LESSONS FROM HAVING COVID-19
The contents of this article are for suggestion only and are not meant as medical advice or a replacement for medical advice. If you feel you have contracted Covid-19 contact your health provider or immediately call 911.
I apparently contracted Covid-19 Friday July 17. A SOFIA 2 SARS Antigen test August 1 showed negative for Covid-19; the Standard Q COVID IgG/IgM Rapid Test for antibodies showed positive for IgG and IgM, which the health care provider said was indicative of just having had Covid-19. I exhibited all but one of the “mild” symptoms and briefly two of the “severe” symptoms. Fortunately I have a mild case and am feeling better. There are a number of lessons learned both for prevention of contracting the virus and what to do if one gets it.
From what I have seen on the web contracting the virus usually occurs 3-4 days after exposure. I wear a N95 mask and take recommended precautions. From what I can tell exposure occurred while at the store. There was a person two ahead of me in line who was not wearing a mask, had a dry cough, and did not attempt to cover it.
My mistake was not wearing a face shield in addition to the face mask. From what I have heard wearing a face shield over a face mask lowers the risk of virus contraction when around others not wearing a mask. Also, from what I have heard, a surgical mask protects others from you though is not as good at protecting you from others; a N95 mask protects others from you and protects you from others.
An additional mistake was made when I went home with my purchase. We had been diligent about sanitizing purchases or letting them sit for days before taking them inside. We got lax doing this; I immediately took the items inside without sanitizing. My wife ended up contracting the virus and coming down with symptoms at the same time as I. We concluded that the probable infection at the store was spread to her when I got home. She has a milder case and is getting better.
The virus came on very strong and quick like a freight train. I am a relatively healthy 61 year old endurance athlete. A healthy condition will probably not prevent contracting the virus though should help in the battle to defeat it. Anyone with a health complication that places them in a high risk category should not hesitate to contact advanced health care or 911. The symptoms come on so fast there is no time to wait, no “I’ll see if I am better tomorrow”.
The idea that you will get supplies after you contract the virus isn’t likely either. In addition to requirements in most areas to shelter in place, one will not have the energy or ability to go anywhere. It can be dangerous to travel as the symptoms can occur very rapidly and leave one stranded on the side of the road.
A good bit of brain fog and delirium has been my experience. Critical thinking and decision making go down. Social skills get interrupted; getting cranky was an early sign something was wrong. I have had mild audio and visual hallucinations. Nightmarish dreams that interrupt sleep come and go. Sudden feelings of being cold come on. Mild sore throat lingers. Mild diarrhea and nausea were early symptoms. There have been experiences of elevated resting heart rate; my typical resting rate is around 50 BPM though once it was 76 BPM and another time 78 BPM, which was the strangest symptom I’ve had. I have not had much of the dry cough that is so common. The one mild symptom I have not had was throwing up thought that is rare for me anyway. The two severe symptoms I had were not being able to wake up and trouble breathing.
My first symptom was not being able to wake up from an unexpected nap that Friday afternoon. At 4:00 AM Saturday I thought I was headed to the ER the breathing trouble had gotten so bad. Deep breathing eased the symptoms and I felt better soon afterwards. That Sunday I woke feeling a little better and thought I’d try an old remedy of a bit of light exercise to boost the immune system. A short walk in the yard proved a mistake as I was soon having trouble breathing, laying down and again feeling like a trip to the ER was coming. Another round of deep breathing eased the symptoms. I presume a drop in oxygen was at work both times.
A Teledoc appointment was had late Sunday afternoon. An antibiotic and steroid inhaler were prescribed; the inhaler in case of trouble breathing. The doctor also directed me to undergo breathing exercises and to sleep on my stomach, as that opens the lungs better than sleeping on the back.
The doctor’s direction for breathing exercises: take a deep breath and hold it for 5 seconds, fully exhale and then cough at the end. Repeat six times. Do the exercise 4-5 times per day. This is something anyone can do now to get themselves better prepared in case of virus contraction. Perhaps do the exercise at each meal and when you wake up and before going to bed.
