HomeAnswersPulmonology (Asthma Doctors)bronchitisWhat should I do if I am COVID negative but have a headache, fever, chest pain, and inflamed bronchi?

What could cause inflamed bronchi, chest heaviness, fever, and cough other than COVID?

Share

The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At October 14, 2021
Reviewed AtJuly 17, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 27-year-old male. For the past three weeks, I have had chest pain, heaviness, occasional cough, and a fever of 99°F (37.2°C) with a headache. I did a chest x-ray, and my doctor said that my bronchi are a little inflamed. He thought I had had COVID, but I was tested negative all the time. What should I do to relieve my symptoms?

Kindly help.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com. Thank you for the query. I can understand your concern. According to your statement, you have been suffering from chest pain, heaviness, occasional cough, mild fever, and headache for the last three weeks. According to your chest x-ray reports that are provided here, increased or prominent pulmonary vascularity is seen (attachments removed to protect the patient’s identity). High pulmonary vascularity may result from the acute respiratory syndrome, infection, inflammation, and many more. I suggest you do HRCT (high-resolution computed tomography) of the chest to exclude consolidation due to any respiratory infection like pneumonia. It is advisable to do HRCT of chest, widal test, an echocardiogram to find out the exact underlying causes for your present sufferings and then treat them accordingly. In the meantime, kindly take broad-spectrum antibiotics like Cefixime, antihistamines like Fexofenadine, leukotriene receptor antagonists like Montelukast to subside your cough and fever. Nowadays, it is possible for RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) to fail in detecting COVID-19 (CoronavirusDisease-2019) infection. In such cases, HRCT of the chest is recommended to exclude COVID infection or pneumonia. Take care.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your time and comprehensive answer. I shall do a computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest to rule out anything serious. I had mononucleosis three years ago, but every year since then, I have had mild fever and chest (sternum) pain for a week. This time, it is lasting for more than a week, and so, I am worried. I have done a full EpsteinBarr virus (EBV) panel and waiting for the results to see if the virus is reactivated. By the way, I have never had COVID. I have recently done SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibody tests, and they came negative. So, I am pretty sure that it is not due to COVID. My SpO2 is 98 to 99%. And I never had a history of pneumonia in my life. Thank you for the drug recommendations.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com. Thank you for joining again. Yes, you are right. Once you were infected with Epstein Barr virus, you will carry this virus for life long. In some cases, this virus may reactivate. Some triggering factors like weak immune system, medications especially that can cause immunosuppression, stress, hormonal changes may stimulate its reactivation. But, reactivated Epstein Barr virus can rarely cause serious illness in patients who are immunocompromised like AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Usually 90% patients may carry antibodies from the past infections of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) that may be detected during a blood test for EBV antibodies. According to your present complications and chest x-ray films you may suffer from any type of respiratory infections or diseases that can be confirmed by HRCT of chest. Before starting treatment, the exact cause for your present sufferings should be detected first. If you suffer from any type of bacterial infections or respiratory diseases, then the above mentioned medications will be helpful to subside your symptoms. Again, if you suffer from any type of viral infections like Epstein Barr virus infection, then antibiotics like Cefixime should be used to prevent any secondary infections. Fexofenadine and Montelukast will help to subside your occasional cough. Nothing has confirmed yet. So, do not worry. Take care.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Muhammad Zubayer Alam
Dr. Muhammad Zubayer Alam

Pulmonology (Asthma Doctors)

Community Banner Mobile
By subscribing, I agree to iCliniq's Terms & Privacy Policy.

Ask your health query to a doctor online

Pulmonology (Asthma Doctors)

*guaranteed answer within 4 hours

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy