The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are a fever, coughing, and breathing problems. Unless you have severe symptoms, you can most likely treat them at home, the way you would for a cold or the flu. Most people recover from COVID-19 without the need for hospital care. Call your doctor to ask about whether you should stay home or get medical care in person.
Scientists are trying to make new medicines and test some existing drugs to see whether they can treat COVID-19. In the meantime, there are a number of things that can relieve symptoms, both at home and at the hospital. a number of things can relieve symptoms, both at home and at the hospital.
At-Home Coronavirus Treatment
If your symptoms are mild enough that you can recover at home, you should:
Rest. It can make you feel better and may speed your recovery.
Stay home. Don’t go to work, school, or public places.
Drink fluids. You lose more water when you’re sick. Dehydration can make symptoms worse and cause other health problems.
Monitor. If your symptoms get worse, call your doctor right away. Don’t go to their office without calling first. They might tell you to stay home, or they may need to take extra steps to protect staff and other patients.
Ask your doctor about over-the-counter medicines that may help, like acetaminophen to lower your fever.
The most important thing to do is to avoid infecting other people, especially those who are over 65 or who have other health problems.
That means:
Try to stay in one place in your home. Use a separate bedroom and bathroom if you can.
Tell others you’re sick so they keep their distance.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow.
Wear a mask over your nose and mouth if you can.
Wash regularly, especially your hands.
Don’t share dishes, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with anyone else.
Clean and disinfect common surfaces like doorknobs, counters, and tabletops.
What to expect
Symptoms begin 2 to 14 days after you come into contact with the virus. Early studies show that many people who have mild infections recover within 2 weeks. More severe cases tend to last 3 to 6 weeks.
Talk to your doctor about how long you should isolate yourself if you have symptoms. CDC guidelines say you can leave isolation when:
You haven’t had a fever for 72 hours (3 days) without using a fever-reducing medication
Your symptoms, such as coughing or shortness of breath, are better
It’s been at least 7 days since your symptoms began OR you have two negative COVID-19 tests 24 hours apart
How do you know if your symptoms are getting worse?
Get medical care right away if you begin to have:
Trouble breathing
Pain or pressure in your chest
Confusion or severe drowsiness
A blue tint to your lips or face
Coronavirus Treatment in a Hospital
You don’t need to go to the hospital or ER if you have basic COVID-19 symptoms, like a mild fever or cough. If you do, many hospitals will send you home.
If your case is severe, members of the medical staff will check for signs that the illness is causing more serious problems. They might:
Check the levels of oxygen in your blood with a clip-on finger monitor
Listen to your lungs
Give you a COVID-19 test. This involves putting a 6-inch cotton swab up both sides of your nose for about 15 seconds.
Give you a chest X-ray or CT scan
You may get extra oxygen through two small tubes that go just inside your nostrils. In very serious cases, doctors will connect you to a machine that can breathe for you, called a ventilator.
You may also get fluids through a tube, or IV, in your arm to keep you from getting dehydrated. Doctors will also closely monitor your breathing. The goal is for your infection to run its course and for your lungs to heal enough that they can breathe on their own again.
Many clinical trials are under way to explore treatments used for other conditions that could fight COVID-19 and to develop new ones.
The FDA has issued an emergency use ruling for an antiviral medication called remdesivir, which was created to fight Ebola. Doctors can now use it for people hospitalized with COVID-19 and in clinical trials. Research shows that some patients recover faster after taking remdesivir.
An emergency FDA ruling also lets doctors use hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to treat COVID-19. The medications are approved to treat malaria and autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
Clinical trials are also under way for tocilizumab, another medication used to treat autoimmune conditions. And the FDA is also allowing clinical trials and hospital use of blood plasma from people who’ve had COVID-19 and recovered to help others build immunity. You’ll hear this called convalescent plasma.
Source: webmd
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