SARS-COV-2 aka COVID-19 Information from a Nurse Practitioners Point of View
Editor’s Note: Stacy Flores is a local Nurse Practitioner who has been serving the Howard County community for a few years. Her research cited in this article came from different clinical resources such as WEBMD, medical journals and personal experience as she served Howard County patients. The following information has been composed as a way of putting day to day experience with clinical information that will help educate the community on ways to slow the spread of coronavirus.
The year 2020 has been a year of many unknowns, questions left unanswered and an uncertain future for the coming year. Throughout the past several months, we’ve been inundated with coronavirus information that’s caused sensory overload and people are tired of hearing stuff about the virus. In addition, there has been a lot of unpleasant spins delivered through news sources, social media and word of mouth, so it’s challenging for people to know what they should or shouldn’t believe.
We live in a wonderfully developed nation that usually distributes immediate answers to problems and issues, but unfortunately, not even the USA has all the answers to this new virus. Because the SARS-COV-2 virus is a new (novel) virus, the hindrance with research is that we don’t have enough time or data to effectively and thoroughly understand the disease. So, I could throw a bunch of studies and theories at you or I could tell you what I’ve seen clinically for the past 10 months that back up some of those studies and theories (also known as evidence based practice). Either way, the fact of the matter is, our community needs more education when it comes to understanding COVID-19 symptoms, care of the person who is infected with COVID-19 and the next steps to take.
I’ve treated thousands of people who have been exposed to the coronavirus and many who’ve tested COVID-19 positive. There are common
misconceptions that countless patients express and some of those are “I don’t have flu-like symptoms”, or “I never ran a fever” or reasons especially in West Texas “I thought it was just allergies and sinuses”. To be quite honest, what I have seen clinically suggests there is no rhyme or reason with COVID-19 symptoms. The unhealthiest of people may not have any symptoms and never need to go to a hospital and the healthy ones may end up on respirators and succumb to the disease. For some people, they have none or one symptom, while others may have multiple. However, the three key symptoms of COVID-19 are continuous dry cough, fever or loss of smell and/or taste. Other common COVID-19 symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, diarrhea, nausea, headache, body aches and fatigue. Here are some answers to common questions:
When is the best time to get COVID-19 tested? After a person is exposed, it takes approximately five to six days to develop symptoms. However, some people may never develop symptoms. The virus needs time to develop in the person’s body in order to trigger a positive test. The best time to test for COVID is on or after seven days post exposure. In the meantime, you may be contagious and should take precautions.
Is it safe to take ibuprofen when infected with COVID-19? The answer is yes. There is no evidence that ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories or fever reducers make coronavirus worse. Most COVID symptoms can be treated with over the counter (OTC) medications such as pain relievers, fever reducers, decongestants, and anti-nausea or anti-diarrheal medications. If symptoms are more severe and OTC medications are not relieving symptoms then contact your health care provider or seek emergency assistance.
How long do the symptoms last? For mild COVID cases, some people have symptoms only for a few days while others may last longer and experience residual effects that could linger for months such as a dry cough, a headache, or shortness of breath. Loss of taste and smell may take weeks to months to return.
Can I get COVID again? Most studies show that once a person has had COVID-19 infection, they developed antibodies that make them immune from getting it again for approximately 90 days or longer. However, since everyone’s body is different, it’s still best to take precautions such as wearing a mask and practice good hand hygiene to prevent spread of the virus. Some people may have symptoms that re-occur or relapse known as a re-infection and clinicians believe it could be because the coronavirus lays dormant in their bodies and reemerges, but re-infection is rare.
If you have been exposed to someone who has symptoms or is COVID positive, contact your health care provider to determine the next course of action.
As mentioned earlier, we don’t know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future. We cannot live in fear and stay cooped up in our homes for the next few years until the virus is under control. What we can do is protect ourselves, our families and our neighbors.
One of the greatest commandments in the Bible is to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. We have a duty to protect our neighbor and if that means wearing a mask, then so-be-it.
An excerpt from Madison Welch (with her permission):
I put a mask on every day because I do live in fear. I live in fear that my mom and granny will catch it and won’t survive. I live in fear that I will catch it and won’t survive. I live in fear that more friends, colleagues and students will catch it and won’t survive.
I put a mask on AND I’m a Christian. I put my faith in God and He has given me ears to listen, eyes to see, and a brain to understand that science is telling us this is getting worse. I fully believe that when my time is up, it will be on HIS will. However, when my time is up, I will wholeheartedly know that I wasn’t willingly and ignorantly going without doing my part to stop the spread. You can be both a Christian and respect science during these times. Quit placing burdens on healthcare workers, on essential workers, on family members, on our neighbors and loved ones. Step up and do your part.
Wear a mask.