As the cases of Covid sky rocket across Andalucia, we are having more and more Covid-positive patients at local clinics. Of course, many of these people are shocked when we tell them they are Covid positive and need to know what to do next. Here’s what I’ve been telling my patients.
First and foremost, STAY HOME!
Actually this applies even if you don’t have a confirmed case but have Covid symptoms.
When a test confirms a Covid-positive, contact your doctor.
What sort of supplements can you take to help your immune system under a Covid infection? Speak to your doctor about these
There are varying levels of evidence for supplements. Many people have taken Vitamin C to help with viral infections, but with Covid-19 we have not found an optimal dose. The supplement that has the best level of evidence is Vitamin D. Doctors have found – by carrying out randomised control trial – that Covid-19 patients that receive Vitamin D supplements definitely benefit.
With Vitamin D, the Endocrinological Society has stated that the upper limits for Vitamin D supplementation is 4000 IU/day without medical supervision. The role of Vitamin D in Covid-19 infections is still being studied to find the optimal dose, Remember that there are some conditions, like sarcoid, that can not take large supplemental doses of Vitamin D. However, Vitamin D is the safest fat soluble vitamin with toxicity an extremely rare finding.
Another supplement that has been talked about is Quercetin. There have been some studies showing it beneficial in Ebola and other viruses, we are still waiting for studies to come out in Covid-19. However the risks of Quercetin supplementation is pretty low, which makes the benefit to risk ratio fairly high if you want to consider supplementing with it.
NAC, or n-acetyl-cysteine, has been used in placebo controlled trials to improve the symptoms of the flu virus (not Covid-19). It also has antioxidant properties, which has been proven very useful when combating Covid. This has led doctors to recommend taking NAC 600 mg twice per day – actually, even in non-Covid years it is suggested to just take NAC during the winter months!
Get some sleep!
Any viral infection, but particularly Covid, should be supplemented by extra sleep. Getting at least seven hours sleep per night gives you a much more robust antibody and immune response. The hours of sleep you get early in the night, before midnight, is the sleep that is associated with slow wave sleep. As a bonus, slow wave sleep is associated with Growth Hormone secretion which is very, very important in terms of longevity.
None of these are recommendations that you should try on your own. You should always discuss supplements with your medical professional first. None of these things are completely protective or curative, rather these are ways of tipping the scales in favour of you and your immune system.
Be responsible, keep your family safe
Additionally, you really need to continue practicing social distancing by staying in a room with a private bathroom away from other members of your household. If you must share a bathroom, it needs to be cleaned at coronavirus level after each use.
Do not have any visitors. If you must be around other people, make sure to wear your mask.
You and everyone in your household should continue to practice washing your hands often; throwing any coughed into tissues away immediately into a plastic lined wastebasket; clean frequently touched surfaces several times per day; don’t share personal items like dishes, towels or bedding. Make sure your clothing and bed linens are washed thoroughly.
Also, as much as you might want to give your dog or cat a hug while you are ill, you need to limit your contact with pets while sick. We don’t know enough about how this virus affects animals yet.
If your symptoms become severe, you should call your doctor to see if you need to go to the hospital. Symptoms such as trouble breathing; persistent pain or pressure in the chest; confusion or can’t be woken up; lips or face turning blue.
Even if you don’t have Covid, look after yourself
When you don’t think you can take one more day of this pandemic, sit down, take some deep breaths and remind yourself that the vaccine is here. It will take more time but there will be a time in the future that all these Covid Pandemic experiences will become stories that we share with people over drinks.