What to Do If You Get Sick Over Labor Day Weekend
Getting sick over Labor Day weekend can feel extra stressful.
Regular routines are different. Offices may be closed. Pharmacies may have adjusted hours. Families may be traveling, camping, visiting relatives, or trying to enjoy one last long weekend before fall schedules get busy.
When symptoms start during a holiday weekend, it can be hard to know what to do next.
Should you wait it out? Check in before the weekend starts? Go to urgent care? Try a virtual visit? Call your regular provider after the holiday?
A little planning ahead can make those decisions easier.
Here’s what to check before Labor Day weekend, what to do if symptoms start, and when to seek care right away.
Check Medication Refills Before the Weekend
Before the long weekend begins, take a few minutes to review any medications you or your family members take regularly.
Check:
- How much medication is left
- Whether refills are available
- Whether the prescription has expired
- Which pharmacy you plan to use
- Whether the pharmacy has different holiday hours
- Whether you need to request anything before the weekend starts
This can be especially helpful for allergy medications, asthma inhalers, migraine medications, stomach medications, blood pressure medications, birth control, or other regular prescriptions.
It can also help to check expiration dates and safely dispose of medications your family no longer needs.
Safely Dispose of Medications
If medication questions come up while you are located in Oregon, Oregon Telemed may be able to help talk through options and next steps.
Oregon Telemed does not prescribe controlled substances, including narcotics, benzodiazepines, or ADHD/ADD medications.
Look Up Pharmacy Hours
Holiday weekends can affect pharmacy hours, especially on the actual holiday.
Before the weekend starts, consider checking:
- Your usual pharmacy’s holiday hours
- Nearby pharmacy options if you are traveling
- Whether your pharmacy is open on Labor Day
- How to transfer a prescription if needed
- Whether you have enough medication to get through the weekend
This is a small step that can save a lot of stress later.
Even if a provider can discuss medication options when appropriate, prescriptions still need to be filled by an open pharmacy.
Restock Basic Sick-Day Supplies
A few basic supplies can make it easier to manage mild symptoms at home.
Consider checking that you have:
- Thermometer
- Pain reliever or fever reducer, if appropriate
- Allergy medication, if used
- Electrolytes or oral rehydration solution
- Tissues
- Cough drops, if age-appropriate
- Bandages
- Any regular medications
- COVID tests, if your family uses them
- Care contact information
You do not need to overprepare. The goal is simply to avoid a last-minute store run when someone is already feeling unwell.
Pay Attention to Symptoms That Are Not Improving
Long weekends can make it tempting to push symptoms aside and wait until everything is open again.
Sometimes that is okay. Mild symptoms may improve with rest, fluids, and monitoring.
But symptoms that are getting worse, changing, or not improving may be worth checking in about before the weekend gets busier.
It may be time to check in if you have:
- Symptoms that are not improving
- Symptoms that are getting worse
- Cough that is lingering or worsening
- Sore throat that is not improving
- Sinus symptoms that are getting worse
- Stomach symptoms that are hard to manage
- Urinary symptoms
- Allergy or asthma symptoms that are harder to control
- Medication questions
- A new or concerning symptom
- You are not sure what to do next
A virtual visit may help review symptoms and discuss whether home care, monitoring, medication options when appropriate, testing, in-person care, or another next step may make sense.
Traveling in Oregon This Weekend?
Labor Day weekend often means road trips, camping, coast visits, family gatherings, and time away from home.
If you are traveling within Oregon and a non-emergency concern comes up, Oregon Telemed may be able to help you talk through symptoms and next steps.
A virtual visit may be helpful for questions about:
- Cough, cold, or sore throat symptoms
- Sinus or allergy symptoms
- Mild stomach symptoms
- Headache
- UTI symptoms
- Medication questions
- Symptoms that are not improving
- Whether in-person care may be needed
Oregon Telemed can only see patients who are located in Oregon at the time of the visit.
If you are traveling, it can help to think ahead abou twhere you would get care if symptoms start away from home.
Getting Health Care During Travel
When a Virtual Visit May Help
A virtual visit may be helpful when symptoms are non-emergency but you are not sure what to do next.
Oregon Telemed may be able to help patients located in Oregon review symptoms, ask questions, and decide whether home care, monitoring, testing, medication options when appropriate, or in-person care may make sense.
Same-day appointments may be available.
A virtual visit can be especially helpful when:
- Your regular office is closed
- You are traveling within Oregon
- You are not sure whether symptoms need attention
- You want guidance before waiting through the long weekend
- Symptoms are mild to moderate but not improving
- You need help deciding on the next step
Telehealth does not replace emergency care or ongoing primary care, but it may help bridge the gap when appointments are hard to find or timing is difficult.
When to Seek Urgent or Emergency Care
Some symptoms should not wait for a virtual visit or for the holiday weekend to end.
Seek urgent or emergency care right away if symptoms feel severe, urgent, or rapidly worsening, including:
- Trouble breathing
- Chest pain
- Blue lips or face
- Confusion or trouble staying alert
- Fainting
- Severe dehydration concerns
- Severe abdominal pain
- Repeated vomiting or inability to keep fluids down
- Severe allergic reaction symptoms
- A serious injury
- Symptoms that feel unsafe to manage at home
When in doubt, choose the safer option and seek in-person care.
Make a Long Weekend Care Plan
Before Labor Day weekend begins, take a few minutes to make a simple care plan.
Ask yourself:
- Do we have enough medication to get through the weekend?
- Are refills ready?
- Do we know our pharmacy’s holiday hours?
- Do we have basic sick-day supplies?
- Do we know where to go for urgent care if needed?
- Do we know what symptoms should not wait?
- Do we know who to contact if we are unsure?
- Are we traveling within Oregon or outside the state?
A care plan does not need to be complicated. It just needs to make the first step easier if something comes up.
How Oregon Telemed May Be Able to Help
If you get sick over Labor Day weekend and you are located in Oregon, Oregon Telemed may be able to help with non-emergency symptoms and next steps.
A virtual visit can help you talk with an Oregon-based provider from home, while traveling in Oregon, or wherever you are located in the state.
During a visit, a provider can help review symptoms, ask questions, and discuss whether home care, monitoring, medication options when appropriate, testing, in-person care, or another next step may make sense.
Same-day appointments may be available.
Book online: oregontelemed.com
Call/text: 541-919-8444
Oregon Telemed can only see patients who are located in Oregon at the time of the visit.
If symptoms feel severe, urgent, or rapidly worsening, seek in-person or emergency care right away.
Final Labor Day Weekend Health Checklist
Before the long weekend starts, check:
- Medication refills
- Pharmacy hours
- Basic sick-day supplies
- Care contact information
- Urgent care options
- Symptoms that are not improving
- Your plan if someone gets sick
- Whether you will be located in Oregon if using Oregon Telemed
Holiday weekends are easier to enjoy when you know what to do if symptoms start.
If a non-emergency concern comes up while you are located in Oregon, Oregon Telemed may be able to help talk through symptoms and next steps.