What medications to have at home in case of an Omicron infection? [WE EXPLAIN]

The number of coronavirus infections is increasing week by week, which means that we should take better care of ourselves. Of course, it’s best not to get sick at all, but infection can’t always be avoided. That is why it is worth having at hand proven measures that will come to our aid in the event of illness, when we get stuck at home with symptoms of infection with new sublines of the Omikron variant. Our expert medicine tells us what is worth having in a home medicine cabinet. Bartosz Fiałek.

1. In Poland, the number of infections caused by Omikron is systematically growing, including its new mutations: BA.4 and BA.5
2. We asked the doctor how he thought we should prepare for possible illness
3. Our first aid kit must contain symptomatic medications, but you need to be careful, especially in the case of coughing
4. Bow. Bartosz Fiałek also refers to the issue of vitamin D, which some people start taking during their illness
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

What are the symptoms of COVID-19 now?

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for more than two and a half years and it seems that we already know a lot about SARS-CoV-2, no effective drug has been developed for the disease that would be available over the counter and that could be used at home. Treatment of an infection caused by coronavirus infection at home is therefore still mainly symptomatic – and it is the symptoms of infection that we should focus on when completing our handy first aid kit.

Let us remind you that the most common symptoms of COVID-19 caused by infection with the Omikron variant are:

1. sore throat,
2. Headache,
3. increased body temperature,
4. sneezing,
5. runny nose,
6. general fatigue.

Of course, these are the most common symptoms and are not the end of the long list of COVID-19 symptoms. If you have any doubts whether you are dealing with a common cold, flu or SARS-CoV-2 infection, it is worth doing a coronavirus test.

What medications should I have at home in the event of COVID-19?

According to drug. Bartosza Fiałek, the most important pharmacological agents that may be useful during an Omikron infection are painkillers and antipyretics.

– If we deal with pain, we take a painkiller. When a fever occurs, we take an antipyretic drug. Most often, an antipyretic drug is also a pain reliever, so we can deal with these two symptoms with one pill. And it does not matter whether we reach for paracetamol or ibuprofen. Both active substances will be effective, says the expert.

Pain medications will help with both a headache and a sore throat. What about other symptoms?

In case of a runny nose, an aerosol will certainly be useful to unblock a stuffy nose, reduce swelling of the mucosa and, if necessary, liquefy the residual secretion, helping to clear the nose. In the case of a very severe runny nose, it is also worth considering inhalations, for which you can even use normal saline or essential oils. In pharmacies, there are also patches soaked in oils that can be stuck to nightwear – this will help you breathe freely during sleep.

The cough is a bit more problematic. – I would have some doubts here – admits the drug. Bartosz Fiałek. – Because if we have a cough and it is accompanied by shortness of breath, we already use specialist medical care. If it’s a chronic cough, but no shortness of breath or chest pain, then yes, we can use an over-the-counter cough suppressant depending on the type of cough: dry or wet. As for the stronger drugs, these can only be obtained with a prescription. We know that inhaled steroids help people at high risk of severe COVID-19. Firstly, they shorten the course of the disease, secondly, they reduce the risk of hospitalization, so it is good to use them. However, it is the doctor who has to assess the risk of disease progression and, above all, its course in a given patient, the expert emphasizes.

The rest of the article is available under the video.

Let us recall that the drugs used in patients with severe COVID-19 include: remdesivir, mollupiravir and kasirivimab / imdevimab. The latter two are also prescribed to patients with the oligosymptomatic stage who are at risk of severe disease (their intake should be started within the first five days of the symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection). In the case of respiratory failure, it is after tocilizumab, baricitinib and dexamethasone phosphate.

Not only the first aid kit

The expert reminds that drugs during COVID-19 are not everything. Recovery is just as important as relieving symptoms.

– When we are infected, the first thing we need to do is isolate ourselves and rest. These recommendations do not apply directly to drugs, but we should have them in our first aid kit “in our head”. When we are infected, we should not overstrain, but rest and sleep a lot. It is important for our immune system and helps fight infection, the doctor advises.

Let’s not forget about the proper hydration of the body and frequent airing of the rooms in which we are staying. These simple measures give you the chance to deal with the infection faster.

The most important prevention

Finally, one more important, if not the most important thing. The best preparation for COVID-19 is still infection prevention. Although covid restrictions have been almost completely lifted, this does not mean that the sanitary and epidemiological rules are no longer valid. On the contrary.

At a time when most of us behave like before a pandemic, we should be even more protective against infection. Let us wear masks where the risk is greater (closed rooms, especially tight, poorly ventilated ones), let us keep social distance when we are in a crowd, disinfect and wash our hands often, avoiding touching our face when we do not have the conditions to ensure hygienic conditions.

It is also worth taking care of a healthy lifestyle: an appropriate, balanced diet, physical activity, balance between work and private life, and the right amount of sleep. It all adds up to our health and the functioning of the immune system.

Dietary supplements? Bow. Bartosz Fiałek believes that taking them during an infection does not make any sense. – Such vitamin D will not do us any good when we start using it already infected. We should take it much earlier, so that it would have time to “earn” our health and prepare us for sickness. However paradoxical it may sound, we should enter the disease as… healthy as possible – summarizes the expert.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time Kamila Wykrota, the resilience trainer, will tell us about what resilience is. How does the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and react to adversities affect our quality of life? You will find out by listening to the latest episode of our podcast.