly through medication.
Urgent care
Other than treatment through telemedicine, another avenue for treatment of cases of strep throat that require treatment but are not emergencies is by visiting an urgent care clinic near you. Urgent care clinics, as per discussions on the same over at frontlineer.com, have got the capabilities to treat most cases of strep throat, except probably the most serious ones and will ensure that you receive treatment while leaving the ER open for those who really need it such as COVID-19 patients experiencing serious symptoms.
Don’t take your situation lightly
Given that strep throat cases are not normally that serious as revealed in discussions on the same over at frontlineer.com, the temptation may be to take the situation lately, more so in the current coronavirus crisis. This is why, as another tip on how to deal with strep throat during the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to note that serious cases of strep throat can lead to some very nasty complications and as such should never be taken lightly.
Know your level of risk
As is also discussed over at frontlineer.com, there are certain groups of people who are at an increased risk of suffering severe complications as far as strep throat is concerned. They include those with a compromised immune system such as those with HIV/AIDS among others. If you fall in any of these categories and are suffering from strep throat, you should at the very least be in constant communication with your doctor so that you can be monitored closely. You should also call seek emergency care if your symptoms get worse.
It is our hope that this article will be of great help to you as you aim to deal with strep throat during the coronavirus pandemic. For more information on this and other related topics, make sure you visit the brilliant frontlineer.com.
