What Can You Do to Get Rid of Covid

• Language:
• english
• spanish
• chinese

The coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across the United States, fueled past the highly contagious Omicron variant, which now accounts for over 99% of cases.

But most people who develop COVID-19 symptoms have a mild illness and can recover at abode, co-ordinate to the Centers for Disease Command and Prevention (CDC).

"While some patients crave inpatient care for their COVID-19 infection, most do not and are able to safely care for themselves at home," says Dr. Judy Tung, section chief of Adult Internal Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and acquaintance dean for Faculty Development at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Understanding the symptoms and how to monitor and treat them can help you manage your care safely."

The skillful news, Dr. Tung adds, is that COVID-19 vaccines have proved very effective in preventing severe COVID-xix illness, and a booster makes them more effective, including with Omicron. "I highly recommend that eligible individuals get vaccinated and boosted equally shortly as they can," encourages Dr. Tung.

Here, Dr. Tung shares with Health Matters how to treat yourself at home if you lot have a milder case of COVID-19.

Know the Symptoms

The range of symptoms that patients experience from COVID-nineteen is quite wide. Classic symptoms include headache, sore throat, fever, congestion and runny nose, coughing, shortness of breath, musculus aches, astringent fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and an altered sense of taste and aroma. Omicron has similar symptoms as Delta and the previous variants, though more than people feel upper respiratory (sore throat and congestion) symptoms every bit opposed to lower respiratory (cough, shortness of jiff) symptoms and fewer people seem to lose their senses of taste and smell, Dr. Tung says.

"The severity of symptoms vary quite a fleck and and then can the elapsing, lasting days for some and weeks for others, which is very exhausting," Dr. Tung says. "It's important to stay vigilant about your health symptoms."

Contact a Dr.

Let your dr. know as soon as COVID-19 symptoms start then they tin can advise and monitor you. This is especially of import for people with a college risk of complications, including older adults and people with atmospheric condition such as obesity, chronic lung disease, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease. If you don't accept a primary care physician, establish a relationship with a medico, especially ane who has telemedicine capability. If you lot have a specialist for a condition such as cancer, let them know yous have COVID-19 symptoms. Keep your physician's number on manus.

Dr. Judy Tung

Get Tested

Information is empowering and will allow you to accurately treat yourself and the people effectually you lot, and so information technology'south important to get tested if you lot take any COVID-19 symptoms. About rapid tests for home utilize and at testing centers are antigen tests and can produce results in about 15 minutes. Antigen tests detect proteins from the virus particles and are typically less sensitive than polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, so a simulated negative is possible.

If you have COVID-xix symptoms but test negative on an antigen test, follow up with a PCR test and isolate at dwelling house while waiting for results. If you tin can't get a PCR test, so repeat your rapid antigen test over the next day or two to increment your take chances of detecting the virus. If you have symptoms and your rapid antigen test is positive, this is usually plenty to confirm your infection and there is no need to test with a PCR.

"At-home tests are a powerful tool," Dr. Tung says. "If yous don't accept serious symptoms, don't go to a hospital emergency department just for a COVID-19 test."

Rest and Drinkable Fluids

Go plenty of residue and stay well hydrated. Fever, vomiting, and diarrhea can lead to pregnant dehydration, which can brand y'all feel worse. Keep a large bottle of water by your bed and beverage from it frequently. Broth soups, tea with honey, and fruit juice are too good choices.

"You can tell that you lot are getting dehydrated if your mouth feels dry, you get light-headed when you movement from a seated or squatting position to a continuing i, and your urine output declines," Dr. Tung says. "You should be urinating at to the lowest degree every four to 5 hours. Severe aridity is one reason nosotros hospitalize patients with COVID-xix, because the body becomes too weak to fight off the infection."

Monitor Your Wellness Closely

Go on a detailed log of your symptoms, and contact your doctor if you are getting sicker. Have your temperature at least twice daily and pay attention to your breathing, specially if yous feel short of breath just resting or with minimal activity. If you take a pulse oximeter, a device that clips to your fingertip, utilize it to measure your claret oxygen level. If information technology falls beneath 95%, consult a doctor. If it falls beneath 90%, call 911 or become emergency care immediately. Severe COVID-19 can result in major respiratory problems, and people may require supplemental oxygen.

Thankfully, Dr. Tung adds, a lower proportion of patients with Omicron are experiencing the dangerously low oxygen levels and pneumonia that lead to hospitalization or a ventilator. If you are having problem breathing, persistent pain or chest force per unit area, new confusion, an inability to wake or stay awake, or blueish lips or face, seek emergency medical care immediately.

