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271
Woman Shares Advice On Handling Covid-19 Once You Get It, And Her Thread Goes Viral
Interview With Author
Covid-19 is like politics—everyone has an opinion and believes that theirs is the only correct one. So it’s no wonder that with so many facts and ‘facts’ flying about, people get confused and lost in the info storm surrounding the pandemic. An overabundance of information can be just as bad as a lack of it, after all.
One person who tried to cut through the noise and help others get to the truth by streamlining coronavirus-related info was Megan McNally. She shared how to handle Covid once you’ve got it and her Twitter thread went viral with a massive 198k likes and 61k retweets. The writer, living in the borough of Queens, in New York City, went through some basics and gave her recommendations on what she believes people who catch the coronavirus should do.
Megan told Bored Panda that her symptoms first showed up as what she thought was a head cold, with a stuffy nose, as well as a sore throat. “My parents were experiencing the same, and I wanted to be extra cautious and see if it might be Covid, even if my symptoms didn’t line up exactly.”
Check out our interviews with Megan, as well as with a Covid ICU nurse who makes helpful coronavirus-related videos, goes by the name Galactic Gardener online, and told us what helped her while recovering from Covid.
RELATED:
Megan shared some spot-on tips on what you should do if you get Covid-19
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Here’s a video showing how to make a pillow to put under your stomach to help you breathe better
View this post on Instagram
Megan continued with her advice
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
Image credits: MeganMcNal
“I was not expecting the thread to get this much attention at all. When I first tested positive, I felt a gigantic amount of fear (for good reason) and wanted other people to see what they could immediately do to take care of themselves in an accessible way,” Megan shared with Bored Panda.
According to her, even though she’s already had Covid-19, she still plans to get vaccinated “as soon as possible” because of the possibility of reinfection.
“I hope other people stay safe and think the same! I’m also so thankful for all of the healthcare workers and nurses who have pitched in on this thread; I am not a doctor by any means so it means a lot to have so many resources coming together. If my thread can help just one person feel better or less alone, that’s all I’ve wanted.”
Among the things that Megan recommends is taking plenty of vitamins and minerals and getting lots of rest. She also suggests proning (i.e. lying on your stomach), letting fresh air into your home, and getting gear like a thermometer, humidifier, and a pulse oximeter. Let’s go through these point by point, shall we?
According to researchers, proning can help temporarilyelevate oxygenation levels. However, it’s not yet confirmed that it gets rid of the need for ventilators in extreme cases.
Taking vitamins and sleeping lots are obvious but necessary bits of advice. You can’t expect to recover from any illness quickly if you spend all day glued to your laptop or phone while in bed. Make your rest count. Just remember that vitamins aren’t a valid alternative for a proper diet.
And while vitamin D can be great during the Winter months, getting some natural sunlight is wonderful, too, if you can do so without exposing others to your infection.
Ventilating your home is also self-explanatory. It helps protect other people who live in your household while also giving you fresh air to enjoy.
Meanwhile, what Megan says about using a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen levels is mostly true. While different patients can have different baselines, the rule of thumb is that if your oxygen saturation drops below 95 percent, you should contact a health professional.
Megan’s also right that zinc can (the keyword being ‘can’) help with recovery from Covid-19. That’s because it has antiviral properties. While zinc deficiency has been linked to a greater risk of viral infections.
Overall—well done with the tips, Megan!
Other people pitched in with their own insights
Image credits: webbychameleon
Image credits: FroggieAeon
Image credits: FroggieAeon
Image credits: BaileyKingGamer
Image credits: heyyitzzcindyy
Meanwhile, Covid ICU nurse Galactic Gardener told Bored Panda that proning was one of the things that brought her relief during her “Covid journey” and she greatly recommends it for other patients.
“Studies have shown that early proning, often as soon as patients arrive at the ER reduces oxygen requirements, and improves outcomes. A simple maneuver can get people off of their back ( which contributes to PNA and eventually ARDS), and allowed fuller lung expansion! I think, given that it is one of the few things statistically proven to improve Covid-19 outcomes that people should ask their doctor about trying it! Free and as easy as a simple position change,” she said, adding that you can find a guide for proning at home right here.
The ICU nurse also said that she took vitamin C and D and Zinc early on during her Covid infection to help boost her immune system function. “Other things that improve overall lung health were also vital to my recovery from Covid! Focused deep breathing and utilizing an incentive spirometer daily were also steps I took to improve my lung capacity and keep them nice and open and clear! There were days that I could feel them trying to close at the bases and become painful, deep breathing really helped me.”
