I’m not what you’d class as ‘well’. But a few things I lear…

Patience. I’m a card carrying workaholic but this took control away. One day you’re quite ill, the next you might have some respite, but then another wave of symptoms can hit. This is the Marathon Des Sables of viruses. But much less fun and no medal at the end.

Water. Buckets of it in whatever form...cold, hot with lemon, tea, pop. Sipping frequently short circuits coughing, soothes the throat, and means your mucous is thinner and easier to shift. My tests found fizzy water the best.

Sleep. If you’re like me you’ll barely get any especially as you’re pissing like a donkey with all the water. Lying down causes pressure on your lungs. Accept that your sleep pattern will change, don’t fight it. Don’t get anxious about it. Stay up and watch Netflix until 5am.

Buy a pillow wedge. You do need to sleep but lying down is the enemy. Pillows don’t stay stacked up and I ended up waking up gasping for air. A wedge is stiffer creating a sturdy slope to put your pillows on. They also say sleep on your chest. Not with these chebs I wasn’t!

Oxygen. You need it, your lungs are struggling, which makes you panic which stresses you more. Get an oximeter to put your mind at rest. You can also buy canisters of O2 to give you a reassuring blast - if you’re prepared to pay £25 to feel reassured. I was because I’m a twat.

Nutrients. If you feel like eating, good on you. But I found even when hungry eating a full meal made me feel terrible. I guess it makes sense as your body has to divert focus to digest. I suggest keep it snack sized and at whatever you fancy. Just avoid dairy...coz mucous.

Vitamins. Because of the bit above I made sure I had lots of supplements I washed down with hazelnut milk (as they can be harsh on an empty stomach). Well muti vit, fish oil, chondroitin, zinc, turmeric, vit D, Berocca (not with hazelnut milk).

Other pills. I had headaches but the worst pain was in my bone marrow which seemed to be throbbing. Paracetamol worked for me. Other than that I had cough syrup to swig (sorry doctors). And I had an aspirin every night before bed as I’ve read reports of clotting issues.

Try and walk around a bit once in a while. It helped me shift the stuff in my chest a bit. Good for circulation. I made sure I ordered a steady stream of Amazon parcels to get me up for. Currently obsessed with saving the planet so...

Drag yourself into the shower. Loads of reasons linked to the stuff above but ultimately who is going to feel better with smelly pits and rank hair?

I’m not what you’d class as ‘well’. But a few things I learned. First up...things that ease your breathing. I find it hard to imagine having done this without Olbas oil and Vicks VapoRub or cheap as chips menthol crystals. You cannot over apply. I used it like body butter.

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