COVID-19 symptoms and what to do (2024)

FAQs

What are the best things to relieve Covid symptoms? ›

For a Fever and Aches

Take an over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. These can be used as a fever reducer or to treat headache, sore throat or body aches.

Drink lots of water and get plenty of rest. Manage your symptoms with over-the-counter medications. Over-the-counter cough medications work well to suppress a cough, decongestants can help with congestion and acetaminophen can help with aches.

Rest and stay hydrated

As with any illness, it is important to take care of yourself if you have or suspect you have COVID. Make sure you get adequate rest and stay hydrated to help you feel better as quickly as possible. Over-the-counter medicines might also help you manage your symptoms.

However, individuals are typically contagious for about 10 days after the onset of symptoms. For those with mild to moderate symptoms, this period can be shorter, often around 5-7 days. For people with severe symptoms or those with a weakened immune system, contagiousness can last up to 20 days.

If you're wondering what to eat with COVID, many whole foods—like fruits and whole grains—and dairy products can contain nutrients beneficial to immune system functioning while you're sick. Other foods and drinks, such as sweets and sodas, can be less helpful.

Days 1 to 4:

Just like having flu, you don't feel like eating much. You may also find that you lose your sense of taste and smell – which doesn't help – but it will come back Headaches –can accompany the high temperature. It is usually all over the head but may be only in the forehead.

Paxlovid, an oral antiviral pill that can be taken at home, is the go-to treatment for COVID-19. If you are at high risk for severe disease from COVID, and you take it within the first five days of experiencing symptoms, it will lower your risk of getting so sick that you need to be hospitalized.

Symptoms usually peak about 3 to 5 days after you begin to feel sick. You're more likely to have fever, muscle aches, and headache during these days. Some people are at higher risk for getting severe COVID.

There are things you can do to reduce the spread of infection if you have symptoms or have tested positive. To prevent the spread of infection, you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you're unwell.

What are the stages of COVID? ›

Day 1: The symptoms usually start with a fever, a dry cough and mild breathing issues which may get worse over the next week. You also may have symptoms of a sore throat, coughing up mucus, diarrhea, nausea, body aches and joint pain. Day 7: Breathing may become difficult or laboured. This is called dyspnoea.

You must continue to follow strict mask-wearing and do not eat, travel, or socialize with others through day 10. If your day 5 test result remains positive, you must continue to isolate and can retest on day 7.

Workers who are ill with COVID-19 or have a family member with COVID-19 are urged to stay home to minimize the spread of the pandemic.

Take Over-The-Counter Medications

If used accurately, they can shorten the duration of illness by about 24 hours and decrease the risk of complications, especially in high-risk populations. If your symptoms include a sore throat or cough, use over-the-counter cough drops or cough medicine, such as Robitussin or Delsym.

Specifically, its guidelines state that most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home while treating symptoms with OTC medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil).

What is the best decongestant for COVID? Over-the-counter medication, such as guaifenesin (Mucinex), pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and dextromethorphan (Robitussin and Delsym), can help alleviate these symptoms. Read the labels before you take any medication to be sure you take as recommended.