What do you think ?
A.M. Pierre 5 years ago
The gastrointestinal bits can get lost in the shuffle, but that's how mine mainly manifested - as 4 days of the worst case of the runs I've had in my life. It was super bizarre - I actually didn't connect the two until way later when the doctors started saying nausea and diarrhea could be involved. The lung-related issues weren't too bad at all for me, as I had occasional random coughs (like maybe once every couple of hours) that came out of nowhere but were so deep they made my face hurt, then there a low fever that popped up then vanished a couple times, and a few moments of feeling exhausted and then feeling fine again a couple minutes later. It literally was four days of "I think I might be fighting off a cold but man it's a bizarre cold" alongside "WHAT DID I EAT?!" and then poof! vanished overnight. That's what makes Covid so scary, IMO - it's so completely unpredictable in how it will affect you.
Crochet lady 5 years ago
It's truly sad we have to rely on first hand knowledge of those affected rather than our government health agency because they can't be bothered to inform us of what to do, how to respond or what to expect when we encounter the disease. I am grateful to people for sharing their experience with us but we shouldn't have to go to social media to get medical advice. Our government has failed us.
Uncommon Boston 5 years ago
CDC has good information. Our state public covid hot line was even better. I usually check the Mayo Clinic site as well. Our governor was fantastic. He just made it happen.
Load More Replies... Uncommon Boston 5 years ago (edited)
I felt like I was horribly constipated, with bloated, big painful stomach, but I wasn't constipated. I hurt. I sweated heavily and it stunk. I couldn't keep my bed dry, so I slept on towels. The first four days disappeared. I remember very little, the pain was so awful. Temperature was normal. Blood oxygen rate of 89 -- a B+. No, I didn't know what measurements meant. The next few days were incredibly painful. Then I had a cold with terrible cough. I could not get tested without a fever and a cough. I was so weak afterward, it took me 8 weeks to be able to walk to our post office -- .4 miles. I still can't taste chocolate, and lost my desire to eat. Now I realize I did have COVID. It was horrible, four days just gone, I remember so little. Rapid fire symptoms, changing, none what is expected. This is an extremely minor case. I do not want to imagine worse. I live alone, and when aware of what was happening, I was petrified. This is real, scary, and very painful. You do not want to get this.
Claire Sylvester 5 years ago
I currency have covid. I tested positive on 3.12. My symptoms started with a headache and general cough/cold. Cough died down pretty quickly then the aches/dizzyness/fatigue took over with loss of taste/smell/appetite. I now have sinusitis on top and am feeling wrecked!!!! I am a nurse!!
Eglė Bukauskaitė 4 years ago
Wish i had read this thread on time, when i and my whole family were sick. All of us had different symptoms, lol. The most worrying fr our supervising pediatrician was my shortness of breath. Apparently, lungs are one of the few organs that does not signal "alert,- pain" to the brains so deteriorating lungs is a slow and deadly killer. Also, if you have a constant fever for a week, 99% possibility that it's pneumonia.
Mer☕️🧭☕️ 5 years ago
Don't ignore the diarrhea symptom! In mid-March I had the weird sudden-onset, "super-aggressive" diarrhea that lasted a solid week (that I attributed to food sensitivity/allergies and the stress I was under), chills (that I stupidly didn't attribute to anything), nasty headache that wouldn't respond to anything (that I attributed to stress and allergies and "whatever was causing all the gastro issues"), fatigue (which I attributed to the marathon runs, not being able to sleep for crap, etc), upper respiratory issues that I attributed to allergies, brain fog I attributed to the other symptoms, the list goes on... Your symptoms may vary. It's funny all the ways we can lie to/misdirect ourselves, isn't it?
Brandy Grote 5 years ago
When I had ... whatever it was from March to July, my pulse ox got as low as 88. It was under 95 for 4 months. But because we were kiiiinda sure it wasn't covid, and I'm high risk, dr said just stay home. We had canned "sports oxygen" left from Aliso Wells methane leak that I used, it helped to just keep me from turning blue. We were a day away from going to hospital because I was falling down and crawling from exhaustion just from going to the bathroom. I had a bad cough, short breath, utter and complete exhaustion. Couldn't eat, so I don't recall loss of taste. Had some gastro issues that passed after a week. Still recovering. Get exhausted easily, fibro is worse, lots of panting for breath. Even "really just the flu" was horrible this year. I couldn't imagine covid.
