TRACKING YOUR DAILY SYMPTOMS CAN HELP YOU AND YOUR DOCTORS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER A HOSPITAL VISIT IS NEEDED.When a relative of mine recently became seriously ill with what seemed to be a coronavirus infection, my first question was about timing. How many days ago did your symptoms start
TRACKING YOUR DAILY SYMPTOMS CAN HELP YOU AND YOUR DOCTORS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER A HOSPITAL VISIT IS NEEDED.
While every patient is different, doctors say that days five through 10 of the illness are often the most worrisome time for respiratory complications of COVID-19, particularly for older patients and those with underlying conditions like high blood pressure, obesity or diabetes. Younger patients who develop complications may begin struggling a little later, as late as days 10 to 12. Most people who reach day 14 without any worrying symptoms are likely to be on the road to recovery.
The best way to monitor your health during this time is to use a pulse oximeter, a small device that clips on your finger and measures your blood oxygen levels. The normal oxygen saturation range is about 96% to 99%. If your blood oxygen reading drops to 92%, it’s time to call a doctor. “The first part is viral illness and everything else,” said Chang. “Your body is developing your immune inflammatory response and trying to fight off infection. That system can get over stimulated, and that seems to be what causes the acute worsening. We’re seeing that around days seven to 10.”
Levitan notes that while many patients may take a turn for the worse five to 10 days into the illness, he hesitates to be too specific about the timeline because not every patient is clear about exactly what day their illness began. If you are still feeling lousy a week into your illness and don’t have a pulse oximeter, you can also check in with an urgent care clinic and ask them to check your oxygen level. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor about whether a visit to an urgent care center or the emergency room is warranted.
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