I know I’ll get covid next week. How to prepare?

[Anonymous]

Do you have an air purifier? I had Covid before Christmas. I hung out in the family room with my husband and child (distanced, and I wore a mask), with the air purifier on, and windows cracked. My family remained negative. Not sure if the air purifier really helped, but there's some info out there saying it can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH had pretty mild but me, DC pretty bad (worst sore throat and deep joint/muscle pain - and bouts of nausea. DC needed inhaler (usually just sports asthma.) If you don’t have suggest humidifiers for every bedroom, throat lozenges. I had brilliant idea for myself of thermos of v warm salt water for middle of night gargle to break cycle of coughing (instead of having to get up to make.) if you haven’t taken holiday stuff down yet - do it this weekend. I have zero energy so it might be up for weeks!!

Sports asthma is the underlying condition that prompted your child’s need for an inhaler. Most kids have barely noticeable symptoms. Most adults don’t even require an inhaler unless they have underlying issues.

[Anonymous]

We all had Covid over the last week or two. We were happy to have the following on hand: Pain meds for headaches and joint pain, Thermometer, Mucinex for congestion and sinus pressure, and various sore throat remedies. A humidifier would have been nice too. We ordered delivery meals several times because we were exhausted for several days. I’m still sleeping 12 hours per night on day 10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We all had Covid over the last week or two. We were happy to have the following on hand: Pain meds for headaches and joint pain, Thermometer, Mucinex for congestion and sinus pressure, and various sore throat remedies. A humidifier would have been nice too. We ordered delivery meals several times because we were exhausted for several days. I’m still sleeping 12 hours per night on day 10.

Consider yourself fortunate that you’re able to sleep. I slept a lot the first week and a half. Now at three weeks out, I have something similar to insomnia and it’s awful. As tired as I feel, I am not able to fall asleep and stay asleep. This all happened over the past week and a half.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We all had Covid over the last week or two. We were happy to have the following on hand: Pain meds for headaches and joint pain, Thermometer, Mucinex for congestion and sinus pressure, and various sore throat remedies. A humidifier would have been nice too. We ordered delivery meals several times because we were exhausted for several days. I’m still sleeping 12 hours per night on day 10.

Consider yourself fortunate that you’re able to sleep. I slept a lot the first week and a half. Now at three weeks out, I have something similar to insomnia and it’s awful. As tired as I feel, I am not able to fall asleep and stay asleep. This all happened over the past week and a half.

I’m sorry to hear that, PP. I hope the insomnia resolves soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you used to prepare to come down with a cold? I’m serious.

Agree in principle that many of these posts sound way too much (use InstaCart, have friends drop off supplies if needed, etc) but in the old days people could still make a quick grocery run with a cold.

[Anonymous]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned this but Gatorade or some sort of electrolyte drink. Some people experience severe vomiting/diarrhea with Covid. I did and wound up in the ER for fluids. Prevention is key!!

[Anonymous]

Stock up on food and drinks, aspirin to prevent blood clots, masks, Vicks VapoRub rubbed on the bottom of my feet and then put socks on stopped my coughing, Vit C or Airborne, Aleve, Vitamin D and zinc. Tissues, Lysol spray, Clorox. Thermometer, pulse oximeter.

[Anonymous]

Things I always keep on hand, and restock as needed.

Drinks:
Gatorade
Pedialyte
Pedialyte popsicles

Food:
Crackers
Rice
Canned soup
Broth
Applesauce

Medicine:
Mucinex
Assorted pain relievers
Cough syrup
Zinc
Vitamin C
Vapor rub

Misc:
Neti Pot
Tissues/toilet paper
Reusable cold packs
Reusable hot packs/heating pad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH had pretty mild but me, DC pretty bad (worst sore throat and deep joint/muscle pain - and bouts of nausea. DC needed inhaler (usually just sports asthma.) If you don’t have suggest humidifiers for every bedroom, throat lozenges. I had brilliant idea for myself of thermos of v warm salt water for middle of night gargle to break cycle of coughing (instead of having to get up to make.) if you haven’t taken holiday stuff down yet - do it this weekend. I have zero energy so it might be up for weeks!!

I love the thermos idea...thanks, I'm keeping that in mind for my next bout of Covid! (Just recovered here, kids each had 1 day, I had 3 days of symptoms, DH had no symptoms.) The middle of the night coughing was annoying and I had to go downstairs in the middle of the night to gargle warm salt water...a bedside thermos would have been brilliant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless one of you is high-risk, it's not worth the hassle to isolate some household members from others, given your house. So just lock down the house as soon as someone has symptoms. We're 4 in a tiny house, and that's what we plan on doing. I bought extra Tylenol in all doses and powders (for younger kids), recovery fluids in powder form for better hydration, and a pulse ox.

And Omicron is so highly contagious it wouldn’t work anyways.

Spouse got it we didn’t isolate him and none of us tested positive—even close contact with him all week. We continue to home test and still all negative.

Home tests? Try getting PCR tests please.

[Anonymous]

The one thing I recommend for peace of mind is a pulse oximeter. You can order one on Amazon.

[Anonymous]

I’m glad I had frozen food that was easy to prep. I was oddly hungry for the first 7 days of illness, but also completely exhausted, like I needed a nap after taking a shower. Your body will need calories, so perhaps some healthy freezer meals would be a better idea. I didn’t see it coming.

I ended up getting a secondary infection at day 10, and needed an inhaler and antibiotics.

I did pick-up grocery orders and sent my kid to pick them up. If your kids don’t drive, get delivery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you used to prepare to come down with a cold? I’m serious.

For me, the problem is less the symptoms and more the “not being able to leave the house to buy food and cough drops”. Nothing wrong with anticipating all of your potential needs when you’re sick!

Sure you can. Just go through self-checkout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless one of you is high-risk, it's not worth the hassle to isolate some household members from others, given your house. So just lock down the house as soon as someone has symptoms. We're 4 in a tiny house, and that's what we plan on doing. I bought extra Tylenol in all doses and powders (for younger kids), recovery fluids in powder form for better hydration, and a pulse ox.

And Omicron is so highly contagious it wouldn’t work anyways.

Spouse got it we didn’t isolate him and none of us tested positive—even close contact with him all week. We continue to home test and still all negative.

Home tests? Try getting PCR tests please.

Those don’t tell you if you currently have it. Just that you’ve recently had it (which could include currently, but isn’t limited to that).