Guidelines for post Covid-19 care

In response to the many inquiries from people infected with Covid-19, the Novel   Response and Coordination Center has issued guidelines and responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) in the hopes of alleviating common concerns.

MDT reviewed the document and compiled the most queried issues:

How long after a Covid-19 infection should someone seek a Covid-19 vaccination?

Natural infection may be considered a vaccination. In this sense, if someone is fully vaccinated before contracting the infection, or if that person was only one dose away from full vaccination, it is not necessary to receive the final dose.

If a person was not vaccinated or had only received one dose, that person can only receive a second dose 3 months after they have recovered from the infection (for mRNA vaccines) or 6 months from the infection period if receiving the inactivated virus vaccines.

Please note that antibodies produced through a natural infection have a short life and thus result in lower immunity in cases of infections with different variants of the virus.

Continuing to have a cough after recovering from an infection

Coughing is part of the recovery process. People should drink more water and increase the humidity in their environment to assist recovery and avoid constant coughing.

Loss of taste

Loss of taste and smell are common symptoms among those infected with Covid-19.

Generally, this situation may improve on its own after a period of between two weeks to a month, and is not a cause of concern.

If this symptom persists for over one month, it is recommended to see a physician.

Fatigue

During an infection period many experience symptoms such as high fever, muscle pain, fatigue, sweat, headaches, or sore throat, among others.

After recovery, some continue to suffer symptoms such as fatigue.  These symptoms usually improve within two weeks.

Exercise after recovery

As myocarditis (inflammation of the middle layer of the heart wall) is not uncommon among people infected with Covid-19, intense physical exercise in the initial phase of recovery is not recommended.

It is recommended to practice physical exercises with a moderate intensity and then gradually increase intensity.

If people feel exhausted after moderate exercise, they should stop immediately and assess their condition.

Allergies and other medical conditions

As the production of antibodies increases exponentially after the Covid-19 infection, the immune system will generally remain on “high alert” for some time.

For this reason, for up to two weeks or more a person may suffer allergic and other similar reactions. These symptoms are usually moderate and will improve on their own in a few days.

Consult a physician if allergic reactions persist.

Reinfection

People with normal immune systems have a very low risk of being reinfected with Covid-19 for a period of 3 to 6 months, but this  protection drops significantly when people are exposed to different variants of the virus.

The elderly and immunocompromised people are more likely to be reinfected after a short period.