The WHO initially recommended people with COVID-19 avoid taking ibuprofen to relieve symptoms. But it retracted that advice days later, so it seems reasonable to also consider using anti-inflammatory drugs.
You can treat nasal congestion with decongestants and nasal saline. Effective treatments for a sore throat include honey, salt water gargles, and sore throat sprays or gargles.
Cough is a more difficult symptom to control, but you may be able to improve it with honey, steam inhalations and saline nose sprays. Cough suppressants have only minimal benefit in reducing a dry cough.
It's also important to support your immune system, particularly with rest and a healthy diet.
There's some evidence zinc lozenges may shorten the duration of some colds and flus, including COVID-19. But this evidence is conflicting and not of high quality.
Meanwhile, there's no convincing evidence beyond the placebo effect for a range of other common treatments, such a vitamin C and echinacea. But these are unlikely to cause harm.
It's important not to take medicines that haven't been approved for the treatment of colds and flus.
Anecdotal reports and a small case series of patients in China have suggested a role for the antimalarial drug chloroquine in treating COVID-19.
Further clinical trials of this drug are currently underway, but at this stage it's recommended as treatment only in COVID-19 cases complicated by viral or bacterial pneumonia, and under the guidance of medical professionals.
One HIV antiviral combination drug, lopinavir-ritonavir, seemed promising. But it failed to make a significant difference in 199 patients with COVID-19 in China.
So there are no effective curative treatments as yet, but clinical trials of different antiviral agents are continuing.
While lots of information about prevention and treatments for coronavirus is circulating online, a good rule of thumb is if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
If you're unsure about anything, look to reliable sources like the Australian government or the WHO, or consult a doctor.
Follow this link:
Coronavirus: What to do if you start showing symptoms of COVID-19 - Newshub
