How to cope at home if you test positive for Covid-19 – doctors and a recovered patient offer advice about managing your symptoms

A Covid-19 sufferer describes the painful symptoms he experienced, and a family physician and a naturopath describe things to take to recover from the virus
These range from taking over-the-counter painkillers to getting more vitamin D from sunlight or supplements, maximising sleep and staying hydrated

Wellness

Kate Whitehead

Published: 8:15am, 5 Mar 2022

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When a PCR test confirmed Yves Sieur as positive for Covid-19 last month, Hong Kong’s Department of Health told him to go home, they’d call him. The Frenchman complied and returned to his boat at Aberdeen Marina and prepared to wait out the course of the disease.

Although double-vaccinated – he had his second shot in May last year and was due for a booster in March – it was a rockier ride than he expected, and for three days he had a high fever and inflamed throat.

“It was like a thousand needles in my throat, the pain went up to my ears. I couldn’t even swallow my saliva, I had to spit it out,” says Sieur, who has since recovered.

For Sieur, the Post’s photo editor, the most painful symptom was a very sore throat and for two days he couldn’t even drink water. Worried that he might become dangerously dehydrated, he called 999 and was put through to the ambulance service.

For two days Sieur couldn’t even drink water and worried that he might become dangerously dehydrated.

“I got through to a smart guy who said he could send an ambulance, but that if I could I should stay at home because everyone being dropped off at hospital was waiting outside, they weren’t getting in,” says Sieur.

A concerned colleague consulted a doctor, who advised him to take steroids for his throat. A friend bought him a pack of 20 Dhasolone tablets (HK$20) from a local pharmacy. Within a few hours of taking the first tablet, he had turned a corner and was able to drink again.

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Studies suggest the Omicron Covid-19 variant produces less damaging infections that are often limited to the upper airway: the nose, throat and windpipe.

“Omicron doesn’t go to the lungs, so compared to other variants it won’t affect the way you breathe. But I had a high fever, couldn’t eat and had a lot of mucus,” says Sieur.

As Covid-19 sweeps through Hong Kong, more people are testing positive and being advised to rest at home until they can be accommodated within the government’s hospital or isolation system. So, what do you need to know about managing Covid-19 at home, and how can you best prepare?

Hong Kong family physician Dr Nichola Salmond says that since there’s no cure for Covid-19, it’s a matter of managing the symptoms. She recommends something to bring down the fever and help relieve a headache or body aches, such as Panadol (paracetamol).

Hong Kong family physician Dr Nichola Salmond. Photo: Dr Nichola Salmond

You begin treating a fever when you have a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or higher, the doctor says. She also suggests using a decongestant to help with a runny nose and dry cough.

“A fever makes people feel lousy and tired. When the fever comes down, they will feel better,” says Salmond.

Vitamin D has long been recognised for helping support healthy teeth and bones and supporting the immune system, and doctors have been recommending it during the pandemic.

Sunlight provides us with vitamin D, which helps support the immune system. Photo: Shutterstock

A study released in February found a link between vitamin D deficiency and severity of disease from Covid-19 infection. Patients with a vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 nanograms/millilitre) were 14 times more likely to have a severe or critical case of Covid-19 than those with Vitamin D levels of more than 40 ng/ml.

“Vitamin D deficiency is a big issue in Hong Kong. Chinese people tend to avoid the sun – and we can get 95 per cent of Vitamin D from the sun – so their levels are often low,” says Salmond.

The standard dosage of vitamin D is not usually more than 5,000 units, but Salmond says if someone tests positive this can be increased to 10,000 units for a few days while they are positive. She also recommends Zinc and vitamin C, both of which have antiviral properties.

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“The most important thing is breathing issues. For patients with a history of asthma, I suggest they get a steroid inhaler from their doctor,” says Salmond.

Other sensible advice includes drinking plenty of water, because fever dehydrates you – drinking fluids helps the kidneys detox and get things out of the body more easily – and getting plenty of good rest.

“Stress is bad for the immune system. If people are working from home, make sure that you take a few days off to properly rest the brain as well as the body,” says Salmond.

Dr Benita Perch is a naturopathic doctor. Photo: IMI

Dr Benita Perch, a naturopathic doctor, agrees with Salmond’s suggestions regarding vitamin C, D and zinc and also recommends a probiotic, such as G-Niib Immunity. Based on the world’s first study on the gut microbiome of Covid patients, G-Niib is researched and endorsed by the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

“The researchers found that being on that probiotic helps to make the vaccine more effective and also found that Covid symptoms are not so bad if gut health is good, so it could help improve long Covid symptoms,” says Perch.

Covid causes inflammation and she recommends taking nutrients to support that: NAC (N-acetyl cysteine), is an antioxidant and a mucolytic medication, meaning that it breaks apart mucus; quercetin, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant; and fish oils.

She also recommends turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties (500mg twice a day if Covid positive) and zinc lozenges.

Getting plenty of sleep is essential. Photo: Shutterstock

As Omicron is mucus-producing, she recommends that people stop or reduce their consumption of dairy products and of fried food, which suppresses the immune system. To make a simple and soothing home remedy, mix honey, lemon, garlic and ginger – for their anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties – in warm water.

“A lot of people testing positive [with Omicron] are getting a very bad sore throat and some nausea – it’s upper respiratory tract not lower, which is why it’s not as dangerous [as earlier variants],” says Perch.

If you have had Covid-19 and recovered from it, Perch says, it’s not unusual to feel tired afterwards. To help reboot the system, she recommends taking a good multivitamin, a good probiotic and getting your vitamin D tested to ensure you are getting enough.

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Adaptogenic herbs (ashwagandha, Siberian ginseng, Rhodiola rosea L) and adaptogenic mushrooms (reishi, shiitake, turkey tail) will also help the body to recover.

“There is a lot that people can be doing at home,” says Perch. “It may be hard, but try to stay calm and not worry, and try to get at least eight hours sleep a night.

“If we don’t sleep enough, we become more inflamed and that further suppresses the immune system. Sleep is where we heal.”

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