How I Managed the Symptoms of Covid at Home

Daisy Luther, The Organic Propper

By Francesco Abbruzzino

 

 

There are many different levels of illness for people who contract the Covid-19 virus. Some people have a few mild symptoms for a couple of days, others have a moderate case like mine, and others require hospital care. If you fall into one of the first two categories, your doctor will most likely tell you to manage the symptoms of the virus at home.

 

Disclaimer 1: This article is not a replacement for medical treatment or diagnosis. I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on television. This article is not about a cure for Covid or any type of prescription medication. It’s only about the symptoms. You should always get advice from your doctor before attempting to manage Covid at home. Be sure to seek emergency treatment if your symptoms worsen.

 

Disclaimer 2: Every time I write about this, the comments section is filled with people who don’t believe it exists and who don’t think I had it. Or maybe you had it and it wasn’t as bad, you think I’m fat, that I don’t take enough vitamins, or that I am a shill for Big Pharma. I already know your thoughts. You told me, vividly, of your opinions. If any of this describes you, then you are not the intended audience for this article and I wish you the very best in continued health and wellness.

 

The symptoms of Covid vary widely among patients. This article is intended to address the more common symptoms, many of which can be managed with home remedies and over the counter products.  It includes many of the products and remedies that I used during my own bout.

Obviously, care should be taken not to spread the virus through the household with the use of proper sanitation, hygiene, and isolation. However, that is beyond the scope of this article.

 

Some items you need

You probably already have most if not all of what you need for managing symptoms at home. Be sure to have a reliable thermometer so you can monitor the fever of the person who is sick. Humidifiers can help people breathe easier, and a variety of over-the-counter medications may come in handy.

One of the most important things that I used was a fingertip pulse oximeter. This will let you know if the sufferer’s oxygen levels have become dangerously low. Check at your local pharmacy or order one from Amazon. Be sure to see if it requires batteries, and if so what kind. You don’t want to have to search for watch batteries when you have someone in the home who may have Covid.

 

Keep a good supply of electrolyte powders or electrolyte beverages. I felt very dehydrated while I had Covid due to the high fever. Supplement your fluid intake with these drinks.

 

Fever

Some people believe you should let a fever run its course because that is your body’s way of fighting off an illness. I tend to agree with this philosophy. Some studies suggest that particularly in the early stages of the illness, the use of antipyretics like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin could reduce your natural immune response.

 

Recognising the value of fever in the fight against infection does not imply that fever has no costs, but the available evidence indicates that the costs of fever outweigh its benefits only at advanced and severe stages of infection,⁵ typically when patients are hospitalised because of cardiovascular or respiratory complications.^16,17 In such states of compromised physiological fitness (sepsis), the energetic cost of fever may be too much for the host to bear and, additionally, fever may heighten the maladaptive inflammation underlying the complications (source)

 

At some point, you may feel that the need to treat other symptoms outweighs the benefit of the fever, or you may feel that the fever has become dangerously high.

 

Make sure to keep anyone with a fever well-hydrated, warm, and as comfortable as possible. Sometimes a fever can be brought down naturally with a cool – not cold – bath or cooling compresses.

 

If the sick person has chills accompanying the fever, keep them warm with layers and extra blankets. In people who are diabetic, check their blood sugar levels – chills can be a symptom of low blood sugar, which will need to be managed separately.

Headache

One of the first symptoms that people mention with Covid is a really bad headache. The pain increases when you cough. I spent a week clutching my head every time I coughed to try not to jar it quite so much.

Over the counter remedies for a headache are:

• Acetaminophen
• Ibuprofen
• Aspirin

Briefly, there was concern that NSAID drugs could make Covid worse, but a recent study has disproven that. Some healthcare providers are recommending aspirin to reduce the likelihood of blood clots. But also consider the advice above regarding the value of a fever – if you have a temperature as well as a headache, you may want to weigh the pros and cons of taking something to relieve these symptoms.

 

White willow bark is a common natural remedy for pain relief. As well, make sure to keep the sufferer well-hydrated. A headache is also a symptom of dehydration

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Dry cough

One symptom that makes everything else worse is the constant dry cough that many Covid-sufferers report. It’s generally not a deep productive cough. Like many of the other symptoms of this illness, a cough can actually be beneficial as it helps to keep your lungs clear. Cough suppressing medication is not recommended.

 

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