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“Is my sore throat, cough or runny nose COVID?”
It is a fear that is familiar to many of us, after more than 3 years of passing the pandemic. You faint, perhaps in a busier area than you would, and a few days later you start to feel. . . a little overdue. (Or maybe you’re just starting to feel untimely in poor health and rude. )
Since many other people in the Bay Area gathered with friends and a select circle of family last weekend to celebrate San Francisco Pride 2023, chances are you’re one of the other people waking up this morning wondering if you have COVID symptoms.
If this is your case, stay calm and read on to learn everything you want to know about COVID symptoms and how to proceed. You can also move to:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these are the imaginable symptoms of COVID:
What about pink eye? The most dominant COVID variants in the U. S. Coming in the U. S. right now are the omicron subvariants XBB. 1. 5 and XBB. 1. 16, and the latter is the one you’ve probably heard of as “arcturus. “It is also the one that can also cause you to have symptoms of conjunctivitis, in addition to the COVID symptoms mentioned above.
Keep in mind that you have a combination of those symptoms, or just one. They may be mild or feel more severe. But if you revel in any of those issues, get a COVID test (more on that below).
If you’ve heard that virus incubation times are getting shorter, i. e. the time between exposure to COVID and a positive COVID result, that’s true. People are testing positive for COVID faster than in 2020, when the average incubation period is five days.
That’s because “the era of incubation definitely changes with variants,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. With the new variant, the incubation era continues to shrink somewhat.
Given this trend, even in the absence of studies on the arcturus variant, “it makes sense that if someone reports symptoms as early as two days after exposure, it deserves to be verified to wait the full five days,” Chin-Hong said. But if you [mark] negative after two or three days, rinse and repeat. “
In other words, if you participated in the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade on Sunday and are now feeling a little in poor health on Thursday, 4 days after the parade itself, don’t wait until Friday (five days) to take the test. Take the test now.
There’s no way to sugarcoat this: locating quick, loose COVID control, whether it’s a household antigen check or a PCR check, is getting more and more complicated at this level of the pandemic, as more and more sites and facilities have been permanently closed. As of June 1, the federal government also ended its flexible service of requesting COVID checks at home through USPS.
If you don’t already have an inventory of COVID antigen tests at home, here are your options:
Buy a COVID antigen check at home at a pharmacy near you
The fascheck option will also be one of the most expensive: buy a home antigen control at a nearby pharmacy. (Ideally, ask someone to buy one for you, so you don’t reveal others to the pharmacy. )These home control kits charge about $20 for a pack of two antigen controls.
If you have fitness insurance, you’ll need to claim reimbursement from your fitness insurance for the charge of up to 8 at-home tests per month, so don’t throw away your receipts.
Find a COVID PCR test near you
The PCR test is more accurate than an antigen test, because it is more delicate at detecting coronavirus lines in its frame, but getting its effects can take longer than with a home test.
Currently, there are still sites offering loose COVID testing in the state. Try using:
If you have health insurance, you may be able to request a PCR test through your health care provider with prices covered.
If you have insurance, touch your provider
If you are insured with Bay Area primary providers, such as Kaiser Permanente or Sutter Health, the simplest option for getting a COVID check would possibly be to book an appointment electronically through your specific provider. Most providers offer online registrations through a member’s login and appointments can also be made over the phone.
For more information on how to get a loose or cheap COVID check near you, please consult the KQED advisor which includes sending a check through the Bay Area County Department of Public Health or at a personal verification site.
You can also read from our consultant about at-home antigen testing in 2023 and its effectiveness.
Paxlovid (pronounced “pax-LOH-vid” or, infrequently, “PAX-loh-vid”) is a highly effective antiviral remedy for COVID, sold over-the-counter in California.
The remedy is quite undeniable and consists of taking an oral tablet twice a day, for five days. There is evidence that this alone can help reduce your chances of having a long COVID, and also help reduce your chances of serious illness or hospitalization, it can also help relieve the symptoms of an infection.
Due to smart supply, the drug is no longer reserved for those who are most at risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID, and everyone is advised to contact a healthcare provider to see if they qualify.
As of February 2023, you no longer need evidence of a positive COVID control to get a prescription for Paxlovid, the resistant antiviral treatment for COVID. Positive check. This means that it is very important to get checked out as soon as you suspect you have COVID.
Find out how to apply for a prescription for Paxlovid, with or health insurance.
If your first initial COVID test is negative, as incubation periods may vary, it may take you a little longer to get a positive COVID test, even if you already have symptoms. Follow Dr. Chin-Hong’s above recommendation to “rinse and repeat. “”, to be sure.
What if you still feel unhealthy and it’s not COVID? Whether you suffer from bad bleeding, it is a very smart concept to stay at home as much as possible, to avoid contaminating other people.
At KQED News, we know it can be tricky to find the answers to navigating life in the Bay Area in 2023. We have published transparent and useful explanations and guides on issues such as COVID, how to cope with a harsh winter, and how to exercise your right to protest safely.
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