CLEVELAND, Ohio — Coronavirus testing kits and testing supplies are in short supply across the country, and in Northeast Ohio only those with symptoms and a doctor’s note, and those who are considered high-risk are being tested.

For those who are ill with symptoms of coronavirus — which include cough, fever and shortness of breath — but who are not high risk, a test is likely not available.

Those patients, who are 60-years-old and younger and otherwise healthy, are being instructed to isolate themselves at home to avoid spreading the illness and exposing others. While they may not be sure they have COVID-19, they should act as though they do, health officials say, to keep everyone around them safe.

The vast majority of people who contract the virus will only have mild symptoms and are perfectly safe riding out the illness at home, said Dr. Keith Armitage, medical director of the University Hospitals Roe Green Travel Medicine & Global Health Center.

Under ideal conditions these people would be tested for the virus, too, to get a better handle on the spread of the disease, Armitage said, but for now there just aren’t enough tests to go around.

“As testing ramps up there may be further opportunities to be tested,“ he said.

If you’re sick but are not being tested

The Cleveland Clinic, which tightened its criteria for coronavirus testing on Wednesday in response to a shortage of the swabs needed to take nose and throat samples, advises patients with a cough and patients with fever above 100.4 degrees to practice home isolation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends home isolation for symptomatic patients, too. Isolation, which is more stringent than social distancing, means you should:

Stay home except to get medical care, and avoid all public areas;

Separate yourself from others in your home, where possible. If you’re able to stay in a single room away from others, this is best.

If you’re able, wear a face mask while you’re sick. If you can’t, have the other people in your home wear a mask to protect themselves while they are in contact with you.

Wash your hands often, cover your coughs and sneezes, and don’t share cups, utensils, towels or bedding with others in your home.

When to call the doctor or emergency room

Anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms and is at home should call a medical professional if they develop any emergency warning signs of the disease, such as difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new (sudden) confusion or an inability to wake, or bluish lips or face.

Don’t just show up at an emergency room or doctor’s office, though, said Armitage. Doing so risks exposing others to the disease.

Instead, call ahead to let emergency workers know you’ll be arriving. This helps healthcare workers prepare to treat such patients and keep themselves safe as well.

The Cleveland Clinic is also now offering an online screening tool for patients to learn their risk level for COVID-19. To access the tool, visit clevelandclinic.org/coronavirus, click “Start your screening now,” and answer the questions to receive the recommendation.

Don’t know where to call? Check our listing below, or call the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-833-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).

Where to call in an emergency

In Cuyahoga County, you can call the numbers listed online here or below. To see a full listing of emergency locations, including those outside of Cuyahoga County, click the links below for each hospital system.

For Medicaid patients, you can call Ohio Medicaid’s consumer hotline at 800-324-8680, or call your managed care organization:

Buckeye Health Plan : 1-866-246-4358

Molina Healthcare: (nurse advice line) 1-888- 275-8750

Paramount Advantage: (nurse advice line) 1-800-234-8773

UnitedHealthcare : Advice available here , recommends calling emergency department

CareSource: (nurse advice line) 1-866-206-0554

University Hospitals Emergency Departments:

UH Cleveland Medical Center

11100 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland

216-539-3757

UH Ahuja Medical Center

3999 Richmond Road in Beachwood

216-593-5500

UH Richmond Medical Center

27100 Chardon Road in Richmond Heights

440-295-5782

UH Bedford Medical Center

44 Blaine Avenue in Bedford

440-735-3800

UH Parma Medical Center

7007 Powers Boulevard in Parma

440-743-4020

UH Broadview Heights

5901 East Royalton Road in Broadview Heights

440-792-9000

Southwest General Emergency Trauma Center Main Campus

18697 Bagley Road in Middleburg Heights

440-816-8888

UH St. John Medical Center

29000 Center Ridge Road in Westlake

440-827-5531

UH North Ridgeville Health Center

32800 Lorain Road Suite 1600 in North Ridgeville

440-406-5550

Cleveland Clinic emergency departments

Cleveland Clinic Main Campus

9500 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland

216-444-2200

Euclid Hospital

18901 Lakeshore Boulevard in Euclid

216-531-1900

Fairview Hospital

18101 Lorain Avenue in Cleveland

216-476-7000

Hillcrest Hospital

6780 Mayfield Road in Mayfield Heights

440-312-4500

Lakewood Family Health Center

14601 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood

216-237-5500

Lutheran Hospital

1730 W. 25th Street in Cleveland

216-696-4300

Marymount Hospital

12300 McCracken Road in Garfield Heights

216-581-0500

South Pointe Hospital

20000 Harvard Road in Warrensville Heights

216-491-6000

You can also call the Clinic’s Urgent & Express Care Clinics, or visit its Cleveland Clinic Express Care Online.

MetroHealth System

MetroHealth has a dedicated COVID-19 support line available at 440-59-COVID or 440-592-6843.

Emergency room locations:

MetroHealth main campus

2500 MetroHealth Drive

216-778-7800

Cleveland Heights Medical Center

10 Severance Circle in Cleveland Heights

216-524-7377

Brecksville Health and Surgery Center

9200 Treeworth Boulevard in Brecksville

216-957-9000

Parma Medical Center

12301 Snow Road in Parma

216-524-7377

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center

Emergency Department

2351 East 22nd Street in Cleveland

216-363-2536

Louis Stokes VA Medical Center

Wade Park Emergency

10701 East Boulevard in Cleveland

216- 791- 3800