D: What brings you in?

P: Yeah, so I've been feeling just really down recently in the last week. I started off by having this sore throat which started around 5 days ago and then I also noticed I've been getting some chills over the last few day. And on top of all of that, within the last three to four days I've been getting muscle aches all over my body.

D: OK, alright so the sore throat started 5 days ago and then the fever started when?

P: So the fever. I think I haven't measured it, but I started having chills like 3 days ago. 

D: Three days ago, OK, and the muscle aches started two days ago?

P: I would say 3 days ago as well.

D: Three days ago, OK. OK, are you having any trouble swallowing foods or fluids?

P: A little bit with solids with a sore throat but liquids, I'm doing OK right now.

D: OK. And is it hard for you to like, are you having issues vocalising at all?

P: No, I think my voice has been the same. It's just when I'm not talking, especially if I'm swallowing my own like spit, it still hurts sometimes, but mainly with solid food.

D: OK, OK and then, are you having any issues with taste or smell?

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

D: OK, how about hearing or vision?

P: No, no changes.

D: Any weight loss over the past few weeks?

P: No, I probably have gained weight.

D: OK, any fatigue or exhaustion?

P: Now that you mention it, I do feel pretty tired over the last few days, I don't know if it's just because of my muscles aching all the time, or I don't know. I have definitely felt very tired.

D: OK, how about changes in your hair, nails or skin like rashes?

P: No, nothing like that.

D: Do you have a cough at all?

P: No, I haven't really noticed the cough.

D: How about shortness of breath or wheezing?

P: No, no shortness of breath or wheezing.

D: OK chest pain or you feeling like your heart's racing?

P: No. 

D: No, and how about dizziness or fainting spells?

P: Uh, no, I haven't had any of those.

D: OK, how about changes to your bowel movements?

P: No, I don't think so. I go regularly once a day and I haven't noticed any watery stool or diarrhea. 

D: OK, that's good. Any changes in your appetite?

P: Yeah, with a sore throat I tend to like eat softer foods right now. I can't really, I don't really feel like eating.

D: Yeah, OK. How about nausea or vomiting?

P: No, no, nothing like that. 

D: OK, OK, and any issues with joint pain? You said your muscle aches, but how about joints? 

P: Um, no, I don't think it's specifically my joints. I think more so I would say like around in my thighs. Then I would say just my upper arms hurt a lot. And even, uh, my upper back area hurts a lot as well, so it's kind of just everywhere. But those are some areas that hurt the most.

D: OK, OK, are you otherwise healthy?

P: Um, yeah, I do have a couple of things on my list. I do have high blood pressure. I have diabetes and other than that, I also have like high cholesterol.

D: OK.

P: Yeah, that's just some of the things that I've been diagnosed with.

D: Yeah, OK, and do you take medication for any of these things?

P: Yeah, so I take for the blood pressure, I take this medication called the Ramipril.

D: OK yeah.

P: And then for diabetes I'm taking Metformin. And then for the cholesterol I'm taking this medication called Crestor, yeah. Yeah, but other than that, just like vitamin D and multi vitamins. Those are some of the medications that I'm taking.

D: Sure yeah, are you up to date with all your immunizations?

P: Yup.

D: OK, do you know if you got a vaccine called Shingrix for shingles and Pneumovax for pneumococcal infections?

P: Yeah, I actually think I got them just this past season. Uh, with all this COVID going on, I just wanted to make sure I got all those vaccines as well. So yeah, I recently just got them.

D: OK, good. And and how about any allergies?

P: Uh, no, I don't have any allergies.

D: OK, how about family history of lung conditions or heart conditions?

P: Uhm, no lung conditions and uhh heart conditions, both my mom and dad suffered from like high blood pressure. My dad also had a heart attack when in his 60s. Now there is some heart conditions that run in the family.

D: OK, OK. And then any cancers in the family?

P: Uhm, m son actually got diagnosed with colorectal cancer just a few years ago.

D: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

P: He's doing OK though. Like it was pretty scary at the time.

D: How old was he when he was diagnosed?

P: I think he was, yeah in his forties, 46.

D: OK, well he's yeah, that's young. Have you had a colonoscopy?

P: Yeah I had it done. Everything came back normal so yeah, I'm not sure where he got it from.

D: OK. Have you had any sick contacts recently?

P: No, no sick contacts that I know of. I've been mainly in my house. I do go outside for groceries and some things like that, but other than that I'm retired. I don't really go out too much.

D: Yeah, OK, and you said you're retired. Do you live alone? Do you live with anyone?

P: No, yeah, I live alone now. And I live in London in an apartment 

D: OK, any old carpets? Mold, dust, asbestos? 

P: No, nothing like that. It's a pretty safe building.

D: OK, good, and do you smoke?

P: I used to. I used to smoke, probably in my 20s to late 40s, but then I quit. 

D: OK, good, good for you. How much did you smoke before you quit?

P: Probably one to two packs a day, I would say.

D: OK, that's good, that's good that you quit. Do you drink any alcohol?

P: Uhm, I just stick to some red wine, maybe a couple times a week.

D: OK, couple times a week so two to three times?

P: Yeah, I would say two to three times and, uh, I probably go through maybe 1 bottle every two weeks.

D: OK, OK. And then any marijuana?

P: No, no, I've never had any marijuana or any recreational drugs, no, nothing else.

D: OK, good, well those were all the questions that I had for you today. Did you have any questions of your own for me?

P: Yeah, uh, with all this COVID and the pandemic going on, I don't know, I like, I've been mainly at my house, but like I said I do go to do my own groceries. Of course I wear a mask, but I don't know if I might have caught COVID,  so that's something I was worried about.

D: Yeah, for sure. I think just because your symptoms do overlap with those of COVID, we will be doing a COVID swab today and you should hear back about your results in 24 to 48 hours. But you should still self-isolate for 14 days because you do have similar symptoms and if it's not COVID, it's probably another viral illness that's going around these days and for that you don't need any medication, like prescribed medications, but just keep an eye on that, on your symptoms. Stay hydrated, eat well. If you need to lower your feve, you can use Tylenol. And if your symptoms worsen or you start getting neurological symptoms like weakness or seizures or anything like that, you should seek help from the ER. How does that sound?

P: Sounds good. I just had another quick question. I did get the shingles and the pneumococcal vaccine back then but I didn't get the flu vaccine, like should I get it? Is it recommended?

D: Yes, it's definitely recommended. So we won't give you the vaccine right now because you have symptoms. But once you are healthy again, you should definitely get the get the flu vaccine and you should get it once a year.

P: OK, I just never took those vaccines, but I'll do that from now on.

D: Yeah, it's a good idea, and even if you get the flu, your symptoms won't be as severe if you have the vaccine, so it's definitely something to consider.

P: OK, alright sounds good.

D: Alright, take care.