How do we ascertain that someone in the family has Covid-19? What is to be done after a person tests Covid positive? Which room in the home should a Covid-19 patient stay in and what food and medication should be given?  What should be the treatment approach to those below and those above 60 years and people with diabetes, blood pressure, kidney disease, or cancer? Dr Parmeshwar Arora, Senior Consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, addresses these and other questions in this article

I have been giving you tips on how to avoid the Coronavirus ever since the past four to five months such as physical distancing, taking steam, wearing your mask the right way, hygiene and sanitisation, doing gargles, and taking Ayurvedic kadha, but now, sometimes, we are getting complacent and a trifle careless. Our masks have started coming down our noses and when we meet old friends and have spoken for a few minutes and reach our comfort zone, out goes our mask altogether. Keep it on, at all times.

Now, we have reached a stage when we are wondering why the number of corona patients is constantly rising. As a doctor, I want to tell you that this was expected. That’s exactly how a pandemic behaves: it peaks, people get infected, and then gradually it gets over. Now this gives rise to a challenge, and I want you to think about how you will manage a Covid-19 positive patient, if he/she is one of your family members, and what you would do to ensure that the rest of the family doesn’t suffer.

Do I Have Covid-19?

The first question that arises is this: How do we ascertain that someone in the family has Covid-19? Eighty per cent of the patients are asymptomatic, and the balance 20 per cent get mild, moderate or severe symptoms. Some just get fever, pain in the throat, cough, lose their sense of taste and smell, and feel weakness in the body. So, the question that arises is when should you go in for a test? As a doctor, I would say that if your age is below 60 and you don’t suffer from conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure, kidney disease, or cancer then wait and watch for at least three days. Isolate yourself at home and take simple medicines to manage your symptoms.

Dr Parmeshwar Arora

Should I Go To Hospital?

For people above 60 years, with the conditions listed above, go in for an immediate test. Let the test results and a doctor decide whether it is Covid-19 or just a seasonal flu. The second question is this: you have got yourself tested and have turned out to be Covid positive. What is to be done, now? I reiterate that if you are not immuno-compromised and if age is on your side, then self-isolate at home, rather than go to a hospital. If you are over 60, and have some medical ailments, then keep a thermometer, oximeter and a nebulizer at home. You can then still be at home in the initial stages.

Tips For Self-isolation

Now, the next question that arises is this: if the Covid-19 positive patient is at home, which room should he or she stay in? Keep him or her in the most well-ventilated, cheerful and comfortable room with an attached toilet. Equip the patient with a radio and TV so that they remain connected to the world. Don’t banish him to the worst room in the house. Remember, that the patient has to spend 9 to 14 days in self-isolation. So keep the morale high.

Now we come to another pertinent question ― what if the house is small and there is only one toilet or washroom? In that case, if your toilet is fitted with an exhaust fan, use it 24X7. In case, there is no provision for an exhaust, keep the door or window of your toilet open. And equally important is the use of the mask for all people in the house, including during the time when you use the toilet. The patient too, must be masked.

A Question of Diet

The next important question is: What food should the patient be given? There is a myth floating around that to defeat Covid-19, you must stuff yourself with nuts such as almonds and cashews. That is not true. Eat light yellow dal and avoid cold and sour things like rice and curd. Eat vegetables like lauki, tori, tinda, parwal, pumpkin and bitter gourd that are easy to digest. Eat now for health and don’t eat anything heavy. Drink nimbu pani and coconut water but not too much.

Use disposable utensils and dispose them after use in a polythene and consign them to a closed garbage bin.

Exercise and Mood

Now, let us discuss the environment and the emotions that a Covid-19 patient should avoid. The foremost is to keep yourself stress and tension-free. Keep yourself fit with very light exercises, avoiding anything strenuous. Do light pranayama like anulom-vilom and mindful breathing, and do not attempt kapalbhaati. Over-exertion and tiredness only lowers your immunity further. Ayurveda clearly says that if you are ill, avoid heavy exercises and let the body rest.

Finally, what medications should be given to a Covid-19 patient? As an Ayurvedic doctor, I would recommend that you continue using steam, do regular gargling, and take Ayurveda’s proven antiviral medicines prescribed by an established Ayurvedic doctor. In addition, keep the number of your regular physician handy and make prior arrangements for transportation to a hospital in case you need further assistance for your health, which only a hospital can provide. It will also be a good idea to keep yourself informed about possible hospitals in the vicinity who have good facilities for Covid-19 patients, and in case you are denied admission in one hospital, proceed to the next hospital on your list.

Dr Parmeshwar Arora, a renowned ayurvedic doctor and a lifestyle coach for more than 20 years, has been working tirelessly all through the Covid-19 crisis to spread awareness on how people can defeat the virus. Presently he is Senior Consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and heads his organization Ath Ayurdhamah located in Gurgaon.