Many countries have announced their return plan after battling with the Covid-19 pandemic. The availability of vaccines has helped a lot in controlling the widespread but it may take years to get back to a normal pre-pandemic life. Most Covid-19 patients only experience mild symptoms that look a lot like flu, but the flu medicines do not show any effect against the novel virus.
The health experts suggest people with mild symptoms stay at home and follow the precautions they follow when they have flu. It includes rest, hydration, warm compresses, and pain relief medicines. It is no more a secret that this novel coronavirus is extremely smart and ready to adapt to changes, which makes controlling its spread even more difficult.
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Most people do not even realize that they have contracted the virus and they only experience mild symptoms. These symptoms often go away on their own, and in this condition, common flu or cold remedies may provide relief. But using the flu medicines to treat Covid-19 is not possible especially in patients with chronic symptoms because these two are different viruses.
Over-the-counter medicines are helpful to avoid upper respiratory tract infections, sore throat, cough, sinus congestion, or fever, but they do not kill the coronavirus. for minor fevers and body pains, any medicine with acetaminophen may help and the use of decongestants can release the nasal and sinus pressure. Many times doctors recommend using fever reducers in covid-19 vases, that is one of the medicines used to treat flu and fever. However, people with underlying health issues especially kidney and liver diseases should avoid taking such medicines without consulting a doctor.
Other over-the-counter medicines, for example, any medicine with guaifenesin may help to relieve cough but patients with high blood pressure and underlying thyroid issues should avoid them in the first place.
If the covid-19 symptoms go worse, for example, a fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, or more, relying on flu medicines is not enough and the patient needs immediate medical help.
Contrary to popular belief, Covid-19 is not a common cold or flu, and nor it can be treated with flu medicines. This virus can hit anyone, irrespective of their age but for older people and those at risk, the chances of complications are very high. Most people that were admitted to the hospitals during the first and second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic were older adults, immune-compromised people, obese, and those with underlying health issues. All these risk factors determine the way coronavirus will affect a person.
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People without these risk factors and of younger age may not experience severe covid-19 outcomes like older ones and may better without any actual treatment. Health authorities recommend everyone with covid-19 symptoms stay at home in quarantine.
Now that there is news about the third booster dose for the Covid-19 vaccine, managing the unusual symptoms at the earliest is mandatory. Considering the emerging strains, it looks like a long battle but with the help of vaccines, it may not be as deadly as the first wave of the pandemic.
