Across Georgia and the nation, schools and businesses are closed, major events have been canceled and millions of people have been ordered to work from home to help mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus — or COVID-19. Life as we know it has been disrupted. People are scared and looking for solid information.

Georgia Public Broadcasting’s new series “What You Need To Know: Coronavirus” provides fact-based information on getting through the virus with health and sanity intact. 

GPB’s All Things Considered host Rickey Bevington spoke with Dr. Chirag Patel, medical director of population health at Wellstar Health System, about the latest coronavirus updates.

Almost half of those who are hospitalized for COVID-19 are 25-54 years old. Is this no longer a senior’s disease?

I think it’s important to take that data point in context. What’s important is that the ages between 25 and 54, those patients can become seriously ill. If you do end up having symptoms outside of what you would consider a flu-like illness, definitely seek advanced care. Go to the hospital, go to the emergency room, go to your urgent care, but before you do, call them. Let them know that you’re coming so that way they can prepare for you. That way, you don’t expose anybody else or put anybody else at risk.

What does it feel like to have COVID-19?

It can feel anywhere from having a mild flu-like illness all the way to respiratory failure and ultimately death. It’s a very serious illness. We do see mostly young people do very well. There is new data that we just talked about with that middle-aged group. That severity of illness may be more severe than we previously thought.

What should you do if you have coronavirus symptoms?

Definitely think about which symptoms you have. Categorize them in your mind properly and then call your primary care physician or your health care provider to figure out what the next step in the process is. It may be that you do need to go to Urgent Care or see a primary care physician or go to the ER, but this gives everybody an opportunity to prepare for you. 

A message for those who are still venturing out

This is very serious. I think this is an opportunity for people who are out there and about--I’ll take the assumption that these are mostly young people--to do their part. Everybody is going to have to do their part. This is going to be a team sport to get rid of coronavirus in our country and our communities and we would expect them to do their part in social distancing, in hand hygiene, in population health intervention to “flatten the curve,” if you will, around the propagation of this disease.

How to calm anxiety as symptoms worsen

If you’re having a mild illness and you’re having fear that’s anxiety-based, we have a process for us to walk you through and alleviate your anxiety because there is a lot of that going on too. But if you truly have worsening symptoms, you need to accelerate your health care and we’ll get you to the right place.

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