Beating the Cold, the Flu, and the Coronavirus

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. This is my personal approach to handling illnesses that we commonly face as someone that does not have any serious health complications. A novel virus like SARS can infect anyone, and it can be potentially life threatening to anyone. If you have conditions like hypertension, high blood pressure, asthma, and other risk factors that the medical community have identified and are concerned that you may have been exposed to SARS/COVID-19/Coronavirus then seek medical advice and follow their directions.

Proper hygiene and protective measures will only go so far. Many people get exposed to and infected by Cold and Flu viruses many times in their lives, and many will be exposed to this new SARS strain. This virus will potentially harm you unless you're prepared to unlearn some of the assumptions we've developed over the years with Colds in particular.

The first important thing is that while this is a virus from the common Cold strains, it is *not* a common Cold. It will start out feeling like a Cold, but it can easily develop into something more closely resembling a severe Flu. Many people do not really know the difference between a Cold and a Flu. Often you hear people claim they "came down the with flu over the weekend". They didn't have a Flu, they most likely had a Cold, or at worst, a mild Flu. The Flu will most certainly keep you in bed. You will ache. You will have chills. You will have a significant fever. You will have a headache. You will have a cough that makes your chest hurt and have you checking your hand/tissue expecting to find blood.

The second important thing is that you will need to learn to listen to your body again. We have evolved into a society where illness is an inconvenience. Catch a cold? Take some decongestants for the stuffed up feeling, a painkiller for the headache, and some lozenges / syrup for the cough and "Soldier On".  When it comes to viral infections, TIME is critical.  A virus infects and reproduces through your body at a given speed. Your immune system can respond and fight it at a given speed. When a virus is relatively mild, it doesn't matter as much if you let it get a foothold if you can treat your symptoms and carry on with your day. You'll feel relatively miserable for a few days, but eventually your immune system will get the upper hand.  However, when you are dealing with a virus that can pack a significantly harder punch, treating it like a mild cold can be fatal. Staying up and about, suppressing your immune response (which is what makes these diseases uncomfortable) is giving the virus a head start and crippling your immune response.  Yes, getting a viral infection is uncomfortable, but that is your immune system going to war. To stand the best chance of surviving the battle, Stay out of the way!

Dealing with viral infections is about learning to give your body the best fighting chance. This means listening closely to what your body wants, and letting it fight without you getting in the way.

#1. Act as soon as you feel ill. If you wake up one morning and feel "off". Call in sick and stay home. If you're at work and feel chills after lunch, go home immediately. TIME is critical to get on top of bugs, whether a common Cold, Flu, or one of these new Coronavirus strains. "Healthy" people that are suffering due to this new strain are likely confusing it for a Cold, carrying on about their day coping with the symptoms. All the while this virus is getting a head start in the battle, and once entrenched, the immune system will be on the back foot trying to regain control. The war moves into areas of your body that would best do without the chemical warfare. Stop the virus at the beaches, not the central business district.

#2. Bed rest.  Don't try and get things done. Don't go into work or even try working from home or doing housework. Get into something comfortable, grab a big pitcher of water and a glass to keep near the bed, and stay in bed! Sleep as much as you can. Take short breaks to read or watch a bit of a movie, but stay as comfortable as you can and movement to a minimum.

#3. Stay hydrated.  Water, and only water. NO sugar. If you feel thirsty, drink. Keep water handy so you don't have to get up and move around.  The only time I get up is when I have to pee. Your immune system will be working hard to isolate, kill, and dispose of the virus and the byproducts of the infection and chemical warfare. Much of that

#4. Cope with the symptoms. Don't medicate to make yourself comfortable. Your body is using histamines and fever for a purpose. Keep tabs on your fever level to ensure it doesn't get too high too long, but minimize the use of "relief" medication. These are a setback for your immune system. Use only enough to allow you to sleep.

#5. Do what your body tells you. If it says "I'm cold", bundle up, maybe add a hot water bottle. If it says "I'm hot", throw the covers off. If 30 minutes later it says "I'm cold again", bundle up. If you feel hungry, eat, if not, don't force yourself. Think about what you want to eat if you're hungry, your stomach will hint you at a comfort food. (For me, it's typically apples) If your body thinks lying out in the warm sun would feel good... do it. 

#6. If your alone, call someone to help. If you're coping with a bug and you're hungry but don't have something "comforting" in the house to eat, call someone and ask them to bring it. Whether it's warm soup, bread, or apples. Don't try and head to the shops yourself as it will be a setback in your fight. (And a risk to other people) If you HAVE to go out for yourself, dress warm, wear a face mask to protect others, and only stay out as long as absolutely necessary, then get home and back to bed.

#7. Keep tabs on your condition. Especially fever and whether you can eat if it drags on for several days. Let people know you are at home sick if you are alone, and be ready to make the call for help if the fever is staying high and does not respond to paracetamol, or you cannot keep small amounts of food down after 2-3 days. The danger zone with fevers is where the fever is already high and your body is still feeling cold even when bundled up.

These are the rules I follow religiously when it comes to getting sick. The moment I feel like I am coming down with something, I head directly to bed with a big jug of water. I get up only to pee. If I'm feeling ok, I might sit up to read or watch something, but no more than half an hour at a time, I focus most of my time on sleeping, letting my immune system do it's thing, and listening to what my body needs.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay home.