Covid-19 Recovery: How to Help Your Body and Immune System Heal
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According to the CDC, a person is considered recovered from Covid-19 when they test negative on two FDA-authorized tests spaced at least 24 hours apart,
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or if three days have passed since their fever broke without the use of fever-reducing medications, their respiratory symptoms improved, and it’s been at least 10 days since their symptoms first appeared.
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“This infection causes remarkable inflammation that directly affects the lungs and could rapidly affect multiple other vital organs, affecting the whole body,”
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“So even after the virus is gone, this inflammatory state will take some time to completely disappear.” This is why many people continue to experience symptoms long after their fever breaks.
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“Every patient is unique so you really have to have a personalized approach to decide what to do when and how,”.
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However, “recovered patients should be followed closely by primary care doctors,”.
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PICS isn’t a diagnosis — it’s a term that was coined about a decade ago to call attention to new or worsening symptoms after ICU care — and its connection to Covid-19 remains to be seen,
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but it is thoroughly documented in survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome, the condition that leads the sickest Covid-19 patients to be intubated.
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“It’s hard for the body to recover if you’re sleeping two or three hours a night,”.
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However, personal needs vary, especially if you have an underlying health condition, so it’s best to tweak your diet under the care of a doctor or dietitian and only return to normal eating patterns once they feel like you’ve adequately recovered.
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(“If you’ve been running a fever, even if it’s a low-grade fever, that increases the amount of fluids you need,”.)
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The key word here is “ease.” You’re not going to be able to jump right back into your normal daily activities, let alone your regular exercise routine.
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And “even if you just had a fever and you’re lying in bed for two days, your muscles literally start to become deconditioned after just 24 hours,”
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Your body will let you know how much you’re able to tolerate.”
A second set, published in JAMA Cardiology, recommends that Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms wait until two weeks after their symptoms have subsided and they’ve been able to be evaluated by a doctor.
“I definitely think it’s good for people to get moving,” says Dr. Romero.
“Your body will let you know how much you’re able to tolerate.” For some, that may be a short walk a few times a day.
“Sometimes when somebody is going through the actual medical emergency, they’re so focused on just getting well that it’s not until months later that they process what actually happened to them,”
“This time period of Covid-19 presents many unique challenges, however, in normal everyday life, people experience emotional hardships that can prevent them from effectively carrying out their duties,.
