First bout with Covid — suggestions for how to get through it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somehow I avoided Covid for five years but I tested positive today and the symptoms are quickly getting worse: 102 degree fever, cough and congestion, headaches and body aches, chills and easily short of breath when moving around.

What did you take to help you get through Covid? I started Paxlovid and plan to take Advil before bed. Staying hydrated with water and Gatorade. I have a pulse oximeter to keep an eye on oxygen levels in my blood.

What else should I try?

NP. I got covid for the first time a few months ago too. Paxlovid helped. But what had been crazy is that my post-Covid heart rate has still not recovered. It’s just … permanently elevated. I have an Apple Watch and track it closely and it’s still elevated. So, watch out for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somehow I avoided Covid for five years but I tested positive today and the symptoms are quickly getting worse: 102 degree fever, cough and congestion, headaches and body aches, chills and easily short of breath when moving around.

What did you take to help you get through Covid? I started Paxlovid and plan to take Advil before bed. Staying hydrated with water and Gatorade. I have a pulse oximeter to keep an eye on oxygen levels in my blood.

What else should I try?

In a day or two you will feel SO much better.
Paxlovid is a miracle drug.

In the meantime just continue fluids and rest. Try not to infect anyone else.

[Anonymous]

OP here with an update.

I am on Day 13 and unfortunately am still positive—and still isolating in a bedroom in my house. Day 1 was the worst day — fever of 102.5, chills, body aches. Felt like the flu.

Took Paxlovid late on Day 1. Within 24 hours I started feeling a little better. No fever or chills or headaches or body aches, just some congestion and a cough. After 7 days all that remained was a minor lingering cough. I tested negative two days in a row. Thought I was done. Cane out of my cave but wore a mask around family just in case. Spouse, whose own first covid bout lasted 15 days, asked me to keep testing daily.

To my surprise, I tested positive again on Day 9. Symptoms started worsening again, with significant congestion, runny nose, sneezing and coughing. Felt exactly like the beginning stages of a bad cold.

Hello, Paxlovid rebound! I thought Paxlovid was my friend. Never had diarrhea or an upset stomach, barely had the metallic taste that people complain about. But if it ended up prolonging my bout with covid, I think I will try skipping it next time. I am late 50s with no major health issues, so did not fall into the category of folks who should definitely take Paxlovid.

For now, it just feels like a cold, but I am more than ready for it to be over. Spouse is more than ready to hand back the parental duties I usually perform, and to stop delivering meals to my bedroom door and collecting my dirty dishes. I have been able to work from home so I didn’t burn through much sick leave. So far nobody else in my family has gotten covid from me.

As for how to manage symptoms— what I initially asked about in my first post — Advil really helped with the fever and body aches, and Nyquill just before bed helped ensure a decent night’s sleep even when the congestion was at its worst.

Hoping I will test negative soon. Good luck out there everybody! Covid may not be as bad as it was in 2020 and 2021 pre vaccine, but it’s definitely not “just a cold” — at least not for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somehow I avoided Covid for five years but I tested positive today and the symptoms are quickly getting worse: 102 degree fever, cough and congestion, headaches and body aches, chills and easily short of breath when moving around.

What did you take to help you get through Covid? I started Paxlovid and plan to take Advil before bed. Staying hydrated with water and Gatorade. I have a pulse oximeter to keep an eye on oxygen levels in my blood.

What else should I try?

I didn't. I died. All three times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here with an update.

I am on Day 13 and unfortunately am still positive—and still isolating in a bedroom in my house. Day 1 was the worst day — fever of 102.5, chills, body aches. Felt like the flu.

Took Paxlovid late on Day 1. Within 24 hours I started feeling a little better. No fever or chills or headaches or body aches, just some congestion and a cough. After 7 days all that remained was a minor lingering cough. I tested negative two days in a row. Thought I was done. Cane out of my cave but wore a mask around family just in case. Spouse, whose own first covid bout lasted 15 days, asked me to keep testing daily.

To my surprise, I tested positive again on Day 9. Symptoms started worsening again, with significant congestion, runny nose, sneezing and coughing. Felt exactly like the beginning stages of a bad cold.

Hello, Paxlovid rebound! I thought Paxlovid was my friend. Never had diarrhea or an upset stomach, barely had the metallic taste that people complain about. But if it ended up prolonging my bout with covid, I think I will try skipping it next time. I am late 50s with no major health issues, so did not fall into the category of folks who should definitely take Paxlovid.

For now, it just feels like a cold, but I am more than ready for it to be over. Spouse is more than ready to hand back the parental duties I usually perform, and to stop delivering meals to my bedroom door and collecting my dirty dishes. I have been able to work from home so I didn’t burn through much sick leave. So far nobody else in my family has gotten covid from me.

As for how to manage symptoms— what I initially asked about in my first post — Advil really helped with the fever and body aches, and Nyquill just before bed helped ensure a decent night’s sleep even when the congestion was at its worst.

Hoping I will test negative soon. Good luck out there everybody! Covid may not be as bad as it was in 2020 and 2021 pre vaccine, but it’s definitely not “just a cold” — at least not for me.

You are following rules that have not existed for years now. You can treat COVID like other bugs. There is no isolation till testing negative. It is just till symptoms improve.

[Anonymous]

Is Paxlovid rebound really a resurgence you would not have had if you didn't take it or just that it didn't kill off all the virus and you would have had a long case anyway even without Paxlovid?

[Anonymous]

Get paxlovid asap. Lots of ice water. The only thing that brought my fever down was aspirin.
Stay safe. It’s no joke!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Paxlovid rebound really a resurgence you would not have had if you didn't take it or just that it didn't kill off all the virus and you would have had a long case anyway even without Paxlovid?

Research now shows paxlovid is needed for longer but good luck getting a refill. It doesn’t kill off all the virus, so it flares a bit. Not everyone has the resurgence symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Please isolate for 7-10 days for the rest of us. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please isolate for 7-10 days for the rest of us. Thank you.

Why aren't you wearing your mask if you're so concerned?

[Anonymous]

I know you

[Anonymous]

Hit submit on accident

…mentioned skipping paxlovid next time because it prolonged your bout of covid. I do think it’s one of the few tools in our toolbox for the prevention of long covid.

Hope you feel better soon. I’m a runner, and it took me several weeks to get back to running.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know you

Oh, hey! Good to hear from you.

-- OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hit submit on accident

…mentioned skipping paxlovid next time because it prolonged your bout of covid. I do think it’s one of the few tools in our toolbox for the prevention of long covid.

Hope you feel better soon. I’m a runner, and it took me several weeks to get back to running.

Oh, now I see that the "I know you" led to this fuller message. Sorry about the snarky response just now.

I had heard Paxlovid lowered the chances of long covid, too, but my primary care doc said the latest studies show that's not the case. She said it's warranted for people over 65 and people with serious health conditions, but not of much benefit to anyone else, including in terms of preventing long covid.

I don't know, I'm not a doctor or an expert. I just figured it couldn't hurt to take it, kind of like Tamiflu. I didn't think I would get the rebound, but I did. It hasn't been awful and I have tested negative (finally) the past couple of days, but I do feel that taking Paxlovid may have prolonged this experience in the end. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Feel better OP. Where do you think you got it? You managed to avoid it all this time!