Help me not get sick

[mommyoffive]

Ugh.  Just spent 4 hours in an urgent care/ER that was packed with really sick people.  I so don't want to get sick right now.  It would be horrible timing and I just got over being sick.  Any things you would do now so that you wouldn't get sick?

Any and all ideas appreciated.

[Not_a_Number]

Get enough sleep and stay hydrated? 

That's all that ever works for me. 

[Indigo Blue]

Neti pot? Start zinc and elderberry? 

[saraha]

No ideas, but wishing you good luck (and immune system!)

[Ausmumof3]

Nasal spray? Elderberry zinc and C

[desertflower]

Pretty much everything mentioned above.  I hope you don't get sick! 

[AbcdeDooDah]

I just spent a week with influenza A + people last week. I took 500 mg of C 3x/day and 50mg of zinc in the morning. When I got home Sunday (I was across the country) I started elderberry tincture. No sickness for me but my husband started with it on the drive home Friday. He is now full blown feverish and sick. 

Not sure why I typed  so much about that. LOL . C, zinc, elderberry. And lots of water.

Edited November 29, 2022 by AbcdeDooDah

[Spryte]

Echoing C, zinc, D, elderberry. I like Quick Defense by Gaia. Sleep, nutrition, hydration.

Were you able to mask? Would you want to mask around anyone in the family?

I had Flu A when taking care of my mom after a fall, masked, and she didn’t get it. Right at the start of Covid. Made me love masks!

[Catwoman]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

Echoing C, zinc, D, elderberry. I like Quick Defense by Gaia. Sleep, nutrition, hydration.

Were you able to mask? Would you want to mask around anyone in the family?

I had Flu A when taking care of my mom after a fall, masked, and she didn’t get it. Right at the start of Covid. Made me love masks!

The first thing that popped into my mind was that I hope @mommyoffive was able to wear a mask at the urgent care/ER. I think if she was able to mask, she will probably be ok. (I would still be taking all of the advice posted in this thread, though, just to be extra safe!) 

[LucyStoner]

Seconding lots of sleep (no less than 7 hours a night, ideally more) and vitamin C and D.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

DH takes half a pack of emergen-c every morning and a whole pack if he’s around sick people. He never ever gets sick. Use that info however you like 😜

Edited November 29, 2022 by Ann.without.an.e

[EKS]

Vitamin D and zinc.  Stay hydrated.  Get enough rest.

[MEmama]

2 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

DH takes half a pack so emergen-c every morning and a whole pack if he’s around sick people. He never ever gets sick. Use that info however you like 😜

This is my go-to also if I've been exposed or feel something coming on. 

I usually take it before and after flying, too, as prevention.

[Acadie]

Xlear nasal spray (the one with xylitol and grapefruit seed extract) and Listerine or Colgate Total mouthwash a couple times a day. 

I saw a bit of data on those two mouthwashes in particular, not just in warding off illness but decreasing viral load and days sick. Can't seem to find it now but will post here if I do. 

[dsmith]

Vitamin C, zinc, gargling, neti pot, elderberry unless you have an autoimmune disease, get enough sleep, eat healthy in general.  Hopefully you'll avoid anything. I spent a few hours in the ER with our elderly neighbor, and they were overflowing with respiratory illnesses. We ended up in the hallway in the pediatric ER for an hour, and then in a room in the ER in one of the hallways off the main nursing station instead of one of the curtained areas. Between that and wearing good masks we didn't bring anything home. I couldn't even tell the ER was overflowing where we were. So many kids with RSV, though.

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, Acadie said:

Xlear nasal spray (the one with xylitol and grapefruit seed extract) and Listerine or Colgate Total mouthwash a couple times a day. 

I saw a bit of data on those two mouthwashes in particular, not just in warding off illness but decreasing viral load and days sick. Can't seem to find it now but will post here if I do. 

Thanks for the naming the exact mouthwashes.

[mommyoffive]

I was able to mask, but everyone there was so sick and the wait was so so so long.  Everyone there had to mask, but the really really sick people kept taking them off to cough and throw up. They had changed this location as I had never waited longer than 10 mins before when it was just an ER not an urgent care attached to the ER.  Anyhow long story short I had to go get something checked out that could have been very serious (thankfully false alarm) and this is the only way I could do it.  Which was so frustrating spending the day on the phone with insurance and doctors.

Thanks for all the ideas.  I am crossing everything that I don't get sick.  

[wathe]

I'm glad you could mask.  

For what it's worth, I've had sick people coughing on me for nearly three years now, and so far, so good.  (Mask plus glasses for the past year or so; I ditched the face-shield)

It's likely that your mask was enough.

[AmandaVT]

Ugh, that sounds most unpleasant! I love taking emergenc too this time of year and even though I keep hearing extra vitamin c doesn't do anything, I think it does. Maybe it's the placebo effect? I do a packet a day and extra vitamin D every day this time of year. That plus masking has kept me pretty healthy and I work in a middle school where currently about half of the kids are sick and coughing and no one masks except me. Fingers crossed you stay healthy!!