Stay hydrated if you have a persistent cough or trouble catching your breath. You can get temporary relief by using steam inhalation to help clear mucus and phlegm. Remember that sipping warm fluids can also help soothe a sore throat.
If you have a wet cough with lots of mucus, you want to take an expectorant to help get the mucus out. If you have a dry cough, a cough suppressant is what you want. Make sure you choose the right one. For pain, try acetaminophen.
Treating a cough
Lie on your side or sit upright instead. To help ease a cough, try having a teaspoon of honey. But do not give honey to babies under 12 months. If this does not help, you could contact a pharmacist for advice about cough treatments.
You can treat symptoms with over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), to help you feel better.
If your cough is ongoing after 4 weeks, it is important to contact your GP or primary care team in case there is another cause for your cough.
If it's been more than a couple weeks since you got over COVID-19 and it feels like your lungs aren't getting any better, make an appointment with your primary care doctor. They'll be able to assess your symptoms and develop a personal treatment plan that may include breathing exercises, antibiotics or steroids.
You are contagious for the entire period of time symptoms are present, all the way until they disappear.
Most people with COVID-19 feel better within a few days or weeks of their first symptoms and make a full recovery within 12 weeks. For some people, symptoms can last longer. This is called long COVID or post COVID-19 syndrome.
Antiviral medicines work best when taken as soon as possible, usually within 5 days from when your symptoms start. Most people with COVID-19 have a mild illness and recover in a few days, with some people having no symptoms at all. Most symptoms can be managed with: Bed rest.
Most people who test positive with any variant of COVID-19 typically experience some symptoms for a couple weeks. People who have long COVID-19 symptoms can experience health problems for four or more weeks after first being infected, according to the CDC.
Remember that your cough will be better on some days, worse on other days and at different times of the day.
Drinking tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey is a time-honored way to soothe a sore throat. But honey alone may be an effective cough suppressant, too. In one study, children ages 1 to 5 with upper respiratory tract infections were given up to 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) of honey at bedtime.
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
A dry cough with COVID-19 is more common than a cough with mucus (about 50% to 70% of patients have a dry cough). 3 Dry cough can become a wet cough over time in the later stages of the illness.
People with moderate or severe COVID-19 should isolate through at least day 10. Those with severe COVID-19 may remain infectious beyond 10 days and may need to extend isolation for up to 20 days.
If you test positive for COVID-19 and have no symptoms – you may end after day 5. If you test positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms – you may end after day 5 if: You are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) Your symptoms are improving.
On June 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added three symptoms to its COVID-19 list: Congestion/stuffy nose, nausea and diarrhea. Those three new conditions now join other symptoms identified by the CDC: Fever.
Gradually build up exercise – seize the time when you are feeling less tired and go for a short walk – but you MUST still avoid any contact with others. However, at this stage lookout for breath related symptoms (see below what to look for).
After a positive test result, you may continue to test positive for some time. Some tests, especially PCR tests, may continue to show a positive result for up to 90 days.
What Kind of Cough Is Common in People With the Coronavirus? Most people with COVID-19 have a dry cough they can feel in their chest.
A person may have mild symptoms for about one week, then worsen rapidly. Let your doctor know if your symptoms quickly worsen over a short period of time.
When it comes to nighttime cough, gravity is your enemy. All the postnasal drainage and mucus you swallow during the day backs up and irritates your throat when you lay down at night. Try to defy gravity by propping yourself up on some pillows while you sleep.