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COVID Care: Home Remedies For A Sore Throat

sore throat

A sore throat is one of the earliest symptoms of COVID-19 infection in the majority of the cases. It manifests as scratchiness and irritation to the throat lining that worsens with swallowing. A sore throat can make it painful to eat, swallow and even talk!

If you have a sore throat associated with COVID-19, below are some of the remedies that might help you. These remedies do not cure the viral disease, but they can make you more comfortable. If your symptom of sore throat worsen, causing difficulty in breathing, please seek emergency medical assistance without wasting any time.

Some of these emergency symptoms include:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Extremely high temperature, 103 F or above
  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Confusion
  • Severe cough with choking
  • Blue lips or face

Remedies For Soothing A Sore Throat

  1. Ginger Chips: Ingredients required – ginger root and honey. Wash an inch long piece of ginger root (Hindi name- Adrak) thoroughly, chop it into thin slices and pour a spoonful of honey to marinate them. Ginger chips are ready to be used. Keep one or two ginger chips in your mouth, upto maximum 6-8 in a day. Do not chew, just allow your salivary enzymes to dissolve the chip in your mouth slowly. 
  2. Clove water: Boil a jug of water and turn off the stove, put 3 whole cloves (Hindi name- Loung) in it. Drink this clove water throughout the day. For faster relief, keep 2 cloves in your mouth, do not chew or nibble, just let them stay in your mouth for salivary enzymes to work their magic. (If you have lost your taste due to COVID-19. clove can dramatically help you with taste too)
  3. Salt water gargle: Gargling with warm saline solution for soothing a sore throat is a well known, tried and tested remedy, before over the counter medicines became a norm. So, even if you feel gross about it, give it a try! In a glass of warm water, add 1/4th tsp salt and gargle with this water in your throat. For added benefit, add a pinch of turmeric or a dash of lemon or Apple cider vinegar in it. Make sure not to drink/swallow the salt water.

Please make sure that you do not ignore worsening symptoms and connect with your treating doctor at the earliest. We hope this article helps you. For more COVID-19 related articles and tips to boost your immunity, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

For further queries and to get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to GOQii now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu  

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce 

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When Should You Get Tested For COVID-19 During The Second Wave?

tested for COVID-19

With the unprecedented number of fatalities reported during the last three weeks and the overall nationwide positivity rate hovering above 20%, an obvious question that comes to the mind is- when should you get tested for Covid-19?

According to the updated advisory issued by ICMR on 04 May 21, the use of RT PCR has been optimised considering the extra load on the testing centres. ICMR has indicated that the total national daily capacity is close to 15 lakh tests which includes tests done in 2506 molecular testing laboratories across the country. Considering the limited number of tests that can be done, the advisory recommends the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) for quick detection, isolation and initiation of treatment for curbing transmission.

This test has a short turn-around time of 15-30 minutes and hence, has a huge advantage of early detection of covid cases and offers an opportunity for quick isolation and treatment, and eventually curb the transmission of the disease. 

When Should You Go For A RAT Test? 

  1. If you have been a primary contact of a covid positive person, you should isolate yourself for 7 days and go for a RAT (Rapid antigen test) if you have symptoms such as fever with/without cough, headache, sore throat, breathlessness, body pain, recent loss of taste or smell, fatigue and diarrhea.
  2. In case you don’t have any of the above symptoms, but were a primary contact, you should still go for a RAT test immediately. In case the RAT test is positive, the advisory recommends that RT PCR is not to be conducted and the individual is to follow home isolation and treatment. However, in case the RAT is negative for symptomatic patients, then RT PCR is to be conducted. 

The advisory has been essentially issued to reduce the load on the testing labs with the following additional conditions:

  • If an individual is tested positive in RAT/RT PCR, the repeat confirmatory test is not to be done.
  • RT PCR test should not be done on discharge from hospital for COVID recovered patients.
  • RT PCR test should not be mandatory for any interstate/ domestic travel for healthy individuals.
  • Interstate travel to be avoided by symptomatic individuals (Covid related or flu like symptoms)
  • Asymptomatic individuals must follow laid down COVID appropriate behaviour.

Hope this article clears your doubts about the recent testing protocol and when to get tested for COVID-19. For more detailed information, you can visit the ICMR website. 

To get more COVID-related information, tips on building immunity or isolating safely at home, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

For further guidance, subscribe to GOQii and get in touch with your GOQii Coach here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu 

Stay safe, stay healthy and #BeTheForce 

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Basic Home Remedies That Can Help You Recover From The Infection

recover from the infectionThe nasty Coronavirus can have a damaging effect on your body, making it weak, even after months of its occurrence. It mainly causes damage to the lungs as well as other organs. Hence, the body requires time to recover to its formal state. A few common symptoms observed from the infected people include fatigue, loss of appetite and even breathlessness. Even if you have battled the virus, you still need to shower a lot of care and love to your body to ensure complete healing. Here are some home remedies that can help you recover from the infection.

