D: What can I do for you?

P: So I've been, just over the last week, I've been feeling pretty sick. I have this pretty bad headache that started like probably a week ago, and then for the last few days I've been having these chills. Um, and I didn't get a chance to measure my temperature at all, um, but the worst thing has been just these muscle aches all over my body, and that's been going on for the last three to four days.

D: Sorry to hear that you're feeling so, uh, horrible over the past week. Um let's uh, let's try to understand this a little bit better. So you've had this headache for the past week or so. Where exactly is it?

P: It's kind of just uh, all across my forehead. It's been going to the sides, like into my temples as well.

D: Okay, and what does it feel like? How would you describe it?

P: Uh yeah, it feels like, kind of like uh aching um, I, I have had headaches with throbbing before, but it's not so much throbbing it's more just constant, aching pain.

D: Um, if you had to give it a number from 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst um, pain ever, what number would you give it?

P: Uh, probably like a 7.

D: Oh wow, yeah, that sounds severe. How long have you, how long has it been a 7 for?

P: Um, it's actually a bit better now, but yeah, like over the last week it's been a 7. I would say now, it's probably around 5. 

D: Okay. Um, anything that makes the headache better?

P: Um I, I take like Tylenol, then like, it gets relieved for a bit, for like a few hours, and then comes back.

D: Anything that you feel makes the headaches worse? Any postures, or positions, or activity or um, any kind of exposure to light or sounds?

P: Uh no it's, it's just kind of there. Nothing makes it worse.

D: Do you have nausea or vomiting?

P: Uh no, no nausea or vomiting.

D: No. Any sensitivity to light or sounds?

P: No.

D: Okay. Uh, and is it only, is it only on one, on one side of your head or forehead, or is it on both sides?

P: Uh it, it seems like it's on both sides.

D: And have you noticed any visual changes? Any blurry vision with the headaches?

P: No. 

D: Any other visual changes? No, okay. Um, and you've also had chills, but you said you haven't checked your temperature, right? 

P: No, I haven't, uh, I've been having chills for the last few nights.

D: Yeah, we can definitely check your temperature here in the, um here. Um, and you mentioned that the muscle aches have been quite bothersome for you. Is it all over your body or anyone, uh, in any one muscle group?

P: It seems like it's all over. 

D: Okay, okay. And um, I'll ask you about a couple other symptoms just to rule out um, any other issues that you might be having. So have you noticed that you've been confused at all over the past few days?

P: Uh no, I don't think so.

D: Have you had any like stiffness or rigidity in your neck?

P: Maybe a little bit of a stiffness in, in my neck.

D: Okay. 

P: Then like I, I don't know if that's just the muscle pain. It's like kind of on my upper back, lower neck area.

D: We can definitely um, examine that, um, when I'm doing physical examine and see how that is. Um, okay, and uh, have you had any, um, redness in your eyes, or any teary eyes?

P: No, nothing like that.

D: Do the headaches come and go, or is it always there?

P: Uh, they're pretty much like constant throughout the day.

D: Um, and do you have a runny nose or stuffy nose?

P: Uh no, no I don't I, I think I'm kind of, I'm developing a little cough though.

D: Okay, when did that start? 

P: Probably just yesterday I noticed myself coughing.

D: Is it like a dry cough or wet cough?

P: Uh, a dry cough.

D: Any sputum or any blood come out?

P: No.

D: Any sore throat?

P: No. 

D: Uh, any chest pain?

P: No.

D: Any difficulties with breathing?

P: Uh, no. 

D: Any palpitations, or feel like your heart's beating very fast?

P: No.

D: Okay, any belly pain? 

P: No. 

D: Any uh, nausea or vomiting? 

P: Nope.

D: Any uh, diarrhea or constipation?

P: No, not that I've noticed.

D: Any weakness in any one side of your body?

P: Nope. 

D: Any numbness or tingling?

P: Nope.

D: No, okay. Um, any exposures uh, to anyone who could be sick?

P: Um, I haven't noticed, but I, I do go to work, um, and we recently switched to like in person instead of I, I used to do um, home work, but for the last month I've been going into the office.

D: I see, and have you been wearing a mask?

P: Yeah, well I try to wear the mask. Sometimes like uh, in the, in the stock, like lounge, we like take take off the mask to eat and stuff but that's about it.

D: Are you maintaining social distancing when you're taking your mask off?

