If you feel very tired, have shortness of breath, or develop flu-like symptoms, it could be because of COVID-19, an illness that causes serious complications in some people. At Houston Medical ER in Houston and Spring, Texas, board-certified and board-eligible physicians, as well as ER-trained registered nurses, offer COVID-19 testing and treatment to reduce your risk of life-threatening problems. Call Houston Medical ER or walk in today – no appointment necessary.
COVID-19 is a flu-like illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It causes mild or moderate symptoms in some people and serious, life-threatening complications in others. See the experts at Houston Medical ER at the first sign of severe COVID-19 symptoms.
Common COVID-19 symptoms include:
Your symptoms could develop 2-14 days after exposure to COVID-19, and their severity varies from person to person.
You can contract COVID-19 from an infected person through air droplets after sneezing, coughing, or talking. You might develop the illness after sharing personal items with an infected person or touching shared surfaces and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
To reduce your risk of COVID-19, keep your distance from people who have flu-like symptoms, get the COVID-19 vaccine, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.
The Houston Medical ER team diagnoses COVID-19 after swabbing the inside of your nose or throat. They might also collect a sample of your saliva and test it for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They could test you for the flu, strep throat, or other illnesses that have symptoms that are similar to COVID-19.
Your provider also reviews your symptoms and medical history. They check your vital signs and complete a physical exam to look for signs of COVID-19 or other illnesses.
A blood test can detect the presence of COVID-19 antibodies, which lets your provider know if you’ve had and recovered from COVID-19 in the past or have antibodies because of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Depending on how severe your COVID-19 symptoms are and if you’ve developed complications, such as pneumonia or bronchitis, your Houston Medical ER provider might recommend:
Things you can do at home to reduce unpleasant symptoms of COVID-19 include drinking a lot of fluids, getting plenty of rest, eating nutritious foods, and taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
Your Houston Medical ER provider could recommend you take prescription medications to reduce symptoms of COVID-19 or complications associated with it.
Additional COVID-19 treatments you may need include monoclonal antibodies, convalescent plasma, IV hydration therapy, oxygen therapy, and other breathing treatments. Your ER provider could suggest combinations of COVID-19 treatments to give you the best outcome.
To get screened or treated for COVID-19, call Houston Medical ER or simply walk in today.