Home Management of Viral Infections
Home Management of VIRAL Symptoms
Teals Himalayan Sea Salt: helps to relax muscles if you get muscle aches, use in a hot bath
Eucalyptus Bubble Bath: soothing and helps clear congestion, use in shower or bath
Vicks Vapo Rub: Add a dollup to boiling water in a bowl, get a towel and place your face 2-3 inches above the water with the towel over your head, breathe in the steam
Advil Cold and Sinus or Sudafed or Plain Psuedoephedrine (Adults only): the pseudoephedrin will dry up your nose and prevent post nasal drip, Advil or Tyelnol will help with fever and muscle aches. For kids, Motrin or Advil or Tylenol will help to treat fever, and body aches.
Cough drops: best with honey (Ricola Green Tea with Echinacea Sugar free shown above)
Prescriptions: if you have asthma or COPD or another lung disease, use your ACTION PLAN by increasing your puffer dosing as outlined by your doctor to help symptoms
For Fever: Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or Tylenol (Acetaminophen) work best.
Dose for Children is based on weight:
Ibuprofen 10mg/kg/dose every 6-8 hours orally
Acetaminophen 15mg/kg/dose every 4-6 hours orally
For Adults:
Acetaminophen (Tylenol): 325-650 mg orally every 4-6 hours. If vomiting, can use rectally as well
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin): 200-400 mg orally every 6-8 hours
8. Consider changing both the temperature and humidity of the air you or your child is breathing to help ease symptoms:
Sometimes bundling them up and taking them out to breathe the cool night air can help, especially with croup
Warm steamy air helps with nasal and chest congestion (either take your child into a steamy shower with you, or a warm bath in a steamy bathroom)
COVID-19
RAPID ANTIGEN TESTING (RAT)
The easiest way to test is a RAPID ANTIGEN TEST at home
Please CONTINUE to isolate if you have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and you get a NEGATIVE RAT. Repeat the RAT in 2 days to ensure your test accurately represents what is going on. Best practice is to swab BOTH sides of the nose and the THROAT as well.
PLEASE NOTE: Most patients will test positive on a RAT on DAYS 3-5 of illness. If you test NEGATIVE, but have symptoms, please continue to ISOLATE and retest with RAT in 48 hours.
If you cannot get a RAT, but have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, its best to assume you have it and isolate
5 days from symptom onset for FULLY VACCINATED, can leave quarantine if NO SYMPTOMS after 5 days, but must wear a medical mask 24/7 outside of the home and avoid all social gatherings. If symptoms persist beyond day 5, continue to quarantine until symptoms have completely resolved (for most this is 7-10 days)
10 days for NOT FULLY VACCINATED (no vaccine, or only one dose or second dose was less than 6 weeks ago)
COVID- 19 Vaccination
TO BOOK YOUR VACCINE PLEASE REGISTER AT:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated
When it is your time to get vaccinated, you will receive a text message alerting you to log in a book an appointment time.
BC is now vaccinated all citizens above the age of 5, with either Pfizer or Moderna. To protect yourself, you need 3 doses of a COVID vaccine.
It takes two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to reach more than 95% immunity. It takes a third booster dose to KEEP your immunity strong.
If you have any questions or concerns about getting vaccinated, please book an appointment with your physician
mRNA Vaccine Mechanism and Common Questions
This video was created by Dr. Jennifer Vassel, BScHon MD CCFP,
August 10, 2021
Dr. Vassel completed her degree in Honours Physiology at UBC and studied the immune system and cellular biology before entering medical school and completing her degree from UBC. She has used her background to put together this video to help her patients understand how the mRNA vaccine works and to answer some common questions. Please feel free to share this video if you find it helpful.