Treat Your Symptoms

Loftier or persistent fevers are dangerous because they worsen dehydration, deject your thinking, and increase the overall oxygen demands of your vital organs. Treating your fever is therefore of import. Take an over-the-counter fever reducer such as acetaminophen (500 milligrams to 1,000 milligrams) every half-dozen to viii hours to continue your temperature nether 100 degrees. A hot shower to breathe in steam can ease a sore throat and congestion; yet, ensure that you are well hydrated and not running a high fever before y'all practice this. Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications can help, particularly if stools are watery and episodes exceed viii to 10 a day. An inhaler is sometimes needed to ease chest tightness or wheezing associated with COVID-19 infection. Always consult your physician to tailor your handling plan.

Ask for Help

Your household members should grocery shop, fill your prescriptions (if they are not quarantining due to exposure), and help with your other needs. If you live alone, reach out to a friend or family fellow member and allow them know yous are ill so they can check in with you and keep their phones on at dark. Enquire someone who lives nearby if they could bring groceries and necessities to exit at your door, or use a delivery service. And it's a proficient time to stock upward on nonperishable food, medications, and household supplies. Create an emergency contact list of friends, family, neighbors, and your doctor.

"Agreement the symptoms and how to monitor and treat them can help you lot manage your care safely."

— Dr. Judy Tung

Protect Others

It'southward important to avert spreading the virus. Stay dwelling for at to the lowest degree five days, except for medical visits, and cocky-isolate in one room as much every bit possible, including eating in your room. Use a separate bathroom, if available. Avoid older or frail relatives with medical conditions. Clothing a mask around others for 10 total days, which precludes eating together (and they should wear a mask around you). These measures besides apply to people who tested positive for COVID-19 just don't have symptoms.

If you lot have to share a room, stay at least six feet away from others; your household fellow member should try to sleep 6 feet away from you and caput to foot. Open up the windows of shared spaces for skillful airflow. If sharing a bath, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces after you lot use them; if you lot are also weak or unable to make clean, your caregiver should wear a mask and wait as long as possible after you have used the bathroom before coming in to clean and use the bathroom, co-ordinate to the CDC. Follow the CDC's recommendations for how to safely do dishes and laundry, and care for someone with COVID-19.

Do not share cups, plates, utensils, cellphones or other electronics, towels, or bedding, and clean oft-touched surfaces such as telephones, doorknobs, and handles daily. Anybody should launder their hands frequently for at least twenty seconds with soap and water or use a mitt sanitizer.

Render to Normal Gradually

Recovery fourth dimension can range from a few days to more than two weeks for astringent cases. Even when you lot're feeling well, you tin can be contagious, so follow CDC guidelines before leaving your sickroom and home. The CDC says you can discontinue your home isolation after you've been fever-gratuitous for 24 hours without using a fever-reducing medicine, your other symptoms have improved, and five days have passed since your symptoms offset appeared. Earlier ending your isolation, you tin accept a rapid antigen test and if it is positive, stay home until twenty-four hour period 10. Loss of taste or smell may continue for weeks or months and demand not delay the time when you can be around others. People who were severely ill with COVID-19 or are immunocompromised should stay abode at least 10 days, so check with your medico.

COVID-19 Treatments

For individuals not requiring hospitalization but at higher take chances for disease progression, there are a few treatments at present available, though they are in curt supply.

Paxlovid

• Antiviral medication that consists of two types of tablets, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, prescribed as a v-day oral course
• Appears to reduce the adventure of hospitalization or expiry by 88%
• Interacts with many other medications, then only sure individuals are eligible

Molnupiravir

• Antiviral medication that is prescribed every bit a five-mean solar day oral course
• Appears to reduce the gamble of hospitalization or expiry by about 30%

Monoclonal Antibodies

• Lab-made proteins that act like human antibodies in the immune system; administered by intravenous infusion
• Iii monoclonal antibiotic treatments are authorized, but just sotrovimab may be effective against Omicron
• I study institute sotrovimab reduced the run a risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-nineteen by 85%.

Judy Tung, M.D., is section main of Developed Internal Medicine in the Division of Internal Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and a chief care physician at NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital. She is also associate dean for Kinesthesia Evolution at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Additional Resources

• Acquire most COVID-19 testing in our expert's guide, including when to get tested and how accurate the tests are.

• If you are non feeling well, consider using NewYork-Presbyterian'south Virtual Urgent Intendance for non-life-threatening symptoms, such as fever, cough, upset stomach, or nausea. Learn more at nyp.org/urgentcare.

• Language:
• english
• castilian
• chinese

At A Glance

Featured Expert

lakewhizinut.blogspot.com

Source: https://healthmatters.nyp.org/sick-with-covid-19-heres-how-to-treat-yourself-at-home/

Share this post