Shamelessly snitched from a post that was re-posted on Facebook.
Attributions lost somewhere along the way.
As an RN's daughter, an RN's sister, a First Responder, and the
survivor of uncounted infections, I can vouch for this advice.
I'm rashly assuming that you have the common sense to ignore the bits
that do not apply. Note that the medications are not a shopping list,
but a memory-jogger, to remind you of stuff that *you* need when
you're down with a cold.
I've always kept cough drops in the freezer on the grounds that when I
need them, I don't feel like shopping.
I'd suggest soaking in a hot tub instead of sitting next to a shower,
but we had ours taken out. I need it only when I'm too sick to clean
a tub -- and a seldom-used tub has to be cleaned *before* as well as
after. Not worth the house room.
A fond memory of dormitory life: When I felt poorly, I could go down
the hall and soak in a tub that somebody else had to clean.
Wringing a large washrag out of hot water and laying it over your face
for a few minutes is also good.
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Great advice
[above line a comment on the re-post; quote proper begins here]
?Allison Langeland?
to
Coopersville Informed
March 12 at 8:31 AM
Danielle Weatherup
March 11 at 10:05 AM
So what I have seen a lot of is recommendations for how to try to
avoid getting coronavirus in the first place -- good handwashing --
but what I have NOT seen a lot of is advice for what happens if you
actually get it, which many of us will. So as your friendly
neighborhood RN, let me make some suggestions.
You basically just want to prepare as though you know you’re going to
get a nasty respiratory bug, like bronchitis or pneumonia. You just
have the foresight to know it’s coming.
Things you could consider buying ahead of time so you're not trying to
go out when you actually have symptoms (not sure what the obsession
with toilet paper is?): Kleenex, Acetaminophen (Tylenol) in 325 mg
tablets, Ibuprofen (Advil) in 200 mg tablets, Mucinex, Robitussin or
whatever your generic cough medicine of choice is (check the label and
make sure you're not doubling up on acetaminophen - some brands like
DayQuil have it included and you don't want that). You want a cough
medicine with both a cough suppressant and expectorant. Vix vaporub
for your chest is also a great suggestion. (Also I should think this
would go without saying, but editing to add that of COURSE if you have
a medical contraindication to any of these over the counter meds, you
should not take them. If you are on blood thinners, for example, no
Advil for you — if you are on blood pressure meds, you need to be
careful about which cough medicine you take. Check with your doc or
pharmacist if you’re even the slightest bit unsure and these aren’t
meds you routinely take for a cough/cold)
If you don’t have a humidifier, that would be a good thing to buy and
run in your room when you go to bed overnight. (You can also just turn
the shower on hot and sit in the bathroom breathing in the steam). If
you have a history of asthma and you have a prescription inhaler, make
sure the one you have isn’t expired and refill it/get a new one if it
is.
This is also a good time to meal prep: make a big batch of your
favorite soup to freeze and have on hand. Whatever your favorite clear
fluids are to drink (Sprite, juice, ICE waters, Fresca, whatever
floats your boat), stock your pantry with those. Maybe get some nice
soothing tea too!
For a fever over 101 (again, assuming you are safe to take them), you
can alternate Tylenol 650 mg and Advil 400 mg so you’re taking a dose
of one then the other every 3 hours (ie Tylenol at 9 am, Advil at
noon, Tylenol at 3 Pm etc). If you’re not supposed to take one or the
other, of course just take the one you can take, but read the label
and don’t exceed the recommended max dose for 24 hrs.
Drink A TON, hydrate hydrate hydrate. Rest lots. You should not be
leaving your house except to go to the doctor (please CALL them
FIRST), and if you do, wear a mask (regular is fine, you don’t need an
N95).
You DO NOT NEED TO GO TO THE ER unless you are having trouble
breathing or your fever is very high and unmanaged with meds. The
vast, overwhelming majority of healthy adult cases thus far have been
managed at home with basic rest/hydration/over-the-counter meds. We
don’t want to clog the ERs unless you’re actually in distress. The
hospital beds will be used for people who actively need
oxygen/breathing treatments/IV fluids.
If you have a pre-existing lung condition (COPD, emphysema, lung
cancer) or are on immunosuppressants, now is a great time to talk to
your PCP or specialist about what they would like you to do if you get
sick. They might have plans to get you admitted and bypass the ER
entirely.
One major relief to you parents is that kids do VERY well with
coronavirus— they usually bounce back in a few days, NO ONE under 18
has died, and almost no kids have required hospitalization (unless
they have a lung disease like CF). Be sure to use kids formulations of
OTC meds and dose appropriately for their age/weight, and ask the
pediatrician if you have any questions about medication safety for
your child’s age.
I'm always around if you have questions, just shoot me a message any
time. Just be calm and prepare rationally and everything will be just
ducky. ??
Edited to add: WHOAH, dude. Intended this for my healthy friends and
family, and this went way further than anticipated. Of course NO
advice is one size fits all, and this is just common sense stuff for
your average Joe adult to try to be prepared and not overwhelm our
hospitals with every case of the sniffles, but please use your head,
consult your doctor or pharmacist, and for the love of god don't use
me as the be-all-end-all resource here.
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--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
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