What should you do if you’re feeling sick and you’re not sure if it’s the cold, influenza or coronavirus?

Health care officials are urging people to refrain from going to the emergency room, unless it’s truly an emergency and they can’t breathe or are having other non-coronavirus-type emergencies, like a heart attack.

Cleveland Clinic Akron General President Dr. Brian Harte at a Summit County Public Health news conference on Friday urged the public not to head to the ER first if you suspect you have the flu or the COVID-19 coronavirus.

"Please don't go to ER to just get tested. Please help us take best possible care with emergencies," he said, "If you are symptomatic, virtually call and evaluate symptoms and help arrange for that through testing availability."

Added Dr. Thomas File, chair of infectious disease at Summa Health and president of the national Infectious Disease Society of America: "While there is great concern among the public of getting sick, unless you’re old or have other medical conditions, the younger population typically will have minor symptoms."

So what should you do?

Virtual visits

Call your primary care physician first or use one of the many virtual health lines that area health systems are offering to help screen your illness.

• Cleveland Clinic is offering the broadest virtual visits for free. It is waiving fees for its on-demand and scheduled virtual visits for the public, regardless of health coverage.

The online portal is at www.clevelandclinic.org/eco.

The around-the-clock system can help screen patients for concerns about COVID-19 and other illnesses.

Cleveland Clinic is now offering a free automated online tool to help screen people to see if they may have the coronavirus.

The free coronavirus, COVID-19, online screening tool at www.clevelandclinic.org/coronavirus uses a computer bot to assess answers to questions based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control. At the end of the tool, the patient will receive the most appropriate care recommendations, which also may mean using the Clinic’s virtual visit system.

• Summa Health is offering free virtual visits for COVID-19 screenings and e-visits for flu, sinus infections, hay fever and allergies. Those services are normally $29, but are being offered for free.

All other conditions, including more than 30 diagnoses, are $29 for an e-visit. Audio/video visits also are still available for $49. This service is available in all 50 states.

Patients can visit www.summahealth.org/virtualvisit and choose the e-visit service.

The e-visit platform and screening is available around-the-clock. Providers are available, and will answer visits within an hour of completion, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

• Akron Children’s Hospital is offering free COVID-19 screening through its virtual care portal for patients of its pediatric locations. There is a fee of $49 for other services or diagnoses.

The service at www.akronchildrens.org/pages/Quick-Care-Online-Virtual-Visits.html is available daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Symptoms

Dr. Waleed Nemer, an independent Akron-area internal medicine physician and president of the Summit County Medical Society, said he is personally trying to screen all patients’ calls.

"We’re asking patients if they have a fever or a cough/short of breath. If it’s ‘no and no,’ then it’s an upper-respiratory infection. I tell them to stay home, I'll review their medication and to make sure they don’t get dehydrated," Nemer said.

He and other doctors are trying to keep patients out of their waiting rooms to avoid infecting others.

Key signs for COVID-19 are a fever above 100 degrees and a dry cough or difficulty breathing, which is something they’ve never had before and not typical allergy symptoms, said Nemer. He emphasized that patients who are having a very difficult time breathing should go immediately to the emergency room since it could be many other emergencies, in addition to COVID-19.

Other flu-like symptoms of COVID-19 include chills, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and runny nose. Head and chest congestion seem to be symptoms of an upper-respiratory illness, or a cold, Nemer said.

The Ohio Department of Health says "emergency warning signs" for COVID-19 in adults include difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion or an inability to wake up or bluish lips or face.

Hotlines

There are several hotlines locally and state-wide to call with questions about coronavirus.

· Cleveland Clinic: coronavirus hotline: 855-697-3750. It is open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Website information is www.clevelandclinic.org/coronavirus

· Ohio Department of Health: call center: 833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634). It is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

· Summa Health: Coronavirus Call Line: 234-867-6314. It is open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

· Summit County Public Health Department: 330-926-5795. Calls being taken Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Beacon Journal consumer columnist and medical reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ and see all her stories at www.beaconjournal.com/topics/linfisher