P: Yeah, it's uh, most of the times we're pretty socially distanced when we're eating, but sometimes it's like hard to control when you know, when you're going near the microwave to heat up your food, and sometimes it gets hard. It's a, it's a fairly small room, so.

D: Yeah, well I would, I would recommend that you try to eat when people are not in the room if possible because you are putting yourself at risk.  Like if it's a small room, I think you should also talk to management or try to limit the number of people who can be in the room at a time. Um, for your own safety, you know, and for the safety of others uh, working with you. Um okay, and um, have you traveled anywhere recently?

P: No, we've been uh, at home. 

D: Okay, good, um, and who do you live with?

P: I live with my young, like uh, daughter and then my wife as well.

D: Okay, and you, do you think they might have got any contacts to anyone who is sick?

P: Uh no, they've been completely fine. Uh, my daughter is like, is uh, doing school from home right now, so she's not really seeing anyone.

D: Okay, that's good. And um, do you currently smoke?

P: I do, I do smoke um, probably half a pack a day.

D: For how long?

P: Um, for probably the last 20 years.

D: Okay, and do you uh, consume marijuana? 

P: Just um, maybe once or twice a month.

D: Okay.

P: Just uh, sometimes, it helps me sleep sometimes.

D: Sure. Do you take any recreational drugs like cocaine, amphetamine, LSD, ecstasy, etc.?

P: No, nothing like that.

D: Any alcohol?

P: Yeah, I drink probably uh, a beer or two every couple days.

D: Alright, and uh, do you have any medical conditions that you've been diagnosed with? 

P: Uh yeah, so I do, they're saying I might have um, high blood pressure. Um they like, it, it's still ongoing. Um they're testing, testing me for things.

D: Sure yeah, and have you uh, taken any medications for it? 

P: No, not yet, I haven't been put on any medications.

D: Have you, do you take anything over the counter? Any herbal pills, vitamins, minerals, etc.?

P: No.

D: Okay, and do you have any allergies?

P: No allergies.

D: Okay, good. Um, and have you had any surgeries in the past or any hospitalizations?

P: Um I was pretty young, I had my tonsils removed um, but other than that no no other surgeries or hospitalizations.

D: Good. Any family history of any medical conditions?

P: Um, so I think my mother, she, she has like type 2 diabetes.

D: Okay.

P: And uh, my father has been pretty healthy, like no issues with him.

D: Good. Um, okay, have you had any um, have you had migraines in the past?

P: Um, yeah, sometimes I, when I'm like stressed at work and like I uh, it's not like anything regular that happens to me. I probably have had migraines in the past.

D: Okay, okay, and have you ever been diagnosed with asthma or um, with uh, COPD?

P: No.

D: Okay, alright, um so it sounds like you've had a headache for the past week, which has been kind of constant, about 7 out of 10. And then you've also developed a fever, but you haven't, or I guess you've been feeling, you've been having chills uh, and we can measure temperature here, and you also had a cough that started yesterday. What about um, sense of taste? Have you noticed any changes there?

P: Uh, no, not that I've really noticed.

D: What about your sense of smell?

P: Um, my smell, I don't think so, but like sometimes I do feel a bit, like stuffy as well. Like not, not right now, but before when I felt stuffy I lost my sense of smell.

D: Sure, yeah, okay. Um, okay well that's all the questions I have for you. We'll do a physical exam um, get a chest x-ray done, also examine your neck as well a little bit, just to make sure there's no stiffness or rigidity, have a look inside your mouth, um, listen to your chest.

P: Okay. 

D: We will also get a COVID swab done, simply because your symptoms sound very similar to um, or I guess a lot of these symptoms do overlap with symptoms of COVID, so we'll do that. And um, I would require, would request that you continue to uh, stay at home if you haven't been doing so so far. Um, take a leave from work, try to do work from home, and quarantine at home as much as possible and stay away from your wife and your daughter as well, at least until the swab is back and you get some more guidance from uh, public health. If it is positive, they will give you a call. Um, there are lots of guidelines on how to self isolate and I, I can share that with you. Um, it's best that you do that for now. Um, we will run a couple of tests, do labs, and based on those results, uh, we'll decide if you need to stay in the ER or if we can um, if you can be discharged later today. Do you have any questions for me?

P: Uh no that, that all sounds great. Thanks for explaining it to me. 

D: You're welcome. 

P: Okay.