Coming down with a case of COVID-19 can be scary, but at this point in the pandemic, improvements in treatment options and medical knowledge mean that most people who contract it will only have a mild illness. In fact, about 98% of people in the United States known to have COVID-19 survive, and your odds are better after vaccination and treatment.
Dr. Ulin Sargeant, Dr. Razmik Thomassian, and the team of primary care and urgent care specialists at Monrovia Internal Medicine & Primary Care can help you protect yourself against COVID-19 infection with safe and effective vaccination. MIMPC providers are also here to support patients from around the Duarte, California, area who contract COVID-19.
When you’re recovering from COVID-19, rest is one of the most important parts of your treatment plan. Here’s why.
What COVID-19 does to your body
While COVID-19 is a respiratory infection, this disease can negatively affect your whole body.
Some people who contract the coronavirus don’t have any symptoms, but for others, symptoms can be intense. The symptoms of COVID-19 typically start to appear about 2-14 days after you become infected. Common symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- Fever
- Loss of sense of smell or taste
- Shortness of breath
- Dry coughing, or coughing with mucus
- Body aches
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
The symptoms of COVID-19 vary from person to person. Some symptoms can linger for six months or more, a condition known as long COVID.
Treating COVID-19
It’s important to stay isolated if you’re infected with COVID-19 in order to limit the spread of infection. If you have a mild or moderate case of COVID-19, you can probably stay home to rest and recover. Serious cases may require hospitalization.
The MIMPC team can recommend the right treatment and recovery plan for your unique health care needs after a case of COVID-19. You may be able to benefit from antiviral pills, infusion therapies, and natural remedies. Here’s just a short list of potential treatments and therapies:
- Breathing exercises and posture changes to support your lungs
- Cough drops to soothe your throat
- Foods and drinks that are easy to digest and keep you hydrated
- Medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol), naproxen (Aleve), or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) for fever and body aches
- Monoclonal antibody drugs administered intravenously to boost your immune response against COVID-19
- Prescription antivirals like Paxlovid by Pfizer and Lagevrio by Merck
- The antiviral infusion medication remdesivir, now available for at-home COVID-19 recovery
The MIMPC team recommends that you steer clear of trendy faux-remedies mentioned on social media and stick to proven, evidence-based treatments for COVID-19.
Rest and recovery after COVID-19
Above all, your body needs rest to recover from the stress of a COVID-19 infection. The disease stresses many of your vital physical systems, including your lungs, heart, and kidneys. You can take some of the load off by conserving energy and resting up.
The fatigue associated with COVID-19 can seem to come and go, and it may linger for multiple weeks. It’s not a good idea to push yourself too hard as you recover after COVID-19. Instead, listen to your body, and respect your need for rest and recuperation.
With the right treatment plan and plenty of rest and physical support, you can make a healthy recovery from COVID-19. Talk to Dr. Sargeant and the MIMPC team about the right plan for your recovery today. You can schedule an appointment through our virtual office now.
