Warning: These COVID Symptoms Are Red Flags– Seek Help Now! 

Warning: These COVID Symptoms Are Red Flags– Seek Help Now! Credit | Getty Images
Warning: These COVID Symptoms Are Red Flags– Seek Help Now! Credit | Getty Images

United States: Any time someone has COVID-19, they are advised to self-quarantine, meaning they should avoid other people until they recover. 

However, sometimes people also recover at home owing to medication, rest, fluids, and the passage of time; then there are those who need some additional treatment. 

It’s key to know that COVID is labeled by a certain set of hallmark symptoms, such as coughing, fatigue, and so on, but these next ones are not normal and should not be treated as such. 

Know about red flag symptoms 

According to Dr. Syra Madad, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, “What’s really important is making sure people look out for certain telltale signs and symptoms that may warrant hospital-level care or [care from] a health care provider, so that way they don’t face severe illness, even hospitalization, and death,” huffpost.com reported. 

Warning: These COVID Symptoms Are Red Flags– Seek Help Now! 
Warning: These COVID Symptoms Are Red Flags– Seek Help Now! 

The experts note that breathing problems, high fever, dizziness, and confusion are the reasons why some medical attention is immediately needed. 

The symptoms known as red flags include shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, says Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, the national medical director at One Medical. 

“What we always say is if someone is actually having trouble breathing, so they’re actually gasping for breath, that would be an ER visit,” Bhuyan added. 

In COVID, there is the viremic phase, where the virus reproduces rapidly; then there is the immunologic phase, where the body fights the virus, according to Dr Mahdee Sobhanie, an infectious diseases physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. 

“And … sometimes that inflammation can affect other places, and the one we always worry about is the lungs,” he added. 

Chest pain is also a red flag, and Sobhanie also mentioned that it should lead you straight to the ER. 

Warning: These COVID Symptoms Are Red Flags– Seek Help Now! 
Warning: These COVID Symptoms Are Red Flags– Seek Help Now! 

If a person has a pulse oximeter at home (or a smartwatch that tells them their oxygen saturation level), he /she shouldn’t be surprised to see that her /his oxygen level is low and should seek medical attention, Sobhanie explained. 

What more have the experts stated? 

According to Bhuyan, “Some of the really concerning symptoms … maybe someone in your household has COVID, and now they’re confused, or they’re not making sense, or they’re disoriented, I think those are reasons to go to the ER,” huffpost.com reported. 

Last, focus on those fevers that touch or go beyond 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Your child may require an ER visit if she/she has a high fever sometimes,” said Dr Bhuyan, but it can also be treated by your GP sometimes. 

In any kind of situation where you’re still uncertain, it is advisable to seek assistance immediately without waiting.