Upon receiving the news of a COVID-19 diagnosis, the first emotion most people feel is fear. Fear of the unknown, worry about how many people you may have infected, and anxiety about the future. Will you need to the hospital? Should you even go to the hospital? These are all common questions that millions of people are thinking about every day. Whether you have the coronavirus or not. The “what if” that is mentally and emotionally hurting so many people across the world at this time.

This is a new disease, however, most people do recover from this. While it is normal to feel a range of emotions after being diagnosed with the virus, you have to remain positive and take proper measures for yourself and your loved ones. 

Recovering From Coronavirus

If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, it is important to prioritize your health. You may have children that need help with homeschooling or laundry piling up, but you need adequate fluids and rest to recover. If possible reach out to family or friends to receive help with household functions or taking care of your children. The main goal is for you to recover and protect your family members at the same time. 

When recovering at home, there are certain over-the-counter medications that you can take to alleviate the fever, cough, and other symptoms brought about by the virus. While nothing at this time can cure the symptoms, you can temporarily relieve them to feel less discomfort and pain. Make sure you have kept open communication with your physician and continue to observe your symptoms carefully. If they worsen or you experience trouble breathing, get medical assistance immediately. 

Coronavirus Immunity

After recovering from this disease, your immune system has developed antibodies that can protect you from the same infection. With that being said, health experts expect that people will be immune for months. However, the coronavirus is a new virus, and scientists do not know if you are immune after contracting it. It has been mentioned in the news that some individuals have tested positive again even after being previously cleared. We still have a lot to learn about this virus, only time will tell if people develop an immunity to it. 

Donating Plasma

You may have noticed different campaigns hoping to find solutions to the coronavirus. Some are asking for monetary donations, others for food or personal protective equipment. You can give your biggest contribution without exerting too much effort by donating your plasma. More and more patients are starting to rely on convalescent plasma therapy. This intervention has been proven to be effective as it has a good physiological explanation. By donating this, you are giving others a better chance of surviving the disease.

This can be done by contacting an accredited blood donation stations like AABB or American Red Cross. You will be interviewed, screened, and then undergo an invasive procedure. Then if approved, your donation will help many others. 

Join a Clinical Trial

Clinical trials have been going on for decades, but they have gained tremendous attention in the fight against COVID-19. These scientific experiments aim to solve different aspects of the pandemic. There are studies that focus on how people can be protected from the virus, while others are investigating ways to stop or prevent the spread of the virus. Some published papers would like to test the effectivity of an already existing treatment like a number of drugs that were made for malaria, HIV, SARS, and Ebola. 

Joining a clinical trial if you are interested can help everyone in finding a solution to this disease. There are different types of trials you can choose from. Each has a wide range of available studies according to the effort and/or time you would like to spare. Some studies are asking for volunteers while others are giving compensation to their participants. 

The Beginning

Even though no one wants to receive a COVID-19 diagnosis, it is possible that many of us will be given one at some point in the future. Instead of looking at the diagnosis as the end, it can be the beginning of a solution if you decide to donate plasma or join a clinical trial if you are healthy enough to do so. The first priority, however, is to take care of yourself, so you can continue to live a long and healthy life.