Nikhil Autar's video: Should you Get Swabbed and When Should You See Your Doctor for Coronavirus

I developed respiratory symptoms which could be COVID-19 a few days ago, and it recently did get worse. The good news is, I did get tested! I saw my GP who wrote me a swab referral, and got me to see a coronavirus testing clinic. We'll find out if I have COVID-19. Symptomatically, I haven't gotten worse since yesterday, but am still slightly short of breath, and have been told to go to ED if it gets worse in any way. This is a question a few people have asked me though - Should I get swabbed? And Should I see a Doctor? The answers are constnatly changing. We don't know everything about the disease, and different countries are responding differently. Check with your local health authorities. Yes - testing kits are limited in many jurisdictions/countries right now. So many are saving kits and making testing criteria strict. I wasn't even gonna get tested as someone who had almost every risk factor for severe disease, and as someone with moderate symptoms that could have been progressing (hopefully it won't progress further!). The truth is, testing likely wouldn't change treatment! But this is all changing fast. We know that mass testing and contact tracing is effective in slowing spread. So google your local Covid Hotlines (if you have one) and CALL them and ASK. If you're Aussie like me - the number is 1800020080, and there are testing clinic hotlines too run by companies that do these tests. Whether or not you should see your doctor is slightly more complex. It's actually advised you DON'T go if you're otherwise well, and have mild cold-like symptoms. You could spread it, or perhaps even catch it or something else concurrently to people who are at higher risk in EDs/waiting rooms. But you SHOULD call ahead, and you SHOULD see your doctor if symptoms persist, of if you're short of breath or have a fever or other signs of progression, and you SHOULD DEFINITELY call ASAP if you're symptomatic and you have any of the following - High blood pressure. Heart and/or lung disease. Diabetes. Hypertension. Cancer (or if you've had cancer). If you've had cold/flu symptoms, you should definitely tell everyone you've been in contact with to isolate and distance from others - if they haven't been already (EVERYONE should be limiting physical interaction with others as much as possible). If you've come in contact with someone who is symptomatic - DO isolate. But don't just go to emergency or a doctor if you've had contact with someone who's sympomatic. As of today, you won't get tested for having contact with a suspected case in my area. DO call doctors and ask what to do, especially if you're at risk. This WILL change if someone you've had contact with has a confirmed case, and if you yourself have developed symptoms, and it likely WILL change over the next few days. So stay up to date, and listen to trusted sources on this. Hopefully I'll be fine. You guys, self distance for a bit longer guys, and wash your hands, and hopefully, we'll be OK!