COVID Test For Cold Symptoms? Dr. Mallika Marshall Answers Your Coronavirus Questions
BOSTON (CBS) – Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your coronavirus-related medical questions. If you have a question for Dr. Mallika, email her or message her on Facebook or Twitter.
Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.
"Is it safe to see a dentist for a routine 6-month cleaning appointment? The prospect of not wearing a mask during the cleaning procedure frightens me." -Laura
I have received a number of questions about going to the dentist and I want to address it again. Regular dental care is important and dental practices are taking extra precautions to keep their patients and staff safe. Therefore, if you need to go to the dentist, you should feel comfortable doing so. If you're at high risk and you don't have an urgent dental issue, I would call your dentist to find out if they need to see you now or whether they think you should postpone for a few months.
"If you have symptoms of a common cold such as runny nose, achiness, etc., do you have to automatically call your doctor for a COVID-19 test or can you just take ibuprofen and rest?" -Gerry from Arlington
If there is any chance that you have come into contact with someone who could have had the coronavirus, and remember many people don't develop symptoms, then you should consider getting tested. Unfortunately, many symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the common cold and the flu.
Happy says he and his partner are senior citizens with major health challenges. He wants to know what to do about the holidays and birthday celebrations as the weather is changing.
Viruses thrive in cold, dry weather and spread more easily as people gather together inside, so cases are likely to rise. I don't think it would be wise to hold indoor gatherings for birthdays, Thanksgiving, or religious holidays for people outside of your household. We're entering a risky period with both COVID-19 and influenza so we're going to have to get creative with Zoom or FaceTime this holiday season.
"I usually bake lots of cookies and distribute platters to friends and relatives we don't see very much. Can I continue this holiday tradition this season, or should I skip it this year?" -Diane from Dracut
The coronavirus is not shared through baked goods, so it's probably safe for you to make cookies and distribute them to others. Just make sure you use "contactless" delivery and practice proper hand hygiene.