Supporting your Recovery: What can I potentially expect post-infection?

While contacting Covid can be difficult, recovery can be a distinct challenge of its own. Despite many cases being symptomatic, some individuals with a severe infection can face a lengthy recovery period. And while this can be difficult, being prepared and following the right steps can help manage your condition and get you back on your feet as soon as safely possible.

So, what are some of the symptoms you could find yourself facing and what can you do to track and report on your recovery if you need to?

What common symptoms are there?

While every case can differ, some of underlying symptoms of Covid infection are spread amongst a number of cases. Chief among these physical, mental, and emotional side effects that can be difficult to manage – especially when dealing with the energy loss that accompanies the healing process.

These include-

Physical Effects: Infection can leave you with a shortness of breath and aches and pains, reducing the amount of activity you can undertake. Lung inflammation can leave you with a continued cough and leave you fatigued. This can also result in an overall lack of appetite, reduction in taste and smell, and problems sleeping comfortably.

Mental Effects: Difficulty breathing can result in an oxygen deficit or your body expending more energy to do the same tasks. This can have a knock-on effect where mental tasks can become more taxing, you can be more forgetful, and working through difficult problems or completing tasks that would have otherwise required little effort become more difficult.

Emotional Effects: A lack of mobility and the effect of quarantining can leave you feeling languorous, anxious, and depressed. If you have had little experience managing low mood, this can be difficult to deal with and require the development of specialised coping mechanisms. Or if you have depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, these can become much more difficult to manage across the period.

How can I track my progress?

Once you have been diagnosed, treated, and discharged, your Doctor or physician will work with you to provide a care plan to provide the best chance of safe and effective recovery. If these symptoms are serious, contacting your Doctor can help you get the support you need.

If you are worried about shortness of breath or lack of oxygen, picking up a blood pulse oximeter can allow you to get an accurate reading of your blood oxygen levels. This can allow you to measure your gradual path toward recovery and ensure that you are not at risk of conditions such as hypoxaemia or hypoxia. These can be picked up from a number of providers, with reliable kits about to be found on Sensoronics’ site or those of leading businesses.

While these devices are helpful aids, they should only be used to validate your symptoms, not self-diagnose. If you feel your condition is worsening and your chest feels tight, you’re experiencing serious muscular pain, and/or you feel sick – it is vital you seek medical support as soon as possible.

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