How to Recover From Covid-19 at Home

"The standard advice — rest, fluids and fever reducers.

But if you develop more serious symptoms, including trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, an inability to wake or stay awake and/or bluish lips or face, seek emergency care.

Some people will have relatively mild symptoms at first and then become more seriously ill. These patients are likely to develop shortness of breath four to eight days after their first symptoms, and “that’s really where people should start paying attention.

If the shortness of breath worsens from day to day that’s a sign to call your doctor. Less commonly, patients with low oxygen levels may experience dizziness or lightheadedness instead of shortness of breath, so keep an eye out for that too.

Dry air can exacerbate some symptoms such as coughing and chest tightness. If you have a humidifier, use it. If not, a hot shower works.
Several readers reported that they felt better when they lay on their stomach. A woman in Britain whose partner was sick for several weeks told me that a particular breathing exercise helped him:
You take a deep breath, hold it for 5 seconds and release. Do that 5 times, then on the 6th time on the release, cough hard. Do that cycle twice, then lie on your front and take slightly deeper breaths for 10 minutes. Try to do it a couple of times a day.

In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe an albuterol inhaler to reduce your cough and ease your breathing.

As soon as you get sick, start a detailed log. Every time you take your temperature — do it several times a day, at consistent times — log it. Every time you take a pill, log it. Every time you eat or drink, log it. If one symptom resolves or a new one develops, log it.

What you’ll need? If you’re reading this while healthy, buy basic supplies now, including a thermometer, acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and rehydration drinks like Pedialyte.

A pulse oximeter can sometimes be helpful, both in flagging severe illness and in reassuring you of the opposite.

Over-the-counter drugs may not be enough. In particular, the coughing and nausea caused by Covid-19 can be severe enough to warrant prescription medication.
For my husband and me, benzonatate (for the cough) and promethazine (for the nausea) were lifesavers. Some colleagues were prescribed codeine-based cough medicine or Zofran. If you feel you might need them, ask your doctor about medications sooner rather than later. Don’t wait until you’re doubled over coughing or can’t keep anything down."