Do I need to get tested? Or just wait it out?

aglaohfour

Joined: Jul 22, 2002

Posts: 10,351

User Profile

Private Message

Ignore User Stop Ignoring

How long do you want to ignore this user?

24 hours One week Permanently Cancel

12:33p, 10/18/20

AG

Woke up Friday morning with my throat on fire and a temp of 100.5. Took a look at my throat and had the telltale white spots so I went to my PCP right away. She came out to my vehicle and did a throat swab for strep and said a covid test wasn't necessary because I had no other symptoms. Strep test was positive, I began amoxicillin Friday afternoon.

My throat pain is completely gone and throat looks clear. But over the course of the day yesterday I began to develop both nasal and chest congestion and a cough. The mucus I'm blowing out/coughing up is thick, but clear. Temp hasn't gone below 101 since yesterday morning, even with fever reducers. I'm also sneezing incessantly between coughing fits and I have a pretty bad headache. Pulse ox is 97%. I'm pretty miserable, but not dying.

Under normal circumstances I'd chalk this up to a bad cold and just tough it out, but I'm thinking that I should get tested so we'll know if the rest of my household needs to stay home. Thoughts?

cone

Joined: Mar 13, 2002

Posts: 62,030

User Profile

Private Message

Ignore User Stop Ignoring

How long do you want to ignore this user?

24 hours One week Permanently Cancel

In reply to aglaohfour • 12:45p, 10/18/20

AG

I would get tested

3

Kool

Joined: Feb 2, 2015

Posts: 4,843

User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring

How long do you want to ignore this user?

24 hours One week Permanently Cancel

2:43p, 10/18/20

AG

Telling you that you shouldn't get tested was not smart. Plenty of people are strep carriers and will always test positive. The reliability of Strep tests is very poor. Furthermore, just because you have ticks does not mean that you don't also have fleas, if you catch my drift. And recently having had ticks certainly would not preclude you from having fleas in the future. In fact, knocking your immune system down with a streptococcal pharyngitis would probably make the likelihood of symptomatic COVID increase. Just an opinion.

There is certainly no harm in assuming that you have contracted the coronavirus. Isolate until 10 days, with resolution of symptoms or, if you cannot do that, isolate until you get a PCR test.

No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.

3

1 edit

bigtruckguy3500

Joined: Nov 11, 2007

Posts: 11,102

User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring

How long do you want to ignore this user?

24 hours One week Permanently Cancel

2:52p, 10/18/20

Agree with Kool.

Although, at this point, the primary advantage of testing would be to notify close contacts within 48 hours of you developing symptoms that you have COVID and that they should either get tested 7 days after exposure from you, or quarantine themselves for up to 14 days from last exposure with you.

If testing would not change anything for you or you have no potential close contacts, then there's not much utility in it. Just assume you may have it and isolate for 10 days from symptom onset like Kool said.

4