What should I do if I have Covid-19 symptoms

Covid-19 as all of us are aware is a respiratory illness that’s caused by the novel coronavirus. SARS-CoV-2. The number of people infected by this virus is rising day by day in the country. While many cases aren’t serious, we have seen that the second wave has proved to be extremely harmful to middle-aged people who are witnessing major symptoms and severe illness. First, let’s under what are the symptoms of Covid-19 in India –

• Common Cold
• Running Nose
• Unexplained Weakness or Exhaustion
• Mild Fever
• Loss of Smell & Taste
• Diarrhea
• Stomach Ache and/or Bloating
• Breathlessness

What should I do if I have Covid-19 Symptoms?

If you are experiencing the above mentioned symptoms of Covid-19, it’s important for you to take the following measures –

Stay at Home and Isolate if necessary

The first and foremost step that you should take is stay at home and start isolating yourself which will help to prevent the virus from spreading further. Step out only if you want to seek medical help. At home too, try wearing a mask and maintaining safe distance from your family members. Try to use a separate bedroom and washroom from the rest of the members.

Consult your doctor and get a RT-PCR test done

Once you start experiencing the symptoms, you should call your healthcare provider and seek his/her medical advice. Get a test done as soon as possible. If the symptoms are severe, ask your doctor to start the treatment immediately. Don’t fear and give accurate information to them as it will help the doctor to treat you in the best possible manner. As soon as the test reports are received, take needed actions accordingly. 

Keep a track of health parameters

Keep a track of your health parameters like temperature, SpO2 (oxygen) levels, etc. Also, make sure that you use different sets of thermometer and oximeter than your family members in order to avoid the risk of spreading. If any parameter shows signs of emergency, seek medical advice immediately.

Start consuming antioxidants like NAC & Vitamin C

Start taking supplements like N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) to protect your lungs from damage and support overall lung health while Vitamin C supplements will help you further strengthen your immunity in order to increase the body’s resistance to fight the virus. This will help you protect your body from further damage and at the same time make it stronger. Home remedies should be used as well to maintain health. 

Stay Hydrated with ORS drinks

One of the major symptoms seen in many covid patients is diarrhea. And those who have diarrhea are subject to dehydration. By staying hydrated with the help of ORS hydration drinks, it will help you to restore the lost electrolytes from the body thereby helping you to do away with both dehydration and diarrhea and helps you in managing the other symptoms of covid too.

Regularly monitor your symptoms

Keeping a track of your symptoms is a must as any worsening should be instantly treated with medical help. Make sure you follow all the restrictions and maintain social distancing while arriving at the doctors place for checkup. Also, metal exhaustion is a big factor in such times and you need to stay positive in order to help your body stay healthy.

These were a few things that one should incorporate in his/her schedule to avoid further health deterioration. Also, those who have such symptoms and later tested positive should start the treatment process immediately at home and not prolong it. This will facilitate the recovery process and help you get back to being in a healthy state quicker.