Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay

The answer to your question depends on how you define "normal". Coronavirus (or any viral infection) is not "normal" because humans do not normally display symptoms, even though viruses are present everywhere. If your question is rephrased as "Is this typical?", then my response would be that your symptoms are typical, and the time course of disease, while not typical, is not uncommon. Many people display a "biphasic" pattern of symptoms after exposure to a virus (any virus, even influenza). The pattern depends on the way your immune system makes antibodies, and, in particular, neutralizing antibodies. The first week or so of an immune response revolves around using (any) IgM antibodies that your immune system can produce, some of which may not be neutralizing. In the second "phase" of the immune response, a different type of immune cell is activated - the B-cells - and the immune system systematically refines the antibodies into producing and storing the IgG antibody type, which tend to be neutralizing (assuming one survives the infection).

The ones at the base of the penis seems to be associated with hair follicles, and so they seem to be unlikely to related to STD. The protruding spot on the glans is more difficult for me to answer. I am not sure if it is painful, or if there was any discharge (fluid, blood, any liquid) that ever emanated from it. If you are concerned, your doctor's clinic or an urgent care center can perform a STD screen if you relay your concern. You should also discuss this with your most recent partner, as she may have some insight.

There are a variety of medications used in a hypertensive emergency to bring the blood pressure down. These include Nicardipine, Nimodipine (among calcium channel blockers), Labetalol and Metoprolol (among the beta-blockers or semi-beta-blockers), Hydralazine, Nitroglycerin, and others. The choice of medications depends on other cofactors, like the heart rate or the presence of lung disease or history of drug reactions (lupus-like autoimmune reactions, particularly). So, unfortunately, there is no "one regimen" that works in all cases of hypertensive emergency. The goal is to bring down the pressure rapidly, but safely.

Dr. Bandyopadhyay

No, not in general.

A bronchoscopy is a procedure whereby a physician (usually an anesthesiologist or a lung or ear-nose-throat specialist) places a special instrument with a camera at the end of a long, thin tube into the airway to look at the inner lining of the lungs. The instrument could also have an attachment that allows for obtaining a biopsy or a washing or a sample of fluid or cells encountered in the airway.

The procedure requires patients to be sedated, as a tube in the lungs (with the slightest movement) can be irritating. To that end, doctors usually start an IV prior to the procedure, which is probably the most painful part of the process.

The lining of the lungs do not have many nerve fibers per se, but the lining of the throat and vocal cords have nerve endings that go to the brain. If the latter area is biopsied, you could conceivably have some discomfort. But the majority of bronchoscopies do not involve biopsies, and the majority of biopsies are in the lungs. So the risk of pain from this procedure is rather small.

Good luck! I hope they find the source of the persistent cough and get you treated soon.

Skin sores and stiff joints are certainly signs of psoriatic arthritis, and therefore these symptoms are certainly something you would want to bring to the attention of your doctor. However, there are other causes of skin sores and joint stiffness. Jumping to the conclusion that it is psoriatic arthritis may be too hasty. What do the sores look like? Do they have a "silvery scale"? Do they itch? Without an experienced doctor's exam, it is hard to say what the diagnosis is. Use a telehealth provider or see your family doctor for advice when the sores appear. He / she may order an X-ray of the hands, which has a characteristic appearance in psoriatic arthritis. If you can make the diagnosis, there are treatments available for this common problem. Good luck and good health!