On the whole, I found COVID-19 like no other flu I have had to deal with; it is persistent and very hard to shake.

After returning from a holiday in Spain on the 15th March, it wasn’t until a few days later that I started to become symptomatic. What I experienced was a mild form of the virus which I am very thankful for.

Having made a full recovery, I now want to share with you the symptoms I experienced and what I found effective in combatting them.

My Symptoms:

With a standard flu, I normally get all the symptoms at once; with C-19 I found it comes in waves/days.

One day I’d have really bad body aches; the next a really bad headache; on the third day a runny nose; and then the cycle starts all over again after 3 days, all accompanied by a dry cough (like a bark).

Another symptom I suffered with was a lack of smell and taste with food. Instead, I had a really distinctive tinny taste and smell in my mouth and nose, a bit like the taste of blood.

If you do contract COVID-19, I found the below to be useful in easing the symptoms.

Recommendations:

• Tea
• Water – Cold and boiling water, this is to help with thirst and to clear the throat.
• Paracetamol – Standard tablets
• Cough medicine – Over the counter, to lubricate your throat.
• Olbas/Tea Tree Oil – My wife fashioned an Olbas oil burner out of a candle and ramekin. I would fill the ramekin up with oil to help with my breathing. (Caution: burning oils can be toxic to pets)
• Hand sanitiser
• Soup – A good homemade soup is great for vitamins and goodness.
• Sleep as much as possible.
• Wash your hands regularly.
• Multi surface wipes – Keep them handy and clean surfaces as you go.
• Keep the mind active – Try not to dwell on what is going on.
• Have food in the evening and then go to sleep as soon as possible.
• Fresh air – Keep all windows open and take a break in your garden if possible.
• Exercise – if you can do this then I would recommend it. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to but there are YouTube videos available.

What I experienced was a mild case of COVID-19; others will not be as fortunate. Whilst the above remedies helped me, I understand that they will not be effective in every case. I hope however that by sharing my own personal experience of dealing with virus, I might be able to assist someone in managing their symptoms.

It’s a difficult time for everyone but remember that staying at home will save lives.

Stay safe. Stay at home.

Please note: This is a personal account of one employee’s experience of COVID-19. The severity of COVID-19 symptoms can vary. The symptoms described and recommendations made by the employee in this article do not constitute medical advice.

Disclaimer: The views thoughts and opinions expressed within this article are those of the author, and not those of any company within the Capital International Group (CIG) and as such are neither given nor endorsed by CIG.

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