A.M. Pierre 5 years ago
The gastrointestinal bits can get lost in the shuffle, but that's how mine mainly manifested - as 4 days of the worst case of the runs I've had in my life. It was super bizarre - I actually didn't connect the two until way later when the doctors started saying nausea and diarrhea could be involved. The lung-related issues weren't too bad at all for me, as I had occasional random coughs (like maybe once every couple of hours) that came out of nowhere but were so deep they made my face hurt, then there a low fever that popped up then vanished a couple times, and a few moments of feeling exhausted and then feeling fine again a couple minutes later. It literally was four days of "I think I might be fighting off a cold but man it's a bizarre cold" alongside "WHAT DID I EAT?!" and then poof! vanished overnight. That's what makes Covid so scary, IMO - it's so completely unpredictable in how it will affect you.
Crochet lady 5 years ago
It's truly sad we have to rely on first hand knowledge of those affected rather than our government health agency because they can't be bothered to inform us of what to do, how to respond or what to expect when we encounter the disease. I am grateful to people for sharing their experience with us but we shouldn't have to go to social media to get medical advice. Our government has failed us.
Uncommon Boston 5 years ago
CDC has good information. Our state public covid hot line was even better. I usually check the Mayo Clinic site as well. Our governor was fantastic. He just made it happen.
Load More Replies... Uncommon Boston 5 years ago (edited)
I felt like I was horribly constipated, with bloated, big painful stomach, but I wasn't constipated. I hurt. I sweated heavily and it stunk. I couldn't keep my bed dry, so I slept on towels. The first four days disappeared. I remember very little, the pain was so awful. Temperature was normal. Blood oxygen rate of 89 -- a B+. No, I didn't know what measurements meant. The next few days were incredibly painful. Then I had a cold with terrible cough. I could not get tested without a fever and a cough. I was so weak afterward, it took me 8 weeks to be able to walk to our post office -- .4 miles. I still can't taste chocolate, and lost my desire to eat. Now I realize I did have COVID. It was horrible, four days just gone, I remember so little. Rapid fire symptoms, changing, none what is expected. This is an extremely minor case. I do not want to imagine worse. I live alone, and when aware of what was happening, I was petrified. This is real, scary, and very painful. You do not want to get this.
Claire Sylvester 5 years ago
I currency have covid. I tested positive on 3.12. My symptoms started with a headache and general cough/cold. Cough died down pretty quickly then the aches/dizzyness/fatigue took over with loss of taste/smell/appetite. I now have sinusitis on top and am feeling wrecked!!!! I am a nurse!!
Eglė Bukauskaitė 4 years ago
Wish i had read this thread on time, when i and my whole family were sick. All of us had different symptoms, lol. The most worrying fr our supervising pediatrician was my shortness of breath. Apparently, lungs are one of the few organs that does not signal "alert,- pain" to the brains so deteriorating lungs is a slow and deadly killer. Also, if you have a constant fever for a week, 99% possibility that it's pneumonia.
Mer☕️🧭☕️ 5 years ago
Don't ignore the diarrhea symptom! In mid-March I had the weird sudden-onset, "super-aggressive" diarrhea that lasted a solid week (that I attributed to food sensitivity/allergies and the stress I was under), chills (that I stupidly didn't attribute to anything), nasty headache that wouldn't respond to anything (that I attributed to stress and allergies and "whatever was causing all the gastro issues"), fatigue (which I attributed to the marathon runs, not being able to sleep for crap, etc), upper respiratory issues that I attributed to allergies, brain fog I attributed to the other symptoms, the list goes on... Your symptoms may vary. It's funny all the ways we can lie to/misdirect ourselves, isn't it?
Brandy Grote 5 years ago
When I had ... whatever it was from March to July, my pulse ox got as low as 88. It was under 95 for 4 months. But because we were kiiiinda sure it wasn't covid, and I'm high risk, dr said just stay home. We had canned "sports oxygen" left from Aliso Wells methane leak that I used, it helped to just keep me from turning blue. We were a day away from going to hospital because I was falling down and crawling from exhaustion just from going to the bathroom. I had a bad cough, short breath, utter and complete exhaustion. Couldn't eat, so I don't recall loss of taste. Had some gastro issues that passed after a week. Still recovering. Get exhausted easily, fibro is worse, lots of panting for breath. Even "really just the flu" was horrible this year. I couldn't imagine covid.
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