Written by L. M. Land
For those who are up to date on immunizations and generally healthy, getting COVID-19 may be similar to having a mild case of flu or cold. Flu and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses caused by different viruses, whose symptoms can look the same.
Older adults and persons of any age with underlying medical conditions like chronic heart or lung disease, or diabetes are at a higher risk for being sick from COVID. However, it is now proven that being up to date with vaccines prevents major illness, long COVID, hospitalization and death. Add on the antiviral medication if your condition requires it, and your odds improve even further.
Let me give you a real-life example. My 85 and 92-year-old parents are up to date with their immunizations. They had mild cold symptoms near the end of 2022, and home tested for COVID. They tested positive and called the doctor right away, who prescribed one of the oral antivirals. Although they became quite sick as the week went on, they were never sick enough to be hospitalized. Both have underlying medical conditions, and would not have survived a COVID infection without the level of immunity given by the vaccine and the antiviral. They had no long-term effects. In fact, we all went out for dinner recently.
If you have underlying health issues and are experiencing symptoms like a cold or flu, get a COVID test so you know what you are dealing with. *
If you tested positive for COVID and have a chronic health condition, now what?
You might need an antiviral medication to reduce your odds of being very sick. The antiviral needs to be administered as soon as possible (ASAP) after your first symptoms.
The antiviral medications are NOT vaccines. Antivirals target specific parts of the virus to stop it from multiplying in the body, helping to prevent severe illness and death.
Medications to treat COVID must be prescribed by a healthcare provider and started within days of your first symptoms. You may benefit if you have underlying health conditions such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, a weakened immune system, are aged 50 or older or are unvaccinated. Your doctor will evaluate if an antiviral might be beneficial to you.
The antiviral treatments
There are several FDA-approved antiviral medications used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in people who are more likely to become very sick.
The antivirals are:
Nirmatrelvir with ritonavir (Paxlovid) is for adults and children ages 12 years and older. You must begin taking it ASAP or within five days of when symptoms started. It is taken at home by mouth.
Remdesivir (Veklury) is for adults and children, and must be started within seven days of when symptoms start. This is administered intravenously (IV infusions) at a healthcare facility for 3 consecutive days.
Molnupiravir (Lagevrio) For adults only. Start ASAP; must be taken within five days of when symptoms start. This is taken by mouth.
Some antivirals may have side effects or interact with other medications you are taking. There are more treatments available if you are inpatient, and which one is used depends on your condition and underlying diseases. Your physician will know which treatment is best for you.
You can see that there are health benefits in getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Studies are proving that the vaccine really does prevent severe illness, as I have seen with my own mother.
The benefits of COVID vaccines are:
- COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, hospitalized or dying.
- Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer, more reliable way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19.
- COVID-19 vaccines can offer added protection to people who had COVID-19, including protection against being hospitalized from a new infection.
- Vaccination reduces the risk of long COVID.
- To be best protected, keep your COVID vaccines up to date.
* COVID has a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. At this time, July 2023, the Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2 migrate from infecting lungs and nervous tissue to the upper airways. The BA.1 infection is, for many people, like a bad head cold.
Some of the most serious symptoms of COVID are chest pain, new confusion, loss of speech or mobility, inability to stay awake, difficulty breathing or pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone. If at any time you or a loved one are showing signs of distress, call 911.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019
https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p3
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html
