Coronavirus Symptoms with Karrie Austin

*The following is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.

The following is a podcast from a qualified senior care provider, hurt, on the answers for elders radio show. And welcome everyone back to answers for elders radio and we are here with a very special segment program just to give you some awareness and kind of demithify all the things that are going on about coronavirus. What we want to do is really empower our listeners so that they understand as much as what we know and so they don’t have to panic, and we’re going to really talk about, you know, a little bit more diving into and we’re very lucky today to have carry Ustin from dispatch health here that can help us today. So again, thank you, Carrie, for being on the show today. Thank you for having me. I am really excited because you guys are really a wonderful service for our seniors and, you know, for all ages, but primarily for seniors that may feel like they’re having symptoms. And so this segment I want to talk a little bit about if you feel like you’re having symptoms, now what? And dispatch heart health could be a big part of that. Tell me a little bit about what would happen if somebody feels like they have symptoms and they’re going to call you what happens. So part of the process is really utilizing our screening tool or risk stratification and making sure that, and we have added in additional questions to our risk ratification if a patient is reporting symptoms that are similar to the flu or might be suspect for Covid nineteen coronavirus. So every patient that is either referred to us or access as US directly, we will go through those risk ratification questions to include was there any recent travel in the last two weeks to the hot spots, if you will, for where coronavirus is currently and where are those hot spots? Again? Those hot spots are China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea. Okay, so any recent travel within the last two weeks to any one of those five or having come in contact with someone that has had recent travel to any of those those five hot spots, if you will, that’s going to be a flag right. That’s going to be a flag if you’re having symptoms as well. So just knowing you know your friend Susie went into China two weeks ago doesn’t doesn’t put you at risk run you at risk is have you been near Susie in the last two weeks and do you have symptoms such as a fever, cough and shortness of breath? Then that’s that’s when we’re going to we’re going to flag you and then make sure that the tree me that you receive is the most appropriate treatment. Yeah, and so that’s important. But it’s dispatch health is a great way to start. It is and it’s a great way for someone to come to your home and assess you and, in many cases, put your mind at ease because in most cases your it’s not it’s not coronavirus once you go through it. But the point of the matter being is that you have an opportunity, first thing, without leaving your house, to have an actual, you know, ear come to you, which is great, and you’re limiting your exposure to other people that are there, which is really good. So that’s a good thing. So if somebody has symptoms, there are, though, public resources. Tell me about some of the resources that people can, you know, access. So right now the number one resource for anyone that has access to the Internet is the CDC. So simply going, if you have questions, going to the CDC DOT Gov website. The information there is very, very easily to disseminate, very easy to digest and they it’s simply, will answer with the majority of your questions. Outside of that, King County has actually set up a covid nineteen coronavirus hotline. So anyone in the community that has additional questions or is concerned about some symptoms can actually access that hot line. It to zero six, four, seven seven, three nine seven seven, HMM, and they’re able to answer in kind of risk stratify the patients, if they have symptoms, to the to the most appropriate facility, you know, to treat them. Okay, the other thing that we have is we have partnered dispatch health is partnered with multi caare and multi caare is offering free covid nineteen e visits to anyone that has covid nineteen symptoms. So if you’re experiencing a fever, with cough and shortness of breath, MMM, then you simply can go on multicare dot org, HMM, virtual care, and plug in their Promo code for covid nineteen. That waves the twenty five dollar feet and it is a free e visit with a provider in the comfort of your own home. So it’s a telehealth it is as it which is great. Again, it’s limiting your exposure to other people that may be infected, so that’s a really good thing. Yes, so we have, you know, Internet, we have CDC Dotgov. If you’d like to speak directly to a healthcare worker. King County has their hot line at zero six, four, seven seven, three nine seven seven. You have access to a free tele medicine e visit through multiicare dot Org using the Promo Code covid nineteen. That waves the fee. So it’s absolutely free to have that e visit. And then you also have access to dispatch health. Okay, so dispatch health and we are able to send out a team and care for you in your own home. See, that is an amazing synergy between you guys. And obviously to think about, you know, if you’re having those symptoms and and if you’re dealing with, you know, a concern. I know there’s a lot of people I think, Oh, I have a bad cough, maybe I have it. So the point of the matter being is in most cases you don’t have it. There’s a lot of hysteria right now and we have to be mindful. You know, this is going to spread. It is going to spread, we’re bound to see a lot more things go on and it’s going to run its course, just like every other types of disease. But we are kind of at the epicenter and when people hear things carry like state of emergency, right, what is I mean? It instills a lot of fear, but it’s also about resources coming