For the most part, the COVID 19 vaccine can help to protect the majority of people from becoming seriously ill with coronavirus.
But even mild cases of this virus require that you isolate yourself at home.
This is all in the public health effort to prevent transmission of COVID to friends, family members, and other people in your community.
It’s also an important part of the world health organization’s efforts to flatten the curve of this COVID 19 pandemic.
Let’s discuss how you can recover from COVID 19 in your own home.
Mild and moderate covid symptoms
The omicron variant of the COVID 19 virus has become the dominant strain in the United States. The good thing about this variant is that it usually has less severe symptoms than other variants of the virus.
Research from the Centers for Disease Control shows that since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic, approximately 80 percent of COVID 19 patients experience mild to moderate symptoms.
The following are moderate and mild COVID 19 symptoms to look out for:
- Fever
- Chills
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Headache
- Feeling tired
- Sore throat
- Congestion
- Runny nose
- Muscle aches
- Body aches
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
How to recover from covid 19 at home
Since so many of the infectious disease cases of COVID 19 are mild to moderate, most people can recover at home.
Recovery rates range. They depend upon your age and overall state of health. For mild illness, it generally takes up to two weeks for coronavirus symptoms to go away. Severe COVID 19 or critical cases can take up to six weeks to recover.
What to expect in your recovery
Through your recovery, some symptoms may linger. The most likely symptoms to do this are fatigue, headache, and difficulty breathing.
A small portion of patients will need to recover in a hospital to get help breathing. These patients may take two weeks or more to recover. This depends on age and overall health.
If you get a severe illness case of COVID 19, you can get a complication called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, called ARDS for short. ARDS can damage the lungs and make breathing difficult. You may require treatment in the intensive care unit. This can then lead to a loss in strength and loss of weight.
It is also possible to experience what we call “long COVID.” This is when symptoms remain after recovery, affecting your quality of life. Symptoms of long COVID include the following:
- Mild headaches
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Shortness of breath
- Malaise (an overall feeling of being unwell)
What not to do when recovering
Be sure not to eat sugary or highly processed foods like pop and cookies. You’ll also want to make sure that you don’t get dehydrated. And don’t overdo it either. It’s important to make sure you rest.
What to do when in recovery
If you’re having trouble breathing, it can be helpful to lie face down rather than flat on your back. Breathing exercises can be helpful as well.
Be sure to drink lots of fluids each day, between 64 to 70 ounces. Hot herbal tea with lemon can also be part of this fluid intake. If you are dehydrated from fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, then you may want to have an electrolyte drink as well.
Eat foods that are bland and easy to digest, like chicken noodle soup, bone broth, toast, and bananas. COVID 19 can cause you to lose your ability to smell and taste for a while, making many foods unappetizing. But it’s important to make sure you are consuming nutritious foods, as this will aid in your recovery.
Research shows that certain strategies can help to encourage early and safe recovery from COVID 19. These strategies involve the following:
- Drinking 2 liters or more of water each day
- Sleeping for at least seven hours each night
- Eating more plant-based proteins
- Staying physically active
How to prepare for a quarantine
It’s a good idea to be prepared for a quarantine, just in case you need to isolate at home. Make a household plan of action. Be sure you’re stocked up on supplies. Have a list of emergency contacts. Put into place a plan to communicate with family, friends, and coworkers.
If possible, be sure you know how to get food delivered to your home. Keep some food and supplies that will last you from two to four weeks, just in case. These should include cleaning materials and household staples.
Below is a shopping list of supplies to make sure you have at home in case you need to quarantine:
- Fresh fruit
- Fresh vegetables
- Canned goods
- Other foods with long shelf lives
- Thermometer
- Tissues
- Hand soap
- Gloves
- Hand sanitizer
- Surface cleaning products
- Mops
- Sponges
- First Aid kit
- Extra bed sheets, towels, and pajamas
- Electrolyte drink
- Your prescription medications
Natural treatment remedies
Zinc is a mineral that you can supplement with. In fact, it has become one of the most common suggestions for reducing COVID 19 symptoms. Zinc has known antiviral properties.
