Ask the Pharmacist

Q) I went to the pharmacy to ask what I can take for my runny nose. Why was I treated like I had the coronavirus when I believe it is just my usual allergies?

A) April is a time when the trees around us are budding and the spring flowers are beginning to bloom. While many people welcome the onset of spring and the renewed sense of hope that warmth and sunshine bring, there are some of us who dread it as they will soon rediscover the return of their allergy symptoms.

Many common symptoms of seasonal allergies such as a runny nose, sneezing and perhaps a sore throat are also possible symptoms of the rapidly spreading coronavirus. Even though you may be 100% convinced that your runny nose is due strictly to allergies, we need to treat everyone as though it might be Covid-19 for the safety of everyone. We must err on the side of extreme caution.

We now know that this coronavirus is community spread meaning that you do not need to have travelled outside of the country or have been in contact with someone who did in order to be infected with this virus. It is so contagious that it is possible we might get sick with it after touching a doorknob, handle, grocery cart etc. after an infected person has handled it.

We also know that people can be carriers of Covid-19 and be asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) yet still able to pass on this virus to others. As discussed last week, the symptoms are no longer thought to be confined to just fever, cough and shortness of breath. We know that runny nose, sore throat, loss of smell and digestive symptoms such as the loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are showing up as symptoms of Covid-19 in some individuals.

So, how do we know for certain that the runny nose is due to allergies or this coronavirus? The simple answer is we don’t. We need to assume and treat any symptom that resembles the flu, cold, allergies or digestive issues as Covid-19.

We realize that not everyone or even the majority suffering from the above will have Covid-19, but in order to protect our customers, the staff and the community, we need to make this assumption and act accordingly.

On April 4th New York state reported 630 people died in a 24-hour period as a result of Covid-19. Fred Milgram, one of the physicians dealing with the pandemic in the Queens district in New York City urged people to not come to the hospital to get tested for Covid-19, even if you have symptoms of fever and cough. He stated that people should just assume you have it and self-isolate at home because if you didn’t have it before going to the hospital to get tested, you have now increased your likelihood of contracting this virus by exposing yourself to the many positive cases.

The caveat to this is that if you are experiencing significant difficulties in breathing, then you will need to reach out to your doctor or local Covid-19 triage centre for immediate medical attention. We do not want a “New York” type of situation here. Pharmacies are one of the essential businesses that must remain open but we need to have a healthy staff in order to continue to operate.

As you may have already noticed, local pharmacies have implemented a few changes in recognition of the rapid spread of the virus. We have done these so as to enable our patients to stay safe at home or at least at an acceptable distance regardless of whether they have any symptoms at all (of course if you do have symptoms, social distancing is not enough. You need to self-isolate!). As of right now, each pharmacy has made changes to the manner in which they engage with their valued patient base, including access; number of people in the store at one time social distancing; assistance by phone; payment by debit or credit card; waiting in vehicles as prescriptions are prepared; allowing 48 to 72 hours to fill prescriptions; having health care practitioners phoning or faxing prescriptions.

Contact your pharmacist to ask what changes he/she has implemented.

We look forward to the day when we can see people face to face, offer hugs of joy and discuss matters in person that are both health and non-health related. Until then, know that we are only a phone call away. For more information on this or any other health related topic, contact your pharmacist.