What to do if you’re feeling sick with coronavirus symptoms in Beaufort Co.
Although South Carolina has no confirmed coronavirus cases yet, it’s understandable to worry if you or a loved one are showing symptoms.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, appears with flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
It has infected nearly 130 people in the United States and 93,000 people worldwide. More than 3,100 people have died.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 13 people were being monitored for coronavirus in South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
There’s a lot of information out there and no reason to panic in Beaufort County, but here is local information from healthcare providers and state agencies on what to do if you start experiencing symptoms:
Should I go to the doctor with coronavirus symptoms?
Local emergency rooms and urgent care centers are preparing for people calling about coronavirus symptoms, but they do not have testing kits available on site. All testing for COVID-19 must be coordinated with DHEC, which has test kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At Doctors Care in Bluffton, Beaufort and on Hilton Head Island, a patient with symptoms of coronavirus will be seen by a physician and issued a facemask, according to the urgent care center’s COVID-19 policy. The center will then notify DHEC of the suspected case and arrange for a test.
If the physicians suspect COVID-19, the patient will be sent home to isolate themselves. The center will help coordinate with DHEC to get a CDC-approved test brought to the patient’s home.
Many urgent care centers give this information over the phone and urge people with symptoms to call rather than visit the center because patients cannot be tested there.
The physician at an urgent care center will be the one who determines whether the patient meets CDC criteria to be tested. That includes:
- People showing symptoms such as fever, coughing and difficulty breathing
- Health care workers or those who have had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patient within 14 days of symptom onset
- People with history of travel from affected geographic areas within 14 days of symptom onset
The Food and Drug Administration authorized testing for COVID-19 in the United States under an emergency use authorization, which expands testing to a wider group of people with symptoms.
Should I go to the hospital with coronavirus symptoms?
Local hospitals are preparing for coronavirus patients by coordinating with DHEC.
“As with any communicable disease, as our patients enter the hospital in areas such as emergency department or registration, hospital staff are questioning all of their recent travel and detailing symptoms,” Hilton Head hospital told The Island Packet in a statement.
But similarly to the urgent care centers, testing is not conducted at Hilton Head or Coastal Carolina hospitals.
“If a patient presents at our hospital and meets CDC criteria, we work with our local health department and if appropriate, gather a sample for testing and provide it to a CDC appointed laboratory,” the statement said.
Beaufort Memorial Hospital is in the first stage of its three-part plan, registered nurse Ashley Hildreth has said. That includes additional screening of hospital visitors, evaluating hospital supplies and retraining employees on equipment protocol.
The hospital has set up an email address, healthupdates@bmhsc.org, to help provide the community with up-to-date, accurate information. Residents can ask questions about symptoms and what steps to take if symptoms arise, and a nurse will respond.
Updates to screening procedures include more questions about travel and possible exposure risks, Hildreth said.
Anyone arriving at the hospital with a sore throat, fever or cough will be given a mask and asked about their 30-day travel history, she said.
If someone has traveled from an area with confirmed cases, that person is brought to a private room.
A hospital infectious worker will ask more questions about travel and possible exposure to infected individuals.
If the worker hears worrisome information, such as a recent trip to Italy, the hospital will contact SCDHEC, Hildreth said.
SCDHEC then will decide whether the case rises to a level for testing.
“Just because you have the symptoms and have traveled, it does not mean that DHEC is going to test you,” Hildreth said. “When you test outside that parameter, you get false positives and you run out of testing supplies.”
South Carolina coronavirus resources
DHEC has updated its website with a number of resources.
The department has established a coronavirus helpline at 1-855-472-3432. The helpline is for questions about the virus, not for people who have symptoms, and staff answers calls only between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Right now, people in South Carolina can be tested for COVID-19 using kits provided by the CDC.
However, testing must be coordinated through DHEC and the Public Health Laboratory, located in Columbia. The agency has the capacity to test between 80 and 100 people per day, according to DHEC spokesperson Laura Renwick.
DHEC recommends taking these steps to stay healthy:
- washing your hands
- covering your cough
- staying home when you’re sick
- appropriately disposing tissues and other items that you’ve sneezed or coughed into
Do you have questions about the coronavirus? The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette will get the answers for you. Go to bit.ly/virusBeaufortCounty and let us know what you need to know.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 4:23 PM.
