Feeling sick? With coronavirus concern, flu, here's what to do

Area health departments are following guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as they advise people about what to do if they believe they are ill with the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

CDC guidance says diagnosis of COVID-19 is based on fever and respiratory symptoms, as well as exposure to a person known to have the virus or a place where it is known to be spreading.

So if you haven't traveled to an area with ongoing spread or been in close contact with someone who has the COVID-19 virus, you will be referred back to your personal health care provider and directed to call your doctor, said Don Bolger, spokesman for the DuPage County Health Department.

Without exposure to the coronavirus, patients may instead have a cold or the flu, both of which are more common. So far this flu season, the CDC estimates there have been 32 million illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 18,000 deaths from the flu. Flu activity is “widespread” in Illinois and has been since Dec. 15, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Meanwhile, since the COVID-19 virus began spreading in late December in Wuhan, China, there have been 43 total cases in the U.S., 17 hospitalizations and two deaths, the CDC reports.

Here are the steps to take if you are feeling sick and you suspect it could be COVID-19, according to the CDC.

• Phone first: Call your doctor if you have a fever and respiratory symptoms, such as a cough or difficulty breathing.

Tell the office if your travel history or personal exposure leads you to believe you could have the COVID-19 virus. Your doctor's office will take precautions and refer you straight to a room upon arrival.

If your doctor believes you do have the new coronavirus, your doctor will work with your local health department and you will be taken to a hospital emergency department.

• Cover up: Wear a face mask when you go to the doctor unless it causes difficulty breathing. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Immediately throw the tissue away in a lined trash can.

• Clean up: Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or by using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing or going to the bathroom and before eating or preparing food.

Clean all “high-touch” surfaces daily, including tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and bedside tables. Use a cleaning wipe or spray and follow the instructions while wearing gloves and providing good ventilation.

• Stay away: Isolate yourself in your home. Stay in a separate room away from other people and animals as much as possible and use your own bathroom, if available. Stay home except to get medical care.

• Don't share: Use your own dishes, cups, silverware, towels and bedding. Wash with soap and water after use.

• Watch and wait: Monitor your symptoms for worsening, such as difficulty breathing. If that occurs, call your doctor before seeking care and tell them that you could have the COVID-19 virus. When your symptoms improve, your doctor, in consultation with local and state health departments, will determine when you are able to leave home isolation.