Coronavirus Recovery

Most people who get COVID-19, the disease caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, will have only mild illness. But what exactly does that mean?

Mild COVID-19 cases still can make you feel lousy. But you should be able to rest at home and recover fully without a trip to the hospital. Here’s what to expect and how to take care of yourself.

Coronavirus Recovery Rates

Scientists and researchers are constantly tracking infections and recoveries. But they have data only on confirmed cases, so they can’t count people who don’t get COVID-19 tests. Experts also don’t have information about the outcome of every infection. However, early estimates predict that the overall COVID-19 recovery rate is between 97% and 99.75%.

How You Might Feel While Recovering

Not everyone who catches SARS-CoV-2 will notice symptoms. If you do get them, they may show up 2 to 14 days after your infection. And those symptoms can vary from one person to the next.

One of the most common signs is a fever, which for most adults is 100.4 F or higher. It means your body is trying to fight off an invader.

About 50% of people who become ill have a dry cough. That’s the kind that doesn’t bring up any mucus or phlegm. But about a third have a cough with mucus.

You also might feel very tired. Less commonly, your throat may be sore and your head might ache. Your muscles and joints could hurt, and you might get chills, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Some people who had COVID-19 said they had trouble taking deep breaths and felt like they had a tight band wrapped around their chest. Others have likened the illness to a bad cold. Still others said it was the sickest they’ve ever felt.

Loss of smell and taste have been reported in many cases. Some patients have skin rashes and darkened toes, called “COVID toes.”

You might feel short of breath, as if you’d just run to grab a ringing phone. If so, call your doctor to ask about what you should do.

What’s the Recovery Time for Coronavirus?

Early research suggested that it could take 2 weeks for your body to get over a mild illness, or up to 6 weeks for severe or critical cases. Newer data show that recovery varies for different people, depending on things like your age and overall health. Fatigue, headache, and trouble breathing were the symptoms most likely to linger.

CDC guidelines say that if you’ve been sick, you should isolate yourself at home until all of these things are true:

• You haven’t had a fever for 24 hours without using a fever-reducing medicine.
• Your symptoms are better, though they might not be totally gone.
• It’s been at least 10 days since your symptoms started.

Recovery After Severe Illness With COVID-19

A small percentage of people who have the new coronavirus need to stay in the hospital to get help breathing. It may depend on things like your age and your overall health. This might last 2 weeks or more.

Some people who have severe COVID-19 get a complication called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which can damage your lungs and make it very hard to breathe.

If you’re severely ill, you might need treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU). Many patients who spend time in the ICU lose weight and strength.

Your medical team will work with you to treat or manage these symptoms, including exercises to boost your strength.

Recovery Outlook

Scientists are still looking at how a person’s immune system responds to COVID-19 and whether you can catch the virus again after you recover. One early study on monkeys found that they didn’t get infected a second time. Other research says that some people might lose their antibodies over a couple of months.

But you might have the virus in your body for weeks, so it’s a good idea to keep following official advice on washing your hands, keeping surfaces clean, and staying home when possible.

How to Feel Better

There’s no treatment for COVID-19, although if you have to stay in the hospital, some medicines may shorten your recovery.

Continued

Some of the things you can do to speed your healing are similar to how you might take care of the flu or a bad cold.

Eat healthy foods. If you feel like eating, fuel your body with the vitamins and nutrients it needs to get better. Limit sugary or highly processed foods like cookies and sodas. If you don’t have an appetite, you don’t need to try to force food down.

Drinks lots of fluids. Do this even if you don’t feel like eating. Water is always a good pick.

Lower your fever. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen if you have a temperature or body aches. Be careful not to take more than a total of 3,000 milligrams every 24 hours. That includes acetaminophen alone as well as in medications like cold and flu pills and syrups.

Rest. Know that you’ll probably feel better eventually. If your symptoms do get worse, call your doctor.

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