D: What can I do for you today?

P: Hi, uh, so I just came here today uh, I've been having this cough for um, the last two weeks and it just, is not going away. I've also been getting like, just a runny nose for the last couple, I would take the whole week, all of last week.

D: Okay, um, so can you tell me about your cough?

P: Yeah.

D: Go on, sorry.

P: So, it's more of just like a dry cough. I'm not really bringing anything up. 

D: No blood?

P: No.

D: Okay, and the runny nose, what, what's the discharge like?

P: Uh it's, it's pretty clear. It might be light, but it's not like green or yellow or anything like that.

D: Um, and so you've had this cough for two weeks and the runny nose just started last week. Has the cough improved over the past two weeks?

P: Uh, it has, like it was much worse last week, uh, but I just can't get like, it's better now, but it's still lasting much longer than I've had a cough before.

D: Okay. Um, and uh, have you had a headache at all in these past two weeks?

P: No, I didn't have a headache, but sometimes I feel a bit congested.

D: And uh, have you had any um, changes in your vision or your like uh, blurry vision, or any redness in your eyes or tearing?

P: Uh no, nothing like that.

D: Okay, any um, changes in smell?

P: Nope.

D: Okay, any change in uh, taste?

P: Uh no, but uh, sorry, for smell, like when I was a bit congested I, I could smell less. I wasn't able to smell too much, but taste has been fine.

D: Alright, and what about uh, sore throat?

P: No, no. No, sore throat. 

D: Okay. What about any difficulties with breathing?

P: Um, no, nothing like that. 

D: Any chest pain?

P: No.

D: Any palpitations or racing of your heart?

P: No.

D: Any pain in your belly?

P: No.

D: Nausea or vomiting?

P: No, no.

D: Diarrhea or constipation? 

P: No.

D: Any aches in your, any muscle aches?

P: No. 

D: Any numbness or tingling in your arms or feet?

P: Nope.

D: Um, okay. Uh, any fevers or chills?

P: No, not really. Last week I maybe had a, uh, two nights, I was a bit chilly, but since then I've been fine.

D: Okay, and uh, any night sweats?

P: Uh, no.

D: Unintentional weight loss?

P: No, my weight's been the same.

D: Okay. Alright, and um, so it sounds like you have a cough that started two weeks ago and then you only, and then you had two nights of, uh two nights where you felt sort of cold and you had the chills um, last week, but you uh started, you developed a runny nose um, a week ago?

P: Yeah, the runny nose has been more, um, this week. It kind of like, started with a cough last week. 

D: It, it, sorry, so it started with the cough last week?

P: Um, so late last week, I would say the runny nose started.

D: I see, I see. Okay um, alright. I, and um, are you um, do you have any medical conditions that you've been diagnosed with?

P: No, I've been uh, completely healthy otherwise.

D: Any medications that you take, including over the counter, or herbal medications, or vitamins or minerals?

P: No, no. I don't take any medication.

D: Allergies, including allergies to food, or environmental allergies, and allergies to medications?

P: Um, no.

D: Um, and any conditions, medical conditions that run in the family?

P: Um, I think my dad has uh, high cholesterol.

D: And in terms of your living situation, do you live alone?
 
P: Right now I'm uh, I usually live in a dorm going to university, but right now I'm home with my parents, uh, just doing virtual learning.

D: Okay, okay. Um, and have you um, is there anyone else around in the home? Or just your parents and you?

P: Yeah, just my parents and me.

D: Alright uh, have you um, have you been around someone who might be sick, or have your parents been around someone who could be sick?

P: Uh, my mom had the sniffles like last week, but she pretty much got over it.

D: Um, did she get tested for COVID?

P: No, she, she didn't um, but it's not like, it's just more, she just thought it was a cold or something so she didn't really bother.

D: That's fair, okay. Um, and do you um, so I see that you go to school, um, and you mentioned you, have you traveled anywhere outside the, the province?

P: No, not at all. My school is actually in Ontario, so.

D: Okay, great. Um, and do you currently, or have you ever smoked?

P: Um, maybe like uh, a couple times just casually. I've tried it but nothing regular.

D: And what about marijuana?

P: Yeah, same, same thing like I've tried it probably like four or five times so far.

D: Any recreational drugs? 

P: Uh no.

D: Any uh, alcohol?

P: Uh, yeah, just not, not much right now, but like when I, when we were at school like we would drink on the weekends.

D: That's good. Alright, um, so it sounds like you've had a cough for the past two weeks and you uh, have developed a runny nose last week, and your mom was ill the week before. It's possible that you just have a common cold uh, and that symptoms will get better over time. But just in case, we would also like to do a COVID swab, um, to make sure that you, just to rule out COVID. In the meantime, I would request that you isolate, self isolate at home. Stay away from your parents as well. Um, the test results should come back in 24 to 48 hours and public health will give you a call if your results are positive and we'll let you know what to do. Um, we will also do a physical exam here and check your temperature to see if you have a fever at all and um, yeah, does that sound good to you?

P: Yeah, and will I need any like antibiotics for my cough?

D: Oh. Um, well, we, I guess, you said that you don't have a sore throat at all, right?

P: No. It's just that, I just feel like the coughs been just going on, like it would be nice to just get rid of it.

D: Well um, I'll do a physical exam, look inside your throat, look inside your mouth, sorry, and listen to your chest, and uh, ensure that nothing else is going on, that you don't have anything like, say, strep throat or mono or you don't have uh, pneumonia, uh, bacterial pneumonia, for instance. Oftentimes um, symptoms that you have are caused by viruses and don't need to be treated with antibiotics, uh, but I'll do a physical exam, and maybe have a look at your labs as well, and then decide accordingly.

P: Okay, sounds good, thank you.

D: Okay.