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What should I send with DD back to college campus in case she gets sick?


Loowit
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DD is heading back to her college dorm Wednesday.  Her first several weeks were remote from home, which she has been enjoying.  The college requires vaccination with boosters and N95 type masks (they have a list of approved masks).  Every student must test before coming back to campus and provide proof of a negative test.  However, I am still concerned about her getting covid.

She has exercise induced asthma, which occasionally acts up when she gets colds, so I will make sure she has an up to date inhaler.  She does not have a refrigerator or microwave, but does have a water boiler.  I am thinking maybe some cup-o-noodles, tea, and some tissues.  I am not sure what if any OTC meds are used/recommended for Covid.  Her college has to-go pick up meals for sick students.  Last semester they did drop off outside the dorm room, but I think they are very short staffed right now.

I hate to think of her getting sick, but I want to plan ahead best I can.  What other things should I pick up from the store for her to have in her dorm room?

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Make sure she has a good supply of whatever vitamins/supplements/cold remedies your family uses.  For us  this would be Vitamin C, D-3, Zinc, and Quercetin.  Plus some elderberry, throat lozenges, and nasal sprays.  Maybe something else I'm not thinking of right now.

Anne

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The things people listed above + a pulse oximeter + extra batteries for the thing. We have one that uses a special round cell battery and has some nice high end features but this year bought a $30 one off Amazon that runs off of either aaa or aa. It seems to be just as reliable in the testing we have done. 
 

For asthmatics, I really believe we should have o2 monitors. We can feel constricted and not know how much trouble we are in, or think we feel ok and actually be satting in the 80s. I have a kid who will be at 80-82 and feel decently fine even though his normal is 99. He doesn’t retract or turn bluish, and it is scary as heck that he can get in that serious of trouble that quickly without a lot of signals.
 

Having a monitor means that we can gauge at 3 am whether we need to head to the ER. Since doctor avoiders tend to just want to go back to bed and wait until morning and they’ve had a shower—they aren’t thinking clearly because they aren’t oxygenating well-this is a way to determine when supportive care is urgent. 

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In addition to what the others have listed as far as meds and equipment (thermometer, pulse oximeter, etc.), I made sure dd had a heating pad, lots of foods that have Vitamin C (jars of peaches/pineapple and such), and lots of tea including the amazing Yogi Honey Lemon Sore Throat tea. Lozenges galore especially those with honey/lemon. Spray chloraseptic, Breathe Again roll-on oil (or something like it). Dark chocolate (for sore throat).

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I made a first aid kit for DS before he went to university, and added a couple items when he came home for winter break. Everything is readily available on campus or delivery, but if he’s sick he might not be thinking clearly or know in the moment what might be useful. Also, he lives overseas and some medications have different names; the time to learn that Paracetamol is the same as Tylenol is not when feverish with covid!

If your young adult has access to grocery delivery I wouldn’t worry about sending much food. Medications, thermometer, oxygen finger thingy, vitamin C packets, flu medication (and tylenol, etc) are all useful to keep on hand and don’t take up much space.

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We've known lots of people to get Covid lately - our whole family just had it, and most seem to experience it as a cold or sinus infection that lasts a few days, with or without loss of smell.  I'd pack whatever your family uses for those things.  The only things we used at our house, besides vitamin supplements, were some tylenol/ibuprofin, benedryl, and nasal spray.  My people were, strangely, quite hungry and thristy while sick so if kiddo prefers flavored water, tea, cider, etc, I'd send mixes for that, and I'd make sure that she has some snacks.  I know that some people are getting sicker, but locally most people are finding the hardest part to be the boredom of staying home for the required number of days since the symptoms aren't something that would have kept people home pre-covid. 

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