Guest Post: Surviving COVID

Guest Post: Surviving COVID

My family and I (3 of us in our 40s) have been afflicted by COVID-19. The first one of us was diagnosed positive on July 4th and the rest of us living in the house tested positive within 8–10 days. We are all on the mend at home. We have also been very lucky to have doctors in our family who monitored us closely and advised us constantly. Here are some learnings from our journey.

Be Prepared

Following a few protocols would help prepare yourself in the event of a COVID-19 infection:

• Breathing exercises — Pranayama (once a day for 20 min), blow a balloon 5–10 times a day, blow bubbles through a straw into a glass of water 10–15 times a day

• Steaming and gargling — steaming once a day with turmeric, tulsi, or eucalyptus oil; gargling once a day with betadine mouthwash or warm salt water

• Vitamins — Vitamin C (1000 mg/day), Zinc (50 mg max/day), Vitamin D3 (2000 units/day)

• Home remedies — boil water with ginger and turmeric, add lemon and honey; roasted and powdered cloves and turmeric with honey

• Things to buy — thermometer, pulse oximeter, N95 masks (5 per person), face shield, steamer

If You Develop Any Symptoms

• Do not panic and stay positive — it could be just a normal cold or flu

• Isolate yourself immediately — the severity of infection depends on viral load

• Keep your bathroom separate from the rest of your family if possible

• Research on doctors and online consultation options in advance

• Research on reliable testing facilities and labs that provide home testing