Sick and tired of the Corona virus

Dear Bloggers,

I have been away for a while again as most of my family members are still suffering from the Corona virus that has struck the planet. Well I had the feeling that we were the lucky ones that we only got the mild symptoms. On the evening of the 12^th of March Ifound my wife in bed being feverish 38,4 degrees Celcius (approx 101 degrees Fahrenheit) She had this for 2 days and some pressure on her chest. We are not that quickly surprised as she lives with Asthma for more than 20 years. The second night she had respiratory problems and her lips turned blue for a little while when I phoned to the doctors office her breath stabilized. After these two days she was still a bit short of breath and quickly tired. I called my boss and the medical advisors of the country and they told me to stay home and self isolate with our family.

The house is alway stocked up for a four weeks survival as we do only do shopping for fresh things like vegetables and fruits. Meat and Bread we have standard in the freezer. No need to panic as toilet rolls are always on stock as well. Next victims were our oldest daughter (who works in Kruidvat a health,beauty and Pharmacy shop) and me. Practicly the same things but with a sore throat and a dry cough and tremendous headache. Our youngest daughter only had a cough for a few days and was feeling a bit weak.The advises of the government were a bit shady as one office said 24 hours after the fever you could go back to work as the other office said to stay at home for 2 weeks after the fever????? My Boss (I work as a driver on commuter busses) ordered to stay at home for the 2 weeks and so I did.I went to work again and I actually felt fine although after work I was totally wasted.

And I kept going with this dry cough. After the second week I came home being short of breath and had the cold sivers. I measured 34 degrees Celcius (93,2 Fahrenheit) and called the doctor again. My daughter stayed feverish with high and low temperatures. The doctor came to our house fully covered up due to Covid-19 and checked me out. I have no fever anymore and a mild pneumonia in my left lung. My daughter is admitted to the Hospital to check on other causes than the Corona virus. Still there is no testing on Coronavirus.

Now in the weekend on the 17^th of April my wife is having a massive asthma attack and gasps for help as she turns blue in the face the paramedics arrive and rush her of to the hospital. With hardly any chance to say goodbye to her. There is no way to visit or join a patient who is a suspected case of Covid-19. Late in the evening the Hospital calls that she is pretty much stabilized and I can come and collect her. As I am coughing I am not allowed inside and the nurse is bringing her in a wheelchair to our car.

Well let me explain a bit of this silly symptom called a dry cough it is a bit like the heavy smokers among us will recognise. That hurling sound that you make and goes away with first smoke. This is all explained by a medical doctor as this one of the symptoms of Covid-19.

A dry cough is a cough where no phlegm or mucus is produced (known as non-productive). A dry cough is irritating and usually associated with a tickly throat. Dry coughs are often caused by viral illnesses such as colds and flu, but they can also be caused by allergies or throat irritants.
Specific treatment for a dry cough will depend on the cause of the cough.
How long does a cough normally last?
Coughs associated with a cold or the flu tend to last a week or 2, most clearing up within about 3 weeks. A post-viral cough may persist for several (up to about 8) weeks after a viral illness, while some coughs persist for longer and are usually a sign of an underlying problem.
In adults and children, a cough is described as acute (short term) if you have been coughing for up to 2 weeks. In adults, a cough that lasts for more than 8 weeks is described as a chronic (ongoing) persistent cough. In children, a cough that lasts 2 to 4 weeks is called a prolonged acute cough. A cough that lasts more than 4 weeks is considered to be a chronic cough.

Causes of dry cough

A dry cough is often the result of:

• a viral illness, such as a cold or influenza (the flu), or Covid-19 the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 – the novel coronavirus; or
• a post-viral, or post-infective, cough (cough that persists for weeks after a viral illness).
  

However, a dry cough may be a result of other problems, such as:

• Asthma
• smoking;
• Hay fever due to inhaling substances you are allergic to, such as pollen, dust or pet dander;
• certain types of lung disease known as interstitial lung disease; or
• a side effect from a medicine (for example, cough is a possible side effect of most ACE inhibitors – often prescribed for high blood pressure).
  

Other, less common, causes of a dry cough include like heart failure and lung cancer
A dry cough can be aggravated by:

• breathing cold, dry air;
• air pollution;
• inhaled irritants such as dust or smoke;
• exposure to tobacco smoke;
• excessive use of your voice; or
• a change in temperature.
  

