PRICE IS RIGHT M
OST PHYSICIANS ARE SAYING THE SAME thing,” says Dr. Timothy Price, MD, who treats a number of LGBTQ patients in the District. “Rather than go to a doctor's office, or making an appointment, someone should contact their provider by phone and discuss their symptoms and let the medical provider make some recommendations about the best way to proceed. "What we don't want people doing is showing up in doctor's offices, emergency rooms, or urgent care centers, and infecting back, which is resulting in providers trying to triage cases and other patients or the medical providers that might be in that set- testing only those who are the most severely sick. To combat ting. They need to forewarn people before they present." the spread of the virus, public health officials have been implePrice, himself a member of the LGBTQ community, says menting restrictions designed to force people to self-isolate, many doctors are taking precautions by reducing face-to-face something with which Price agrees. visits and employing telehealth in "I think all people, to the largest degree possible, order to protect patients and medishould be isolating themselves and not be around other "In other countries most people, or certainly in crowded situations," he says. cal providers alike from contracting the virus. of these epidemics have "The only way we're going to stop the spread of this is Price notes that symptoms of by people taking personal responsibility to keep thembeen lasting for about COVID-19 infection are largely a selves healthy, and from a public health perspective, fever of more than 100.5 degrees, a three months or more. ensure they do not get infected or infect others." dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of He adds that the length of time recommended for To really flatten the breath. Any combination of those people to self-isolate could be much longer than origisymptoms should prompt a phone curve and keep people nally expected. call to a healthcare provider. "I think we're going to be looking at this social disfrom dying, WE'RE "We believe that most people tancing for several months," he says. "What we've seen GOING TO BE TALKING in other countries is that most of these epidemics have that get this illness, get more of a flu-like illness that does not progbeen lasting for about three months or more. So to realABOUT PEOPLE ress on to pneumonia,” he says. ly flatten the curve and keep people from dying, we're SOCIALLY DISTANCING going to be talking about people socially distancing “Those people will feel tired, achy, feverish, have a cough, with sympthemselves for months, not weeks." THEMSELVES FOR toms that are very similar to what For those who have become infected with COVIDMONTHS, NOT WEEKS." 19, Price says there's uncertainty about how soon people people might think of as a flu or a viral illness. So the advice to treat it who were infected can end self-imposed quarantines. is to take medications to take fever "Usually, you would say that if someone has all other down, rest at home, drink plenty of fluids, [and] stay away from symptoms that resolve, that person is probably not infectious other people. But it is really just a wait-and-see game until the after their symptoms have resolved for seven days," he says. symptoms resolve. "But there is no data to suggest that, because there have been "The thing that would be concerning would be if someone some people who are showing that still have the virus for up to a had those symptoms, and all of a sudden, had a deeper cough, or month after their symptoms resolve. If someone has symptoms, are short of breath, or have trouble catching their breath. Those you'd have to wait for a minimum of seven days after the sympare symptoms that this has moved into the pneumonia phase. toms have gone away, but we really just don't know." l That's the thing where an urgent medical evaluation is needed." Price says medical providers are being hampered by the lack For more information on Dr. Timothy Price, of available testing, and the length of time it takes to get results visit www.pricemedical.com. MARCH 19, 2020 • WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM
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Dr. Timothy Price on COVID-19 symptoms, how to best approach your doctor, and the importance of social distancing. By John Riley