Vitamin C can also be helpful since it supports our immune cell activity. When we are experiencing an infection such as a coronavirus infection, our immune cells work harder than they should. This is when vitamin C can be most helpful.
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory. It is also high in antioxidants. In fact, turmeric has hundreds of active chemicals and acts as a pain reliever.
Ginger is similar to turmeric in that it is an anti-inflammatory with antioxidants. It can help to fight off viruses. If you have stomach symptoms, ginger can be beneficial.
Beta-glucan is a soluble fiber that could take the immune system defenses to a whole new level and improve protection against virus infection. One pilot study revealed beta-glucans could reduce the severity of COVID-19 viral infection.
You can add beta-glucan to your diet by eating nutritional yeast, oats, barley, and seaweed. Other people may wish to take a beta glucan supplement.
Another study on the vitamins to take for COVID found that vitamin D, C, E, selenium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids have an immune-boosting role and can offer some benefits in infectious diseases.
Researchers concluded that the effects of each of these vitamins can offer a possible benefit to those suffering from COVID. These are especially noteworthy results for the elderly population, which are at high risk.
Medical treatments
You will need to speak with your healthcare provider about receiving medical COVID 19 treatment. One type of therapy that is showing promise is monoclonal antibody treatment. However, this type of treatment still requires clinical trials to determine this.
How to keep yourself entertained while recovering or isolating
Exercise
Exercise has a wide array of benefits and can help with early and safe recovery from COVID 19. Not only that, but exercise also helps to pass the time! Although you may not be able to leave your house, you can embrace the home workout.
Do yoga, dance, order some weights or resistance bands online. You can do your own workout or choose from a plethora available online.
Meditate
Breathing exercises can be especially helpful if you are experiencing some of the respiratory symptoms of coronavirus disease. Meditation is beneficial for your overall health and can help pass the time while you’re in quarantine.
Be creative
Doing something creative can help to fuel your soul. Try some arts and crafts. You can buy adult coloring books online and try your hand at those. Or get into knitting, cross-stitch, or scrapbooking. If you don’t know how to do some of these skills, you can find many online tutorials.
Learn something new
Take an online course in a subject you’ve always wanted to know more about. Learn a new language. This is excellent for your cognition and memory skills, and many free apps can help you. Learn a new skill, such as photography, try cooking a new dish, or try your hand at home décor.
Have some fun
Play cards or board games. If you have others quarantining with you at your home, then this can be a fun way to pass the time.
If you’re on your own, then there are tons of board and card games available to play online. You can also play video games, watch movies or TV shows, and read some books.
Get outside
If you have a private backyard or balcony, take advantage of it! Get outside, walk through the grass, and maybe even do some gardening.
Socialize
Quarantine can be a lonely time. To avoid social isolation, make a point of reaching out to friends and family virtually. Schedule Zoom calls or FaceTime with loved ones. Maybe it’s time to get more active in your text group chats.
How do you know when you need emergency care?
It is crucial that you seek emergency medical care if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Difficulty breathing
- Persistent pressure or pain in your chest
- Confusion
- Difficulty waking up or staying awake
- Pale, grey, or blue lips, skin, or nail beds
Conclusion
You’ve learned here how to treat covid at home. You should now know what mild and moderate symptoms of COVID 19 to look out for.
You also know what to expect when it comes to recovery and its timing, what to do and what not to do to help speed up your recovery. Additionally, you have a shopping list of supplies to make sure you have on hand just in case you need to quarantine. You even have a list of ideas to help keep you entertained while isolating.
Most importantly, you know when to seek emergency or urgent care. Remember that if you’re a sick person with mild and moderate COVID 19 symptoms, you can potentially recover perfectly fine on your own at home!
Please follow public health guidelines around COVID and COVID 19 testing in your area, and avoid high risk and increased risk populations. Discuss with your health care provider about getting a COVID 19 vaccination.
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