forward to help and and that’s the thing that I think that you, being an earners, you probably seen this kind of stuff before, Havn’t you? We have end one, yeah, and the late thousands of Ebola, yeah, handful of years ago. Yeah, and now we have covid nineteen, coronavirus. But really that state of emergency isn’t to cause further for their hysteria, if you will. It’s really to pool together and be able to pull together the resources that are needed, not only for our first responders in ems that are responding to people. They are calling nine hundred and ony one was suspected symptoms, right, but it’s staffing, it’s it’s reas, it’s financial resources that are being put towards and it’s my understanding there are some more resources coming that that way. Also, there was a bipartisan bill that was just passed in Congress today about that too, to bring more funding. So again we’re starting to see things come together. But and again, how, you know, how we deal with the resources? I think one of the best things that you talked about is the CDC. The CDC will keep us always up to date on everything, and I think it’s CDC DOT Gov. that what is it? What it is, and I know it’s I think if you go forward coronavirus, it’ll take you right to that page. So one of the and it’s also on the home page, by the way, so you can certainly get a lot of information and certainly just understand that there are resources here in our own community. Every hospital is gearing up to handle this. But we’ve also had some, you know, challenges with not everybody can get tested, and that’s one of the things that we’re going to talk about again a little bit more in another segment. But there’s only now I’ve heard, I just want to make sure I’ve heard, that there’s only two hundred tests available per day in the state of Washington. Is that correct? I don’t know to be able to speak to that exact number, but is a very small amount. Okay. So, and it’s being reserved for the patients that are showing acute symptoms, that are emergent. So just simply going into an ear or an urgent care or calling your primary care physician and requesting to be tested for covid nineteen. We simply don’t have the bandwidth right now to do that in the state of Washington or in the United States. So we are going to be treating symptoms just much like you know, similar to what we do for the flu. If you come in presenting with symptoms, we’re going to treat those symptoms. are going to get you feeling better to the best of our ability, but really and less it is in an emergent and a cute state in which hospitalization is required. We’re going to reserve that, that testing right now for those patients. Okay. And so obviously, when you say treat those patients, what do you treat them with? Do you know? I mean what kind of medications? Did they use? It like an anibiotic? What are they what are they treating them with? So we’re going to address the symptoms that you have. So for that fever, something as simple as tail at all or I reproof. And for that cough, you know tessalon pearls or you know a robatus and type coughs. You Know Cough Syrup, and then that shortness of breath. Are In address that shortness of breath. So whether it’s an albut or all reading treatment or steroids are indicated at this time for the treatment of covid nineteen. But we’re really it’s the same, the same treatment you’re going to get for the flu. Well, and and the thing that I think of is prevented of things, just natural things like more vitamin C, Vitamin D, making sure that you’re getting enough rest, that you’re you know, that you’re exercising, that you’re drinking a lot of water and those things kinds of things. It wouldn’t, I mean, doesn’t that make a difference? It absolutely does. Those are very simple things that you can do at home without even having to see a provider. Just yes, and that’s important, I think, enough that we just that we’re taking a little bit of time to take care of themselves, and I think this is really why we want to, you know, have this program is to make sure to, you know, just stay. Do you know vitamin C I. I’ve been told. I have a doctor friend that says to take two to three thousand milligrams per day of Vitamin C and dthree. Those are the the two things and that’s from a doctor, that friend of mine that’s got is up to his elbows and the things, but that’s one of the things he says. To prevention that we don’t really talk enough about is making sure, and especially in Seattle we don’t have a lot of sunshine, that we don’t get a lot of vitamin D. So to take that is important. So So, Carrie, how do we reach despatch health and how can we get in hold of you? Sure easiest, the easiest way to get ahold of us as to call us directly. The phone numbers four to five, five, three, zero nine, three seven. HMM again, four to five, five, five, three, zero nine, three seven, and that puts you in direct contact with our call center and our care team and they’re going to be able to walk you through those steps to go through the wrist ratification process to make sure that it’s appropriate for us to come out and treat you, and then we’re going to set that that appointment with you and get out to you same day. So everyone, we have a great service here and I encourage each and every one of you having some symptoms, give dispatch health a call. So in our next segment we’re going to talk about myths versus facts. I’m coronavirus, so carrie and I will be right back. Answers for elders radio show with Susan Newman. Hopes you found this podcast useful in your journey of navigating senior care. Check out more podcast like this to help you find qualified senior care experts and areas of financial, legal, health and wellness and living options. Learn about our radio show, receive our monthly newsletter, receive promotional discounts and meet our experts by clicking on the banner to join the Senior Advocate Network at answers for elders RADIOCOM. Now there is one place to find the answers for elders