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Next steps if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19

Posted at 1:16 PM, Mar 20, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-24 06:54:46-04

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Dr. Raul Vazquez works at G-Health enterprises on Niagara Street in Buffalo. He's a family doctor that has been practicing for 30 years.

If you are experiencing symptoms that include:
-Fever
-Cough
-Sore throat
Dr. Vazquez says to stay hydrated, take Tylenol or Motrin to keep the fever down and stay at home. He says people will have similar symptoms to the flu, "it's a flu on steroids."

He says people should call their doctor if
-Fever (101.5 and keeps rising)
-Shortness of breath
-Or if you're at high risk and experiencing symptoms; people with immune deficiency, lung disease, asthma, diabetes, or going through cancer treatment, etc

Before you call Dr. Joshua Usen from Primary Care of Western New York says think about these questions,
"They are going to ask if they have a fever," Dr. Usen said. "Followed by, do they know if they had exposure . If they know the difference between a contact and an exposure."

Dr. Usen says a contact is when someone had intimate contact with someone liked worked closely with them, while exposure is where they were in the same area as someone.

"The question too is if you are having trouble breathing and can you explain how," Dr. Usen said. "It's really the breathing and if a person is struggling with that."

Right now, Erie County Health Department says it is not scheduling new testing until materials arrive.

Dr. Vazquez advises people who are experiencing symptoms to stay at home and try not to infect their family members.

"Follow universal precautions, wash your hands, and do all the social distancing, in terms of preventing this virus from jumping to one person to the other and replicating," Dr. Vazquez said. "If we isolate, then we will have a significant impact."