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Happy New Year!
				I hope you enjoyed some rest and reflection over the holidays, and I hope you did so in the safest way possible.
				While 2021 brings us a lot of hope for a healthier and less challenging year than 2020, we need to keep in mind that we&rsquo;ll be living with COVID-19 for a while yet.
				Vaccines are being distributed, but it&rsquo;s going to take a long time to vaccinate enough of the general public to be confident that we&rsquo;re keeping the virus from rapidly spreading.
				So, let&rsquo;s take some time this week to discuss how to care for yourself if you&rsquo;re one of the many who become infected with COVID-19 but have a mild enough case that hospital care isn&rsquo;t required. The virus certainly can lead to severe respiratory compromise, hospitalization and even death, and it&rsquo;s already killed enough Americans for us to be alarmed at this capability. But it&rsquo;s also important for those recovering at home to have some helpful tips on how to do so.
				Most people who recover from COVID-19 will not need to be hospitalized, but symptoms can cause discomfort, sometimes quite miserable; and although the recommended period of isolation from others is 14 days, it can take longer than two weeks for many patients to begin to feel better.
				Before you look into any ways of recovering at home, you&rsquo;ll want to consult your primary care physician. Your doctor knows you better than anyone else on your care team or in your health care system and can offer the best advice during recovery.
				Your physician can also make you aware of available resources to deal with the physical, mental and social difficulties that can be associated with COVID-19. So, be sure to inform your doctor of your diagnosis and symptoms and follow any instructions your doctor presents for at-home treatment.
				There are also general recommendations for recovering at home, which begin with getting plenty of rest.
				Stay hydrated. You&rsquo;ll want to drink at least 64 ounces of water every day.
				Fevers cause sweating and can thereby lead to dehydration. To replace lost electrolytes, the electrically charged minerals that support hydration and help regulate most functions in the body, consider drinking at 50/50 mixture of water and an electrolyte-rich sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade. Use sugar-free versions if diabetes is an issue you&rsquo;re dealing with.
				Eating is not the easiest task when you&rsquo;re experiencing viral symptoms, but you should try to put some nutrients into your system, and you may feel worse if you don&rsquo;t.
				Chicken noodle soup or a vegan noodle and broth soup are among the best foods to eat while recovering, because they are nourishing and easy to digest. Other good options, if you don&rsquo;t have soup ready, are bland foods like toast, rice or crackers.
				Beyond staying rested, hydrated and nourished, you&rsquo;ll want to manage and monitor your symptoms. Managing symptoms can keep you more comfortable, and monitoring symptoms can inform the way you communicate with your doctor during recovery.
				For fever and aches, over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be helpful in reducing your pain and keeping your fever down, but you should always talk to your doctor about what treatment suits you best.
				If you have a cough that is causing discomfort, your doctor will help you choose the right treatment there as well.
				Keep an eye on your temperature, blood pressure and oxygen levels, if you have a pulse oximeter at home. This knowledge will make discussion with your doctor more productive.
				If you experience any emergency symptoms, seek care immediately by calling 911. Emergency symptoms include:
				&#8226; Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
				&#8226; Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
				&#8226; Bluish lips or skin
				&#8226; Sudden confusion or inability to awaken
				&#8226; Excessive diarrhea or moderate to severe abdominal pain
				And, please, unless you need to seek emergency care, stay home while you are ill. If you must go into public, wear your mask, stay more than six feet from other and wash or sanitize your hands regularly and thoroughly.

Recovering from COVID-19 at home