Since September 2020, 12.6 million people have been unemployed in the United States, leaving millions uninsured.
Monday came and my throat hurt really bad, Martinez tells Verywell.
Coughing, body aches, sneezing, and a fever accompanied her sore throatall common symptoms of COVID-19.
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On May 1, Martinez headed to a drive-through COVID-19 testing location.
Three days later, she received her results.
Drive-throughs are probably the easiest way, Mir tells Verywell.
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You are just in your car and get the testing done.
What Are Your COVID-19 Testing Options?
Quinn Johnson*, a textile designer in New Jersey, showed no symptoms.
Within 15 minutes, Johnson received her positive results.
I freaked out, she tells Verywell.
I immediately made my husband and two kids get tested.
Early on in the pandemic, this rapid widespread testing was not available.
According to Mir, results can take anywhere from two days to one week.
People were waiting a week to get their test results.
But as cases begin to surge once more, this number may fluctuate.
Martinez only waited 30 minutes before she was admitted to the hospital.
To figure out why Martinez fainted, doctors conducted a chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, and creatine phosphokinase test.
Martinez was discharged that same day with no real explanation for her fainting spell.
While her case was less severe, her fathers was not.
Prior to Martinez leaving the hospital, her father was admitted to the emergency room.
He needed more oxygen, she says.
He ended up spending a week in the intensive care unit.
Martinez was given Tylenol and sent home.
This is a typical course of treatment for COVID-19 patients, along with fluids and rest.
On a Tuesday, Martinez got a call from the doctor.
Pneumonia had come back way worse.
On May 28, theyre saying theres nothing they can do.
Martinez was frustrated with how the hospital handled her fathers care.
It was very rushed and it happened so quickly.
Martinez’s father died from COVID-19 soon after.
Financial Impact
Although Martinez was discharged that same day, her hospital visit cost $8,000.
Luckily, she was insured and paid a $75 copay.
Her father’s hospital bill came in close to a million dollars.
In recent years, the cost of emergency room visits has skyrocketed.
Contracting COVID-19 also posed financial challenges for Johnson.
Because of the pandemic, Johnson has been unemployed for the year.
My husband was furloughed and then lost his job permanently a couple months ago so we cant afford childcare.
Although Johnson was asymptomatic, the pressures of being uninsured during the pandemic caused her stress.
A health insurance plan with Cobra Medical Insurance would cost her $3,200 a month.
The government has essentially abandoned its responsibility of caring for people who are getting sick, Johnson says.
She slowly started feeling better after her visit to the hospital.
I think I was just really dehydrated, she says.
After I came home, I just started drinking more liquids.
According to data from theCorona Tracker, about 65% of COVID-19 patients in the U.S. recover.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
In the United States, millions remain uninsured and unemployed.
*so you can respect their privacy, Quinn Johnsons name has been changed.
For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
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