General

  1. Stay isolated to your own room as much as possible throughout your full isolation period as determined for you by the contact tracing team. If you live with others and are out of your room, it is important to wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet away from other people, and disinfect any common surfaces you have touched.

  2. Sleep at least 7–8 hours per night. If you are having trouble falling asleep, you may try taking over-the-counter melatonin 3-5 mg, nightly, ½ hour before bed.

  3. Stay well hydrated with at least 8-10 (8 oz) glasses of clear liquids daily. Water is best, but you can also include tea, juice, broth, or other fortified drinks.

  4. Do not exercise throughout the first 10 days of your illness other than leisurely walks. After that, you may return to your normal, pre-COVID exercise patterns gradually over the course of 7 days.

Vitamins and supplements

Some vitamins and minerals (vitamin D, vitamin C, and zinc) may have effects on how our immune system works to fight off infections, as well as inflammation and swelling. The natural way to obtain these nutrients is through foods:

  • Vitamin D: Found in milk and seafood

  • Vitamin C: Found in fruits and vegetables

  • Zinc: Found in lean meat, seafood, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Vitamins and minerals that are thought to help the body recover with an active COVID-19 infection, though evidence is limited at this time:

  • Vitamin D: 4,000 IU daily throughout symptoms, then 1,000–2,000IU daily ongoing, long-term.

  • Vitamin C: 500–1,000 mg daily throughout symptoms.

  • Zinc: Up to 40 mg daily throughout symptoms.

  • Quercetin: 300–500 mg twice daily throughout symptoms.

  • N Acetylcysteine: 600 mg twice daily (to reduce flulike symptoms) throughout symptoms.

Pain relief

  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 500–1,000 mg as needed three times daily (maximum of 3,000 mg daily).

  • Ibuprofen 600–800 mg as needed every 6–8 hours (maximum 3,200 mg daily).

Monitor

  • Check your temperature if you are feeling hot sweats, cold chills, body aches, or generally feverish. If it is 100.4 degrees or higher, you have a fever and our recommendation is to check your temperature at least once daily until you are fever-free.

  • You are considered fever-free when you have not had a temperature over 100.4 degrees for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medications (ie: acetaminophen, ibuprofen).

  • If you are having long coughing episodes, shortness of breath, chest pain, or wheezing, please contact Health Services for further evaluation. If you have an immediate concern and our office is not open, please go to a local urgent care or emergency room for further evaluation.

Notify our office if:

  • You develop a new or worsening fever, new chills, body aches, cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain.

  • You have a fever over 100.4 degrees that is lasting more than 24 hours.

  • You have long coughing episodes, your cough is producing a thick, yellow-green sputum, or you have a cough that lasts for longer than 10 days.

  • You develop a bothersome earache, severe headache, or new skin rash.

  • You have persistent nasal congestion and sinus pressure lasting more than 10 days.

  • You feel like you have mostly recovered, then have a shift to feeling much worse.

  • You develop any other new or concerning non-urgent symptoms that you may have. Our office number is (616) 526-6187 (press 2).

Moving forward

  • Following a COVID-19 infection, the CDC guidelines for future testing for reinfection with COVID-19 are frequently changing. In the future, if you develop new viral symptoms, please contact Health Services to determine if and when COVID-19 testing is recommended.

  • It is still recommended that you get the COVID-19 vaccine and booster even if you have already had infection.