The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, runny or stuffy nose, breathing problems, diarrhea, and sore throat. Unless you have severe symptoms, you can most likely treat them at home, the way you would for a cold or the flu. Most people recover from COVID-19 without the need for hospital care. Call your doctor to ask about whether you should stay home or get medical care in person.
There are a number of things that can relieve symptoms.
At-Home Coronavirus Treatment
If your symptoms are mild enough that you can recover at home, you should:
- Rest. It can make you feel better and may speed your recovery.
- Stay home. Don't go to work, school, or public places.
- Drink fluids. You lose more water when you're sick. Dehydration can make symptoms worse and cause other health problems.
- Monitor. If your symptoms get worse, call your doctor right away. Don't go to their office without calling first. They might tell you to stay home, or they may need to take extra steps to protect staff and other patients.
- Ask your doctor about over-the-counter medicines that may help, like acetaminophen to lower your fever.
The most important thing to do is to avoid infecting other people, especially those who are over 65 or who have other health problems.
That means:
- Try to stay in one place in your home. Use a separate bedroom and bathroom if you can.
- Tell others you're sick so they keep their distance.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow.
- Wear a mask over your nose and mouth if you can. The CDC recommends you use a well-fitting respirator mask (like N95s and KN95s). These provide better protection than other masks.
- Wash regularly, especially your hands.
- Don't share dishes, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with anyone else.
- Clean and disinfect common surfaces like doorknobs, counters, and tabletops.
What to expect
Symptoms begin 2 to 14 days after you come into contact with the virus. Many people who have mild infections recover within 2 weeks. More severe cases tend to last 3 to 6 weeks.
Talk to your doctor about how long you should isolate yourself if you have symptoms. CDC guidelines say you can leave isolation when you:
- Haven’t had a fever for 24 hours
- Are coughing less and breathing better
If symptoms worsen
Call 911 if you begin to have:
- Trouble breathing
- Pain or pressure in your chest
- Confusion or severe drowsiness
- A blue tint to your lips or face
Coronavirus Treatment in a Hospital
You don't need to go to the hospital or ER if you have basic COVID-19 symptoms, like a mild fever or cough. If you do, many hospitals will send you home.
If your case is severe, members of the medical staff will check for signs that the illness is causing more serious problems. They might:
- Check the levels of oxygen in your blood with a clip-on finger monitor
- Listen to your lungs
- Test for COVID-19, RSV and/or the flu
- Give you a chest X-ray or CT scan
You may get extra oxygen through two small tubes that go just inside your nostrils. In very serious cases, doctors will connect you to a machine that can breathe for you, called a ventilator.
You may also get fluids through a tube, or IV, in your arm to keep you from getting dehydrated. Doctors will also closely monitor your breathing. The goal is for your infection to run its course and for your lungs to heal enough that they can breathe on their own again.
Your doctors may give you an antiviral medicine to keep symptoms from getting too severe or help speed recovery. They include:
Your doctor might also give you medication to thin your blood and prevent clots.
If you take drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), or statins for other health problems, your doctor will tell you to continue them as usual.
Clinical trials are under way for other medications, including immunomodulators like tocilizumab, which has been used to treat autoimmune conditions and an inflammatory condition called cytokine release syndrome.
