It’s estimated that several thousand Kiwis are now suffering from Long Covid. Some are relatively new to the illness, whilst others began their journey in the very early days of the pandemic. Here, members of the Support Group share their tips and thoughts for getting through a Covid infection – and some suggestions for what you might like to have on hand at home if possible.

This list has been crowd sourced from the NZ Long Covid support group. Please don’t feel that you need to buy everything on here, you may be able to share things with your community if needed (and can be safely cleaned)

It is not intended to nor should be used to substitute medical advice. It is designed to help you prepare for the possibility of home management for Covid-19

PLEASE SEEK URGENT MEDICAL CARE IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR BREATHING OR OTHER SYMPTOMS.

Call 111 or Healthline on 0800 611 116. Or call your GP.

First up, a few tips:

• Above all else – REST is crucial. You must rest.
• You will likely lose your appetite, but must eat nutrient rich foods. Avoid sugar where possible (inflammatory). Avoid alcohol & caffeine.
• If someone is feeding you and delivering food, ensure that they leave at door and then go away before you collect. Keep all food containers in rubbish bags until send of self isolation, then deposit safely (gloves, handled by one member of family).
• Panadol can be purchased via doctor prescription at a lower cost than pharmacy or supermarkets
• Keep a journal of symptoms experienced each day until completely recovered (this could go for a while – suggest digital if you can)
• Make a list of household instructions if you’re usually in charge of keeping the house running – feeding pets, paying bills, how to use things, etc
• Write down your medical background and any medications you usually take – make sure this can be found easily.
• Keep a top up of items you regularly use at home in one place so you can easily make a kit and get isolated
• Check your doctor can do phone / video consults. If not, find one that can.
• Get a medical certificate from the GP to ensure you get your work and payment / benefits covered as required

Want more? Tips on how to self isolate from the NZ government

Things to consider having on hand:

Items for… Safety

• Masks
• Gloves
• Hand sanitiser
• Charged phone
• Phone plan
• Disinfectant
• Clean drinking water
• Child care plan
• Ventilation & warmth
• Support person
• Rubbish bags
• Cleaning products
• Compression socks

Items for… Cough/Throat/Sinuses

• Tissues
• Kawakawa or other balm
• Iceblocks
• Vicks for steaming
• Bowl & towel for head steaming
• Or Vaporiser
• Oximeter
• Spare batteries for gadgets
• Throat spray
• Throat probiotics
• Throat lozenges
• Saline nasal rinse
• Saline nasal spray

Items for… Fever

• Panadol
• Nurofen
• Electrolytes
• Thermometer
• Cool packs
• Warm clothes

Items for Aches…

• Extra pillows
• Heat packs
• Sinus relief
• Extra blankets

Items for Self-Care

• Easy to heat meals (soups)
• Emergency contact list
• House plan for self isolation
• Sleep drops
• Bone Broth
• High grade Vitamin C
• Peppermint or Ginger Tea
• Vitamin D
• Zinc (take with food)
• Straws or balloons for lung exercises, please consult your GP first
• Box breathing only with GP advice
• Breathing and meditation apps
• Food deliveries – https://shop.sva.org.nz
• Magnesium
• Epsom Bath salts (if you have a bath)

Items for… Boredom

• Netflix
• Puzzles
• Books
• Notebook/pen
• Cards
• Podcasts
• Soothing music
• Video calls

Resources:

NZ Covid Impacted Persons (for Long Covid patients only) – https://www.facebook.com/groups/nzcovidsupport

NZ Long Covid (for those looking for resources) https://www.facebook.com/groups/nzlongcovid