The doctor also directed me to take daily vitamin C 1,000 mg, vitamin D 1,000 mcg, and Zinc. I have heard others say melatonin has also been directed by their doctor. From what I’ve heard a person can take too much vitamin D and zinc so refer to your health care provider.
Another thing I have learned is high blood sugar is a factor for severe cases. Studies show the odds for dangerous complications of Covid-19 are four times higher in people in the high blood sugar category (>200), and 2.6 times higher in those with a pre-diabetes (between 120 and 200) level of blood sugar; even those with readings suggestive of pre-diabetes had a 71% higher risk of death.
If you think you have the virus immediately go on a no carb diet and lower your sugar as much as possible. If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic keep your sugar under control.
Also, hydration is critical. Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms; sipping water as much as possible is critical. A common rule of thumb is to drink a minimum of half your body weight in ounces of water each day; for example I weigh 170 lbs. and should drink at least 85 ounces a day. Since my sickness began I increased this to 140 ounces a day; I do this by counting the number of 20 oz glasses I have throughout the day. I do not have to urinate much more than usual, which indicates my body needs the fluid to fight the virus. The virus makes me thirsty so this is relatively easy though counting my intake is critical in reaching my goals. I learned this the hard way when I got lax on the amount of water and subsequently had a spell and was laying down again feeling miserable.
Drinking this much water can delete electrolytes so pay attention; increasing electrolyte intake is recommended by experts.
Fortunately appetite loss is not a symptom from my experience. However, a low carb diet prevents the usual snack grabbing and even eating fresh fruit so watch those old habits.
Interestingly, apart from the first day I have had no fever. From my experience absence of fever by itself is not indicative of having the virus and probably being contagious.
I have experienced prior ailments returning during Covid. Mild psoriasis that usually only shows up in winter is at full blast and the tinnitus has gotten noticeably worse.
If you live in a multi-story home be thinking about how to live on one level and not climb stairs. Anyone living alone is at risk as a “babysitter” is very helpful in getting through the worst of it for mild cases. I do not see how anyone with a severe case can survive if they live alone.
Things to do if you suspect you have the virus:
Immediately contact your health provider or call 911. There are self-assessments on the web that you can use, and they direct you to call 911 in case of severe symptoms.
Hydrate.
No to low carb diet. Monitor blood sugar if diabetic or pre-diabetic.
Monitor oxygen levels with an oxygen pulsometer; these are available for about $50 and typically take around a week to deliver. They are very easy to use. A web search shows normal oxygen saturation is 95-100%. From what I have read a serious drop in oxygen saturation indicates a severe case and requires immediate advanced health care via a call to 911.
Importantly, double down on sanitizing, masking, social distancing and other safety practices. As community transmission of the virus increases the likelihood of contracting the virus grows. It is human nature to get lax and relax safety practices. Don’t be like me; keep yourself and your family safe.
The virus impacts people in different ways. I know someone who after 14 days was well enough to go back to a pre-illness lifestyle. I know someone else who had it for a morning then went on as usual though her spouse had a much worse time of it. At day 21 I was working remote in the mornings and sleeping/resting a couple of hours in the afternoons. I aim for 10-12 hours of sleep a day which is challenging as insomnia has been one of my symptoms. Over 48 days after my inception symptoms came back twice with the second recurrence worse than the first. Ramping up exercise is difficult as that seems to trigger the symptoms. From what I am experiencing and seeing on the web, when someone contracts the virus they may be out at least two weeks, may have some work-ability after one week, though can expect to have debilitating episodes for at least two months. Those with severe cases may be completely out for two months or more and may have very extended or life-long implications.
As the test results came in the health care provider told me that I was most likely immune from re-catching it for about 30 days and I was probably not personally contagious (could not give it to someone by breathing on them) for the same period of time. However, there is no such thing as saying a person is not contagious, as one can apparently get the virus germs at the store or a door handle and then spread it to others that way.
Stay safe; this is not the typical flu.
Arthur Blankenship