Complications

Can I hurt myself coughing?

When a cough is severe, pulled chest muscles and even fractured ribs are a possible complication.

Diagnosis and tests

Your doctor will ask about your cough and any other symptoms you may have, and perform a physical examination. Depending on your age, history and examination, your doctor may order tests such as:

• a chest X-ray;
• a throat swab (sample of secretions from the back of your throat which can be tested for infections);

Dry coughs are often related to a viral illness and in most cases special tests are not needed.

When should you seek medical advice about a dry cough?

You should you seek medical advice if:

• you start to cough up blood or copious amounts of mucus (phlegm);
• you are short of breath or wheezy;
• the cough is mainly at night;
• you have associated chest pain;
• you have a fever;
• you are a cigarette smoker;
• you have a hoarse voice;
• the cough is associated with vomiting or a choking sensation;
• you have other symptoms such as an ongoing headache, sore ears or a rash;
• you have recently lost weight or have general muscle aches;
• the cough is in an infant aged 6 months or younger;
• the cough has lasted longer than 10 days, with little or no improvement; or
• you have high blood pressure, a heart complaint, respiratory illness (such as asthma), gastrointestinal problems or are taking other medicines.
  

Treatments for dry cough

Dry coughs that are caused by a viral infection such as a cold usually get better on their own within a week or two. Self-help measures can help make you feel better in the meantime, and cough medicines may provide some short-term relief to adults with a dry cough.
Other treatments for dry cough will depend on the cause.

Self-help for dry cough

There are some simple things you can do to provide relief from a dry cough.
Honey can help treat a dry cough by coating and soothing the back of the throat (pharynx), and relieving the irritation that triggers a dry cough. Try drinking warm water containing honey and lemon, or taking one to 2 teaspoons of honey 30 minutes before bedtime. Note that honey should not be given to children younger than 12 months of age due to the risk of infant botulism (a rare bacterial infection).
Drinking plenty of liquids can help, and warm broths or teas may help soothe your throat.
Gargling salt water (in older children and adults) may also help with a dry cough associated with a cold and sore throat.

Dry cough can be a side effect of some medicines such as ACE inhibitors and beta blockers (used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems). Your doctor may recommend stopping any medicines that could be causing your cough and replacing them with other suitable medicines for your particular condition. Talk to your doctor about alternative medicines if you are having this problem.
Repeated coughing from any cause can irritate and inflame the larynx (voice box) and upper airways. So the coughing itself makes your airways more sensitive, leading to more coughing. Strategies that can help you reduce the urge to cough and help stop this type of self-perpetuating cough include:

• taking a sip of water with a hard swallow when you feel like coughing or clearing your throat; and
• avoiding any triggers that you know tend to aggravate your cough, such as overuse of your voice, cigarette smoke, or excessively cold, dry air such as from air conditioning.
  
  
  
  
  

Still I think that I have only mild symptoms and they are though and yes the ones that are

Hospitalised are in a severe condition being on oxygen is scary. The ones that are ending up on ventilators are the ones to pray for as many of them will not make it back to their loved ones and that is the worst thing in live that can happen to you. Stay as much as you possibly can away from other people. When it hits you it might destroy you and everyone you love. This virus will get the biggest guys one there knees it even kills very healthy people.

Stay safe and stay healthy.

The Old Sailor,

The Pneumonia

Dear Bloggers,

Everyone's been sick from time to time, and by definition, it's never fun. No matter what you enjoy doing, illness invariably dampens -- or in many cases entirely eliminates -- the potential for good times. Of course, not all illnesses are created equal; some will interrupt your life a lot more than others, which is why I'm here today to tell you about my wife who had a recent bout of influenza that turned into full-blown pneumonia.

You Can Die From This. Yes, You Can.
Let's get the scary and dramatic part out of the way first. Anyone who gets pneumonia and either a) doesn't recognize what they have or b) chooses not to have it treated, can die. If you think that pneumonia can only kill the very young and very old, you're mostly right. However, if you don't seek treatment and follow your doctor's orders, you can be one of the people who have the prime of their life cut short unnecessarily. While medical science has come a long way, and conditions like pneumonia are very treatable in most cases, you need to take it seriously.