Home Remedies To Recover From The Infection

  1. Take rest: To heal your body, it is important to take enough rest before you resume your old routine. Some doctor’s advise on staying isolated for a period of 7 days as the virus may still remain in your body. Keep a low pace for doing your regular basic routine to prevent fatigue. Your sleep is greatly disturbed at the peak of the infection in the hospital. Stress has an impact on your sleep quality. Try returning to your regular sleep-wake cycle by creating a sleep environment that is free from any disturbances like too much noise or light. Avoid smoking, alcohol and caffeine. To sleep better, you can try having a sleep-inducing drinks like poppy seed-nutmeg milk which can be prepared by mixing a teaspoon of roasted poppy seeds (khus khus) and a pinch of nutmeg in half a cup of warm milk before bedtime.
  2. Eat healthy and nourishing meals: The right kind of meals will help in regaining your strength. Your diet should include good quality proteins such as boiled eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds and lentils that will repair your body. To ease your digestion, you can eat small portions of meals. Include fresh colorful seasonal fruits and veggies that will provide antioxidants and help in speedy recovery. Since your body has been drained, it is important to eat calorie-dense foods rich in healthy carbs such as whole grains, brown rice, sweet potatoes and milk that can boost your immune system and give you energy. Spices and herbs like turmeric powder, basil or tulsi, star anise, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, triphala powder, pepper can be added in your diet to strengthen the immune response and uplift your energy levels.
  3. Stay hydrated: Sip warm water throughout the day that will help soothe your throat. Have a kadha to get rid of congestion, recover faster and keep your immunity strong. To prepare a kadha, boil 1 tsp of carom seeds, ½ tsp organic turmeric powder, a small piece of crushed ginger and a tsp of black pepper in a glass of water. Reduce it to half and drink this concoction post dinner. Take steam inhalation once in a day and do salt water gargles that helps to cleanse your respiratory tract and improve your lung capacity.
  4. Exercise a little daily: Exercising is essential as it improves blood circulation and detoxifies the body. But start with slow, low intensity exercises such as walking by moving around at home, doing seated marching, leg lifts, side bends, forward and backward stretches. Do not push yourself too hard and monitor your breaths while doing any activity. Practice breathing techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing and pursed- lipped breathing which help in enhancing lung capacity. It is also crucial to engage in activities like meditation, spiritual practice or listening to music that can improve your psychological state and reduce stress.

We hope these remedies help you recover from the infection. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more tips on dealing with the COVID-19 infection, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

For more guidance, you can speak with your GOQii Coach by subscribing to GOQii now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu 

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce

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Panicked Due To The Pandemic? You Need To Know This!

panicked due to the pandemicThere must be few people you know who have been affected by COVID-19 during this global pandemic. Maybe you have gone through this too. Maybe you are experiencing few symptoms. You might have witnessed a few unfortunate deaths around you. This is like one of those sci-fi movies gone real. Everyone is talking about it and it’s terrible! 

How You Can Avoid Panic During The Pandemic 

As humans, we crave for stability and we are facing this uncertainty for more than a year now. Are you wondering when it will all end? Do we even see an end in sight? How do we deal with it?  covid-19 anxiety

Change Your Mindset!

The stress can cause frustration, worry, fear, helplessness, lack of hunger, overeating, tiredness, sleeping too much, headache, nightmares or the inability to focus on work. If you are overwhelmed due to this pandemic situation, let me tell you that you need to overcome this. When you panic, your body responds in the same way. If this is the battle, then half the battle is lost when you panic. When your mind gives up, then slowly your body gives up. 

Everyone has suffered a cold and blocked nose at some point or the other in their life. And you experience breathlessness in such times. People with Asthma deal with breathlessness many times. Before the pandemic, you used to get cold, cough and fever, but you didn’t think that you would die. Then there’s no need to think that way now. I am not suggesting that you ignore the symptoms or your health. By now everyone knows what they need to do for their safety. I Am not repeating here. I am talking about the mindset. How you deal with this mentally and emotionally is important. 

You can get the information you need but stop binge watching news channels and be conscious of what you read, watch and listen. You can make a habit to get the update at a specific time from a trusted source only. Other times, keep yourself involved in something meaningful.

If you get a cough, start a treatment or medicine for the cough. You can talk to your coach for a nice home remedy. If things get worse and you need to get admitted in the hospital, let me repeat, the first thing you need to do is stay strong emotionally.

What Can You Do Now?

Let’s start working for the things which are in our hands. Your immunity is so much more important right now than ever before. Cut down sugar slowly from your diet. Sugar has inflammation enhancing properties. It supports more mucus production in the body, which increases the chances of you getting infected easily. When I say sugar, I mean sugar from tea, coffee, biscuits, desserts, ketchup and all kinds of packaged food. It’s difficult but start making changes one by one. Taking action for better health is much better than taking stress. 

Regular exercise will help to beat the anxiety. Work to improve your lung capacity. If you have a habit of smoking, please stop it. Breathing exercises are a great way to improve your lung function. You can breathe better. Spend a good time for meditation regularly. It will reduce your anxiety. If you are not fond of it, then indulge in any of your hobbies, which you can pursue at home.

You will help a lot as an individual by NOT spreading fear. Stop discussing the topic with ten people. Don’t forward random whatsapp messages. Stay calm and keep calm. If possible, provide emotional support to those who are going through it. If you can help them in any means it would be great. We are physically apart, but you can stay connected with your loved ones like friends and family through calls or video calls. Provide the emotional support. Having a conversation with friends and family will help to reduce your stress.

Remember that we’re all in this together. So remain calm, observe your body and stay strong. More so, you can also self monitor using the GOQii Smart Vital which checks body temperature, SpO2, heart rate and blood pressure – basically all the vital parameters that could alert you if something is wrong. Till then, there’s no need to panic! 

For more COVID-related articles, you can check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. Furthermore, you can subscribe to GOQii and get the right guidance from a certified expert: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

#BeTheForce 

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

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