Covid Advice (for a neighbour)

Mbaker

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My next door neighbour has Covid. He tested positive on Boxing day. His wife is a nurse, so he is in good hands. My wife and I are assisting as best as we can. I have read a lot about the technical side of Covid, such as the mechanisms, numbers and demographics, but not what to do in the midst of it.

His wife lost her Dad within the last 6 weeks to Covid and her mother had a stroke on Christmas day.

My neighbours wife wants to keep him out of hospital (we are in the North Essex area, so I know where she does not want him to go, but they have been in special measures (and I have bad personal experiences with my family there on 2 occasions)). I have given my sports watch which measures oxygen saturation, my wife is doing some bone broth. My neighbour has dabbled with LC (lost alot of fat, based on my badgering, but I know has not been on this observationally for years).

I know he should keep sugar low to non-existent, increase hydration, whilst late in the day my wife took over quality D3 supplementation last night. He has lost weight and is finding eating difficult, has diarrhea, we ca hear him coughing from outside of his house, when his window is open, he does not have a temperature.

Do you have any other practical advice, that might be beneficial, vitamin C for example or particular foods, or anything you may have read (particularly in a trial). We realise this is not medical advice, and have stressed to his wife, if anything changes he should get to hospital without delay.
 
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Brunneria

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I would suggest that vit C, zinc, the vit D3(and K2), plenty of fluids, good ventilation and having a wife that is a nurse will stand him in good stead. Some sources have variously suggested gargling with a good quality mouthwash (like Listerine) 3x daily, and taking an aspirin a day may be beneficial. If/when I catch covid I will be doing both.
And
https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-study-to-probe-aspirins-potential-as-coronavirus-drug/

oximeters are very easy to get on Amazon, and I would suggest that is a better option than a watch - also more likely to be taken seriously by medical staff if they need to consult.

Hope all goes well for him, and his wife.
 

TashT1

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It sounds like you are doing all you can to support your neighbour under the circumstances. I would just keep supplying easy to heat/ consume food. His wife obviously has a lot on her plate & i’m sure is very grateful for your support.

You do not mention if your neighbour is diabetic or not. If he is what type? If T1 sick day rules come to mind and constant checking of levels & perhaps ketones if levels are high.
 

Mbaker

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I would suggest that vit C, zinc, the vit D3(and K2), plenty of fluids, good ventilation and having a wife that is a nurse will stand him in good stead. Some sources have variously suggested gargling with a good quality mouthwash (like Listerine) 3x daily, and taking an aspirin a day may be beneficial. If/when I catch covid I will be doing both.
And
https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-study-to-probe-aspirins-potential-as-coronavirus-drug/

oximeters are very easy to get on Amazon, and I would suggest that is a better option than a watch - also more likely to be taken seriously by medical staff if they need to consult.

Hope all goes well for him, and his wife.
Thanks, great advice.
 

Mbaker

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It sounds like you are doing all you can to support your neighbour under the circumstances. I would just keep supplying easy to heat/ consume food. His wife obviously has a lot on her plate & i’m sure is very grateful for your support.

You do not mention if your neighbour is diabetic or not. If he is what type? If T1 sick day rules come to mind and constant checking of levels & perhaps ketones if levels are high.
He is not diabetic, a couple of years ago we measured his visceral fat, and it was very good - from memory around 7 on a Tanita scale; he is weightier now, so something has changed. Could be stress, he is a top level accountant. His wife deserves a break, she is the salt of the earth type, who kept quiet for too many days. It is good to see our other neighbours have pitched in practically as well, this chap is well loved and we don't want to lose him.
 

Goonergal

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@Mbaker

You asked about things in trial. So happens that I’d just found this on Twitter and was going to post on another of the Covid threads. No idea whether it’ll be of any use, but thought I’d throw it in.

