COVID-19 update: I’m not out of the woods yet

 

Miss D. and I continue to recover from our extended bout with COVID-19.  She’s been largely symptom-free for eight days, but I’m not doing so well.  Two nights ago I began running a fever.  Yesterday morning, three readings an hour apart showed 100.4°, 99.6° and 99.8° (all temperatures Fahrenheit, of course).  I also had (and still have) an abnormally elevated pulse rate.  I’m still running a fever, 36 hours later:  a few minutes ago, it was 100.2°.

I’ve gone back onto the prophylactic treatment for flu symptoms, just to make it easier to breathe, and I’ve begun taking a “cocktail” of Azithromycin and Doxycycline, which is the recommended combination for symptoms of pneumonia (one of the known risks of COVID-19 after initial recovery).  I’m very grateful that as part of our general emergency preparations, a couple of years ago, I laid in a small supply of commonly used antibiotics.  I therefore had them available when I needed them, without having to go out to a pharmacy to get them, or expose others to infection to deliver them.  I hope most of you have done likewise;  if you haven’t, consider this a wake-up call to do something about it.

If my fever hasn’t broken by later today (Thursday), I’ll see a doctor for a checkup;  but we all know what’s wrong, so that’s a bit superfluous.  All they’ll do is recommend that I take exactly what I’m taking.  If the post-nasal drip becomes worse, or I start coughing up large quantities of phlegm, I’ll be heading for the hospital, because those will be warning signs of what they call a cytokine storm.  One of our friends has already spent five days in hospital with that, and didn’t enjoy it one little bit.  (He’s at home now, recovering.)  I don’t want to take the risk of developing what they’re calling PASC, which is basically a collection of long-term debilitating consequences of COVID-19.

So, friends, be warned.  Just because you get over the initial attack of COVID-19, and appear to be recovering, is no guarantee that it won’t sneak up on you again.  I’d be grateful for prayers from those of you who are so inclined, and I’ll keep you posted on developments.

Thanks.

Peter

18 comments

  1. I hope all goes well and you get through this Peter. IT sounds like you are taking the right steps and paying close attention to symptoms.
    Hang in there.

    Irish

  2. If you have a pulse O2 meter use it to check your oxygen level is >90%. If it drops lower go to ER STAT

    Prayers, good wishes and so on

  3. And expect it to come back again – not with the infection itself, but the long-term effects. I'd had it in March 2020 (when, like you, the medical people just brushed me off). In November this last year I had something nasty, but per testing, it wasn't Covid or the flu. I think it was, instead, aftereffects of the initial illness. All I can say is – rest. I'm very grateful you guys can be home and just deal with this, rather than having to go right back to work.

  4. Good luck, and take care of yourself. Order a pulse ox meter. If it arrives after you get better, then you'll still have it for next time. (There will be a next time. This thing mutates as fast as other cold and flu virii. There are already at least a dozen variants.)

    When I got it the second time last month, I had tachycardia and a fever bouncing between 98 and 103 for about ten days. It was thoroughly unpleasant. The hallucinations only lasted about a half day, and were entertaining. (I heard an entire Wolfman Jack radio broadcast, complete with music.)

    As for long term – my migraines (with all the side effects!) have manifested about every other day since I was sick, and were the worst I've ever experienced in the three days leading up to first symptoms.

    Your experience may and likely will vary.

  5. Peter, this might be what you are in need of. https://rumble.com/ve456v-a-promising-treatment-for-covid-youve-likely-never-heard-of.html

    Gets interesting around 4 min 30 seconds.

    Dr. Carmen Wheatley noticed that some aspects of how COVID affects the body is similar to the effects of sepsis (of which she is very familiar). Haven't made my way through all of this yet, but it looks like vitamin B-12 might be the *very* good thing for you in your current predicament.

  6. Yup, I'm one of those long haulers, now referred to as PASC. Had the disease at end of October/beginning of November, was over the symptoms after about 10 days, but since Thanksgiving have been dealing with fatigue, being easily winded, leg aches, and tachycardia (resting heart rate is typically ~100 t0 110, but can get it down to low 90s if sit and rest while concentrating on lowering it. It pops back up as soon as I move though. Going up/down the stairs and it's immediately in the 130s). I haven't been sleeping well either, but that started before I had covid, it's just gotten worse since. I see my doctor again next month.

  7. Information at various alternative medicine sites regarding the use of nebulizers along with 3% hydrogen peroxide and iodine shows some promise. Nebulizers can be had on Amazon for $50.

  8. PETER (and everyone)

    I just finished watching Dr. Pierre Kory talk on Dr. Been's Youtube show about Ivermectin (and other things Covid-19 related).

    You need to watch this, it could be the best couple of hours you've spent in a very, very long time!

    https://youtu.be/eeYoXGoh96w

    (And make your primary care provider watch it, too!)

  9. As I warned you, it comes back and wallops you around a week after the initial infection.
    And the recovery (and symptoms) are always prolonged.

    Keep on top of it, but an acutely dropping pulse ox means the pneumonia is blooming, and it can go from 0-BAD in under 24 hours.

    Prayers and Best Wishes you continue your recovery.

  10. Ditto on the follow-on kick in the pants a week after the initial infection.

    I'm told that the lingering issues can drag on for three to six months. I've also been told that I cannot register for or receive the CV-19 vaccinations until ninety days after my infection.

  11. You didn't mention vitamin D which has been show that those who fair worse have a deficiency and a therapeutic version has been used in treatment. If you go to the doc, you should get your levels checked. I had a routine doc visit and they tested my vitamin D, which was new since my visit 6 months ago, and called to tell me to up my supplement, I was just below normal. It's the deficiency that has proven to be important so supplementing over normal levels doesn't seem to be advisable.

    There are also studies that show the efficacy of mouthwash to rid the virus from patients. Best results with the mouthwash version of Provodine Iodine, but next was Listerine, specifically Cool Mint, as well as ethanol. I suspect the ethanol in the Listerine is key element so you could gargle with vodka. Some speculation that in addition to the throat bath from the gargle but also the aerosolized alcohol drawn into respiratory tract may be the mechanism.

    Youtube channel, Friendly Pharmacy 5, by a Canadian pharmacist as some good discussion on these topics.

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