Top 10 Things to Do if You Get Sick with COVID-19 ( #1 & #3 Might Surprise You)

#10. Recognize the symptoms (loss of smell, taste or appetite, fatigue, fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, or diarrhea to name a few.    

#9. Get tested. There are two commonly used tests today that detect if you have the virus. One provides results within 15 minutes but less accurate and the other takes about 2 days. A third test measures if you had COVID-19 (antibodies).  

#8. Quarantine. Local health departments generally contact anyone with a positive COVID-19 test and provide quarantine guidelines. When in doubt stay home and avoid others for 14 days or follow your public health guidelines.

#7. Rest. I remind people that you are fighting a war to kill the coronavirus and need all your energy saved for the battlefield. Many complain of profound fatigue. Listen to your body…when you are tired…stop and rest.

#6. Push fluids. Eat a diet rich in protein to promote healing. Some of my patients ended up in ER because they lost their appetite with a great deal of nausea and diarrhea. They required intravenous fluids (IV) to correct the dehydration. Liquid Ensure supplements help to hydrate and increase protein to fight the infection.

#5. Speak with your doctor about taking Vitamin D3, Zinc, Vitamin C and an antiviral medication to help fight the infection.

#4. If your loss of smell continues once you’ve recovered ask your doctor for an Ear Nose and Throat consult to assist you in techniques to help restore your sense of smell.

#3. Once you’ve recovered remember that your immunity is low. You just fought a war. Avoid crowds to prevent additional infections to give yourself time to build your immunity back up.

#2. Be vigilant. Watch for a worsening of symptoms between day 7 to 10. Notify your healthcare provider of any concerning symptoms. Those who develop serious problems tend to worsen after the first week.

#1. And the #1 most important thing to do if you get sick with COVID 19 is…measure your oxygen levels! Numbers will begin to drop in the earliest stages of worsening disease. I advise people to purchase a fingertip pulse oximeter to have on hand. You can buy one at your local drugstore or online for $15 to $30.

Check with your healthcare provider about when you should be concerned if those oxygen saturation levels begin to drop. Check your levels 4 times/day. Sit for 5 minutes and record the average reading. In our local area folks were often hospitalized with oxygen levels below 90. It’s a great time to check your temperature too.

While much of COVID-19 treatment is still evolving, I found that my patients were relieved and rested better as long as their oxygen levels remained good. However, nothing replaces the advice of your healthcare provider!

Visit cdc.gov for the latest information on COVID-19.

Source: cdc.gov and lung.org

Website (author): Jenniejohnsonrn.com

Email: ask@jenniejohnsonrn.com

 All rights reserved 2021, Jennie E. Johnson, RN-BC, PhD 

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