I also saw Dr Unwin commenting that if Oxygen saturation goes below 94%, that’s the time to look at seeking further advice. I’ll try and find the link to that.

https://swprs.org/who-preliminary-review-confirms-ivermectin-effectiveness/
 

Goonergal

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TashT1

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That’s good advice from Goonergal which I had forgotten myself. When I had covid an ambulance had to be called one particularly bad night. My oxygen saturation was 94% when the paramedics arrived but rose back up to 97% with a bit of help. In the end I chose not to attend hospital.
 

zand

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In addition to the above, I found that sleeping in an upright position on the sofa helped with the breathing. Also my eyes were affected (feeling like there was glass in them)so eyewash helped.

Re the 94% oxygen levels, if your neighbour smokes or vape, his levels may be as low as this normally.

Edit: I agree with Brunneria about all the supplements but especially agree with the aspirin. I wish I had taken it sooner but did take it afterwards as my blood remained "sticky'
 
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Mbaker

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@Mbaker

You asked about things in trial. So happens that I’d just found this on Twitter and was going to post on another of the Covid threads. No idea whether it’ll be of any use, but thought I’d throw it in.

I also saw Dr Unwin commenting that if Oxygen saturation goes below 94%, that’s the time to look at seeking further advice. I’ll try and find the link to that.

https://swprs.org/who-preliminary-review-confirms-ivermectin-effectiveness/
This is promising interventional data. On the face of it, this is stunning.
 

Mbaker

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That’s good advice from Goonergal which I had forgotten myself. When I had covid an ambulance had to be called one particularly bad night. My oxygen saturation was 94% when the paramedics arrived but rose back up to 97% with a bit of help. In the end I chose not to attend hospital.
Hopefully you are fully recovered now. We should hopefully have a oximeter by tomorrow, based on @Brunneria feedback. He managed to keep down the bone broth, so my wife is making more.
 
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Mbaker

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In addition to the above, I found that sleeping in an upright position on the sofa helped with the breathing. Also my eyes were affected (feeling like there was glass in them)so eyewash helped.

Re the 94% oxygen levels, if your neighbour smokes or vape, his levels may be as low as this normally.

Edit: I agree with Brunneria about all the supplements but especially agree with the aspirin. I wish I had taken it sooner but did take it afterwards as my blood remained "sticky'
Again super helpful tips. I phoned my cousin who had Covid around a month ago, he just required lots of sleep. I can't prove it but I feel my neighbour might have the same variant that affected Lewis Hamilton, due to the weight loss, who knows.
 
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Mbaker

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Just an update. My neighbour is doing much better, has the oximeter now. Don't care if it was the chicken bone broth or just time, but he has turned a corner for the better. Thanks for all your help.
 

Goonergal

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Just an update. My neighbour is doing much better, has the oximeter now. Don't care if it was the chicken bone broth or just time, but he has turned a corner for the better. Thanks for all your help.

That's good news.
 

Mbaker

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Had a discussion with my wife yesterday evening as to whether she should PPE up and visit the neighbour to try to improve his oxygen saturation levels (she is trained in this).

People who are close don't always see the full picture through tiredness and emotional stress.

Long story short, he has had to go to hospital this morning where he can get assistance with his oxygen intake as this dropped dramatically into the 80's.

More than fingers crossed.
 

zand

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That's the thing with Covid-19. You think you are over the worst and then wham! You assume you will improve little by little, day by day, but Covid-19 isn't like that.

Sending positive thoughts to your neighbour.
 

Mbaker

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Just by way of an update. My neighbour has been back home for a few days, he was suffering from pneumonia, so the Covid was trying its best to make a statistic. He was well enough to contact my wife today to thank her, we're all so relieved he is still with us.
 

Brunneria

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Thank you for the update.
Hopefully he has a steady comfortable recovery.
 
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Mbaker

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Left the house to go for a walk and my recovering Covid neighbour was outside.

He had just gone for a 100 metre walk, which had wiped him out. In under 3 weeks he had lost 10 kilograms! He is haunted by what he has seen in hospital.

I can't assess him medically but I would say he is still in shock. He is angry, because of people who are not socially distancing / taking chances, and is a little scared about his potential for a full physical recovery.

I did told him to give himself time, both physically and mentally to regroup and build both sides of strength. We were frank about how close he came to being departed.

Another friend of mine in his 60's did pass yesterday from Covid, after going on a ventilator, having a stroke and going into a coma.