You Can't Fight What You Don't Know You Have
This is her second bout of pneumonia; the last one was about ten years ago, in April 2002. The first time she got it, I thought it was strange that the cold she had was seemingly getting worse and worse. She couldn't seem to shake it. She was also very fatigued, and would start running out of breath easily. Than I thought it is probably her asthma that is troubling her. Now I know better. The final straw that caused her to go into the doctor's office was a strange sound when she would take a deep breath. It sounded as if there was tissue paper in her chest that was crinkling, especially at the end of an exhalation. It also hurt quite a bit when she needed to cough. She did not, by the way, have a high fever that time, nor was she coughing up stuff. But the breathing sounds and the pains were pretty disturbing.

Diagnosing and Treating Pneumonia
The medical people are pretty good at diagnosing pneumonia these days. First they check your usual vital signs. Then they use a stethoscope and listen to your chest while you breathe.First of all they will give you a treatment with some antibiotics and you should be back on your feet in a week. If not you should go and see  the doctor again. If it seems to be a bacterial pneumonia which is likely, they give you a chest x-ray. Pneumonia is easy to see; there will be an area of the x-ray of your lungs that shows the infection.

In this case, She'd acquired influenza type a (aka, the flu) probably from a co worker a few days earlier. (Most likely scenario.) When you get the flu, one of the problems (in addition to the miserable fever and aching body) is that your immune system goes to hell, leaving you susceptible to other problems. This time, Lucky her, she was familiar with the sensation of pneumonia, so I called the Doctor for some advise as she was colouring blue in the face and her hands were pale, and begrudgingly we went to our local on duty MD on Monday evening. Everything seemed pretty good until they checked her O2 level, which was at 99%. That's strange and a lot better than I expected to see. The Doc laughed a bit and had his doubts about the pneumonia. But the bigger sign was when she started coughing... and dropped nearly to the ground in pain. So we were send of to the Hospital to get an x-ray to be made and to take some blood samples.
Despite the fact that her influenza was viral-based, the pneumonia is a separate disease that's a bacterial infection, and has to be treated with strong antibiotics. The first line of attack was an cure of humangous tablets Claritromycin. Side note: these tablets are so hard to swallow if you hardly can breath and they taste awful so it made her throwing up.... at first. Later on, it may feel like someone kicked you in the mouth while wearing steel-toed boots, though. The antibiotic parade kept marching; The Doctor was concerned about the pneumonia enough to treat it more aggressively, which is why he prescribed two different antibiotics after that. I have been taking both Prednisolon and Ciprofloxacin, and just a few days later, this onslaught of bug killers seem to be working well.

The Cure Hurts Too
While she appreciates the need to go in and clean house, so to speak, in her lungs, the problem with antibiotics (especially multiple strong ones as she is on) is that they tend not to discriminate in terms of which bacteria they kill. It's like going after a terrorist cell by setting off an atomic bomb; there's going to be some collateral damage. The downside of these antibiotics that it is also draining your condition level you feel like an old woman that has ran a half marathon without any form of practise. Out of breath and feeling like been ran over by a bus. Inside her lungs it probably looks like the aftermath of the bombardment on the city of Rotterdam during the Second World War. Or when the tropical storm Katrina left a trail of dubree. Everything that survived this big blow is standing but is it still strong enough for a second blow. So, all of the "good bacteria" that lives in your gut will also be eliminated, and you'll likely find that your ability to digest food is immediately gone.

It's Probably Going To Be Okay
The fact is that if you're older than 6 and younger than 65, you will probably be just fine after getting your pneumonia treated. One of the most difficult aspects of it for me has been keeping my optimism level high. Pneumonia tends to sap all of your energy, and it's easy to forget that things look a lot brighter when you have your health. In the practical matter it means that I have to fix all the work in the house, now my wife is ill not very good when you need to do a full time job and having trouble to divide my own power. You just need to trust the idea that as she defeats the bacteria in her lungs, her energy and attitude will eventually come around as well. And no I'm not the most patient person in the world, so this part is particularly difficult for me. However, I have too damn many things I want to do yet... more music, more films, more web sites, more family activities, more travel, more new experiences, more good times with friends, and more fun... that I know this mopiness is just a temporary side effect that will, soon enough, be gone. But at this moment we are like an old and sick couple that is tired and wants to sleep all day.

I'm looking forward to time she is getting better and I am getting back to my usual silly self. And I will.

The Old Sailor,