{"id":183662,"date":"2021-01-05T10:19:14","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T08:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents-blog\/?p=183662"},"modified":"2022-06-16T07:44:37","modified_gmt":"2022-06-16T05:44:37","slug":"how-to-fight-mild-covid-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/parenting\/covid-19-kids-families\/how-to-fight-mild-covid-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Fighting mild COVID at home, a dr&#8217;s advice"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Stats are rising. Hospitals are inundated. Can you treat COVID at home?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The following interventions will depend on how unwell you are and which symptoms are worst for you. If you feel uncertain, try to check in with your GP or call the Corona Public Hotline on 0800029999.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How to treat mild symptoms of COVID at home<\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">FEVER<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">If you are generally well, check your temperature whenever you feel sick or feverish (very hot or very cold).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">If you are unwell, monitor your temperature once, twice or three times a day (depending on how sick you are) and keep a record of it (this is useful for doctor\u2019s when assessing patients).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Use Panado to help control pain and fever.<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">RESTING<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Rest as much as you can but try not to get bedridden.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> Staying in bed for days can cause bedsores, weakening of muscles, dizziness and balance issues, which all delay your return to good health. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Even if you can sit in a chair for part of the day, this will help.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">BREATHING<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Set your clock every two hours while sleeping on your stomach during the day, then get out of bed and walk around for a few minutes . Try for 15 to 30 min: no matter how tired or weak you feel, it is important to keep your blood and muscles moving.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Also move your arms around frequently, especially while walking, it helps to open your lungs and keep your muscles and skeleton strong.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Do breathing exercises (see guidelines)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The more chest symptoms you have, the more important it is to set your alarm every two hours and move yourself around even at night . This helps open your lungs and move any fluid build-up in them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">OXYGEN SATURATION<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">If you are having breathing symptoms, try to get an Oxygen Saturation Monitor if possible. They are easy to use. Monitor your blood oxygen saturation levels (sats) for a few minutes at a time, a few times a day, depending on how severe your breathing symptoms are. Record these readings. Normal saturation is above 92% in room air (smokers may have lower \u2018normal\u2019 saturation levels). If your sats remain persistently below 90%, let your doctor know or get to a casualty.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">MOVEMENT<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Get out of bed every morning and sit upright for a while, preferably in a light, airy place. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">When watching TV, get up and move during the advert breaks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"> When you need the loo, walk and move more than just to the bathroom and back.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Try to go and sit outside for some time every day. Sunlight is very good for you and helps increase your vitamin D.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Do not exert yourself or try to exercise until it is safe to do so as this may cause complications. (see article on GGPC Facebook page on Safe return to exercise)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">FLUIDS<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Keep your fluid intake up. Even if you have no appetite, make sure you are drinking at least 2 litres of fluid a day.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Drink Energade, Powerade, diluted fruit juice , Rehydrate etc for electrolytes and glucose. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Avoid caffeine and alcohol that may dehydrate you.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">KEEP FRESH and CLEAN<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">A general nursing rule of thumb is to bathe your body, brush your hair and teeth, moisturise your face and body and change your clothes\/pyjamas at least once, if not twice a day. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Even if they are not dirty, the fevers and sweats get into the fabric. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Try to change your bed linen too when you\u2019ve had bad sweats. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Clean clothes and linen go a long way to helping you feel better, generally.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">EATING<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Stick to simple, small, nutritious meals, frequently.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The proverbial \u2018chicken soup\u2019 diet: toast &amp; Bovril\/marmite; soup; jelly &amp; custard; a piece of fruit; fruit juice; a biscuit; eggs (any way you like); a piece of fish\/ meat\/ chicken and some veggies, a smoothie.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">If you have no appetite, try to eat a few mouthfuls at least.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Try a shake like Ensure for people who are really struggling to get any nutrition in.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">VITAMINS<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Recommended daily vitamins while you are sick are Vitamin B, C, D and Zinc.<\/span><\/h3>\n<h4>Related useful articles:<\/h4>\n<div>\n<div class=\"stjgntxs ni8dbmo4 l82x9zwi uo3d90p7 h905i5nu monazrh9\" data-visualcompletion=\"ignore-dynamic\">\n<div class=\"ozuftl9m tvfksri0\">\n<div class=\"rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 pfnyh3mw i1fnvgqd gs1a9yip owycx6da btwxx1t3 ph5uu5jm b3onmgus e5nlhep0 ecm0bbzt nkwizq5d roh60bw9 mysgfdmx hddg9phg\">\n<div class=\"rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t pfnyh3mw d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz n8tt0mok hyh9befq iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Let&#8217;s go on a family outing in Gauteng, <em>Jozikids<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents-blog\/family-outings-in-gauteng\/\">Read more<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Isolation kit: a shopping list to help you get through. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents-blog\/isolation-kit-a-shopping-list-to-help-you-get-through\/\">Read more.<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to treat mild symptoms of Covid at home. Tips on diet, exercise, fever management, breathing, movement, fluids, oxygen and keeping it clean<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":270,"featured_media":183700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[626],"tags":[812,813],"class_list":["post-183662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-covid-19-kids-families","tag-covid-at-home","tag-covid-home-treatment"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/270"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}