I contracted COVID-19 early on in the pandemic (first week of March) and have since become a “long-hauler.” Knowing what I know now, I would definitely go about things differently if I were to get it again.
In this post, I will be providing tips for what to do when you are sick with COVID-19.
Tips for if you test positive for COVID-19
First of all, you should go get tested if you have ANY of the symptoms seen in COVID-19 infections. It is important to know for yourself and for those around you. One person can end up infecting many people.
- Contact trace- Let people that you have been around in the days leading up to your positive test result that you have the virus. This is very important.
- Let loved ones know that you have tested positive- This can be helpful so that they know what is going on with you and they will be able to check up on you.
- Isolate yourself in your home- If you live with other people, try to isolate from them if you can. If you have to be in the same area, wear a mask and disinfect things you touch. Try to eat in a different area than the other person (or people) are in.
- Get a pulse oximeter if you do not have one already and measure your oxygen levels frequently throughout the day. This is important because COVID-19 may cause life threatening dips in oxygen. Anything below a 95 reading is cause for concern.
- Take supplements- There are supplements to take that may help when (and before) you have COVID-19. These include vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, turmeric, magnesium, selenium, oil of oregano, NAC, ginger, Quercetin and B vitamins.
- Take Aspirin- Taking a baby Aspirin everyday when infected with COVID-19 may be a good idea to help prevent blood clotting that is known to occur with it.
- Treat your cough/sore throat- Cough medicine, hot teas, throat lozenges and Vick’s VapoRub may help a cough and/or sore throat.
- Treat aches/pains- Using Tylenol and Vicks VapoRub may help the aches/pains.
- Treat an upset stomach- Using anti-nausea treatments may help with this symptom.
- Treat and monitor your fever- Using Tylenol to bring down a fever is a good idea. If it does not come down or gets really high, you need to go in for medical care.
- Try steam treatments- If you are really congested, breathing in steaming water with peppermint essential oil may help.
- Get nutrition in if you can- If you are having a hard time eating, try something like broth and saltine crackers. Have someone deliver you food if need-be.
- Keep hydrated- Hydration is especially important when you are sick. Drinking something with electrolytes would be a great idea.
- Sleeping on your front (prone position)- This is something they have COVID-19 patients do in the hospital. This may improve oxygenation of the lungs when you are weathering the COVID-19 storm at home.
- Rest but do walk around once in a while- Many people have fatigue when they are infected with COVID-19. It is important to listen to your body and rest but it is also important to get up every now and again. This will help reduce the chances of clots in your legs. Do not do any hardcore exercise when you are sick though.
- Take care of your mental health- Getting worried and stressed out about everything may make things worse when your body is trying to fight the virus. Listening to happy media and talking to loved ones may be helpful during this time.
Tips for after your COVID-19 infection
Once you feel the active phase of your illness is over, you are going to still want to be careful with yourself. Here are some tips for you:
- No hardcore exercise for a while- It is important to not try to go back into your intense exercise routine after the acute phase of your infection. This is because the virus may wreck havoc with your lungs and heart so you still need to let your body rest for a while. I know that this can be hard for fitness enthusiasts but experts believe it is important.
- Keep treating the lingering symptoms if need-be.
- Keep taking the supplements and Aspirin.
- Monitor yourself for any after effects that are especially troubling. Document them.
- Consider seeing a doctor (s)- COVID-19 can cause some damage to organs and also abnormalities in blood work. It may be a good idea to consult with a doctor and decide if things need to be looked at.
- Keep taking care of your mental health- Some people who have had COVID-19 end up with mental health issues. Because of this, it is important to monitor your mental health and act accordingly if you are having issues. Reaching out to your loved ones and/or medical professionals may help.
- Breathing exercises- Breathing can end up being a problem during and after a COVID-19 infection. There are some breathing exercises you can find on YouTube to help with this.
In conclusion
Despite learning quite a bit about COVID-19 in the past 9-10 months, there is still a lot of unknowns with it. This can make it very scary for some people to think about.
Just know that not everyone ends up on a ventilator and needs a double lung transplant afterward. Also, not everyone dies or even becomes a long-hauler.
While there is no cure available for the common person, there are some things that one can do to help fight a COVID-19 infection off. I hope that these tips I provided will really be of benefit to anyone who reads this and has contracted the virus.
Have any of you reading this had the virus? What was it like for you?
Thanks for reading!
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