Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Lemon_Tea_In_Hand
Lemon_Tea_In_Hand
Courtney Claassen / Spoon
Wellness

Extra Precautions to Take During COVID-19

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wilfrid Laurier chapter.

With the warm weather fading, sweaters coming out of the closet and COVID-19 cases increasing, there has never been a more important time to double down on your health. Although it is important to stay stress and worry-free, despite the craziness that is happening in the world today, it is also essential to take extra precautions to ensure that you and those around you stay healthy. As an individual who contracted and recovered from COVID-19, here are a few tips and home remedies I found helpful in my recovery that may be useful to you as well.

1. Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is so essential, mainly because it helps to replace the nutrients you lack by not eating as much. Vitamin C is one of the greatest vitamins to replenish your immune system and can be easily found in liquids such as orange juice. Vitamin C is diverse in its ability to target various regions of the body, not only helping your immune system but also potentially protecting your heart, head and lungs.

It may seem obvious, but water is extremely important as well. As the water in our body leaves through bodily functions like breathing, sweating, digestion and urination, it is important to replenish our hydration flow. Drinking water allows us to help flush out impurities with our bodies.

Additionally, try some ginger! Ginger is known to help with digestion, protect against the flu and common cold and reduce nausea. When served hot with lemon, ginger helps to restore hydration, while also soothing sore throats. For best results, boil chopped ginger and hot water for 30 mins on high heat before adding lemon slices.

2. Work to Reduce Bacteria

It is so important to be mindful of bacteria that we can allow into our bodies. While people emphasize constantly washing and sanitizing your hands, I suggest taking it a step further. Gargling with salt water daily before brushing your teeth in the morning and before going to bed, will help to kill bacteria in your mouth. I’d also suggest replacing your toothbrush, as that can help to reduce the number of bacteria going into your system.

3. Soothe Your Throat and Sinuses

If you do end up contracting COVID-19, you’ll probably be looking for ways to get relief. I’d suggest eucalyptus, a herb that holds many important healing characteristics. Vicks is just one popular medication that uses the herb. Eucalyptus oil can also be added to steaming hot water that can be inhaled to help with decongestion. When warmed up with honey, eucalyptus can also be taken to soothe the throat, easing congestion and phlegm.

Along with adhering to social distancing measures and staying aware of the symptoms of the virus, here are things you can do to stop the spread of COVID-19. Stay hydrated, ensure you are well-rested and always remember to wash your hands!

 

References

What to eat, drink if you have COVID-19

11 Proven Health Benefits of Ginger

The Benefits of Vitamin C

 

 

Elizabeth Lewis

Wilfrid Laurier '22

Writer for HerCampus Wilfrid Laurier.
Chelsea Bradley

Wilfrid Laurier '21

Chelsea finished her undergrad with a double major in Biology and Psychology and a minor in Criminology. She loves dogs way too much and has an unhealthy obsession with notebooks and sushi. You can find her quoting memes and listening to throwbacks in her spare - okay basically all - her time. She joined Her Campus in the Fall of 2019 as an editor, acted as one of two senior editors for the Winter 2020 semester and worked alongside Rebecca as one of the Campus Correspondents for the 2020-2021 year!