Q: I just found out today I was Covid positive. What should I do!?
A: Personal management of suspected COVID depends a lot on your symptoms.
If there are no symptoms, then isolation / quarantine is the only concern.
If you have chest pain, severe cough, shortness of breath or any evidence of blood clotting, then the problem should be investigated urgently!
If symptoms are mild to moderate or flu-like then conservative supportive treatment is in order. Stay well rested, drink plenty of fluids, and monitor symptoms such as respiration and fever. If shortness of breath is an issue, obtain a pulse-oximeter from your local pharmacy. If the oxygen level falls below 92% then you should go to an Emergency Room.
Prevent spread of the illness by wearing a mask, washing hands often, maintaining social distance from others, cleaning and sanitizing your home (especially high touch areas such as doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, remote controls, etc.). If you are symptomatic consider staying in one room and using just one bathroom. If only one bath is available, it should be cleaned and sanitized after each use.
Use over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen for fever or aching.
Treatment. There is no cure for COVID-19, but taking Vitamin C 250-500mg daily and/or Vitamin D3 400-2000 iu daily may help. Some have proposed using zinc lozenges. Turmeric (curcumin) has been used to ameliorate joint pain and inflammation. All are available over-the-counter.
Ivermectin has been recommended by some, but a recent analysis indicated that there is little support for using this medication. One recent paper from Brazil suggested that fluvoxamine, colchicine, and inhaled (nebulized) budesonide have all been helpful in their patients with moderate illness.
High risk individuals who are exposed to an infected patient may qualify for protection with monoclonal antibody therapy such as REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) or sotrovimab.
For More Information:
Isolation / quarantine recommendations change periodically. For the latest update:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/disposition-in-home-patients.html
Clinical care guidance
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-guidance-management-patients.html
Caring for someone who is sick
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/care-for-someone.html