Tips to help get through COVID-19 illness
by Pinedale Online!
December 12, 2020
For most people who get COVID-19, symptoms only last about a week and people usually feel better in 1-2 weeks. If you or someone in your household gets COVID-19, here are some tips to help get through it.
1. Stay home except to get medical care Stay away from other people as much as possible. Separate the sick person as much as possible in the household. Create a comfortable isolation area for the patient, a separate room is ideal. If possible, have a separate bathroom for the patient. Put up a physical barrier between their room and the rest of the house (shower curtain, blanket, sheet). It can be helpful to have TV, games, reading material or other distractions the person might enjoy or be interested in. If possible, only have one person in the household have contact with the person who is sick. Wash hands, sanitize, disinfect, wear face masks, and keep the best cleanliness and hygiene measures as possible when exchanging items between the sick person and others in the household. Keep pets away from the sick person. Limit physical contact with the ill person – avoid hugging, kissing, sharing food or drinks.
2. Drink fluids and get rest It is important to stay hydrated when sick. Drink lots of water. Some sources recommend up to eight glasses of water day. Fruit juices add some additional flavor and calories, if the person can tolerate them. Other suggestions are tea with honey, Gatorade, electrolyte drinks, broth, ginger ale, smoothies. Stay away from alcohol. Caffeinated drinks and soft drinks can cause dehydration.
3. What to eat Many people lose their appetite with flu and it can be a challenge to get them to eat when they don’t feel well. Easy-to digest foods will be helpful for those with upset tummies. Sometimes a person has a preference for a certain food at times, so take advantage of what they say sounds good at the time. It might be salty food like crackers or pretzels, hot or cold foods, fruits, or something sweet. It is important to get calories, especially if the person isn’t eating much while sick. Have healthy snacks available and visible as reminders to eat. Rice, bread, crackers are relatively mild. Warm foods such as mashed or baked potatoes, oatmeal, soup, or toast might taste good. Cool foods suggestions include yogurt, ice cream, popsicles, smoothies, and frozen fruit. There are certain nutrients—including protein, vitamins A, C, D and E and zinc—that help support your immune system. These can come from natural food sources or vitamin supplements.
4. Monitor symptoms Symptoms can include cough, fever or chills, fatigue, headache, muscle or body aches, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, runny nose or congestion, and diarrhea.
5. See if over-the-counter medicines help with symptoms Fever reducers and cough medicines can help people feel better by suppressing symptoms during the height of the illness. Make sure they are compatible with any other medications the patient might already be taking.
6. How do I know if I have COVID-19 or not? The only way to know for certain is to get tested. There are still other flu and cold viruses around and some can also make you very sick. If you decide to get tested, you will be put into the system of the medical world dealing with COVID-19. Locally, you’ll get a rapid test at one of the local Clinics and they will also take a second test that gets sent off to the State laboratory. The second test takes about 5-7 days to return with results. The medical people will ask you to isolate and quarantine during the time awaiting your State lab results. They will also ask you for your close contacts. Which means your family, close friends, and business co-workers may also be impacted with isolation or quarantine while you await your lab results.
7. Stay in touch with your doctor Call before you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you have trouble breathing, or have any other emergency warning signs, or if you think it is an emergency. Have the doctor’s phone number readily at hand. It is helpful to document when you started feeling sick and what your symptoms have been.
8. Tell your close contacts that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 48 hours (or 2 days) before the person has any symptoms or tests positive.
9. How family members and friends can help Those looking for ways to help someone who is sick can offer assistance with grocery shopping, filling prescriptions, preparing some comfort food, taking care of pets, helping with any outside chores, and getting other items they may need. Vulnerable people should avoid taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19.
10. How long does the illness last? This depends on the severity of the illness in each individual person. Some people get none to very mild symptoms. Others can get very sick. Some die. Data indicates that most people are generally sick from 1-2 weeks with COVID-19, although some are ill much longer. In severe cases, the transmission period can be as much as 20 days after symptoms first appear. The virus may remain in the body at low levels for up to three months after diagnosis. This may mean some people get a second positive test result even after they recover, although this does not necessarily indicate the virus is still transmissible. As of October 2020, there is no evidence that a person with mild or moderate symptoms can transmit the coronavirus more than 10 days after the first positive test result. Data on COVID-19 indicate that in some people symptoms may linger for several weeks to months after recovery from the worst of it (cough, headaches, fatigue). In general, it is safe to go back to work 10 days after symptoms first appeared, and after 24 hours with no fever (without using medications).
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