Posted: 30 Dec 2020 03:21 PM PST

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Besides binge-watching your favorite shows, what else can be done to make your time with COVID-19 a bit more tolerable?

Well first, get plenty of rest and lots of fluids – but limit caffeinated beverages and abstain from alcohol. Aim for 64 ounces of fluids daily and even more if you have a fever.

Signs of dehydration include, not urinating as much, the color of urination, and dizziness.

Pouring gatorade

Sheila Long, a Triage Nurse at Monument Health, says, "You need fluid hydration and also electrolyte replacement, so you can do Pedialyte, Gatorade, those kind of things…especially if it's really hard to get food in when you lose your sense of taste, or you get the stomach upset that can go with the COVID virus. Then people have a really hard time eating so eat small meals, multiple times throughout the day."

Make sure to try and eat six small meals a day and use the BRAT dietary guidelines for an upset stomach. Protein shakes also help get in nutrients for those with no taste or appetite. Limit spicy and greasy food.

You can use over-the-counter medicines to help alleviate symptoms. Long says to watch cold medications as they usually contains Tylenol – read labels so you don't go over the recommend amount, which is over 3,200 milligrams in 24 hours. She says you can take Ibuprofen and Tylenol at the same time.

"So they can use Tylenol or ibuprofen for headaches and body aches. They can use cold medications for chest and cough congestion, runny nose, and stuffy nose," Long says.

Supplements and vitamins can help boost immune system, which may in turn help fight the virus, but there are no definite guidelines on that.

For chest congestion, try doing some deep breathing exercises throughout the day; even get outside for a quick walk if you can.

"So, listening to their body, trying to balance some activity with rest – but if your body is tired (you know you body is fighting a virus), you need to allow it to rest and fight that virus. It is good to be up, moving around some, whether that is walking in your house – if you can get outside if its a nice day outside and the sun can help you just to feel more normal – back to a normal life, so that can help," says Long.

Also a humidifier or taking a hot shower can help break up congestion. Try and stay virtually connected with friends an family to help ward off mental health issues.

Monument Health has approximately 100 patients enrolled in the COVID care companion program. Nurses typically talk to 30 patients per day, but each patient is individually monitored by a nurse each day.

Click here for CDC guidelines on at home COVID-19 care.

Ta-ta, Trevor | Sports Beat | qchron.com - Queens Chronicle

Posted: 31 Dec 2020 07:30 AM PST

Much to the chagrin of most of their fans, the New York Jets picked the worst possible time to become the National Football League's hottest team. Last Sunday's 23-16 win over the Cleveland Browns (who were missing most of their receivers because of Covid-19 protocols), coming a week after Gang Green upset the Los Angeles Rams 23-20, means the Jets will not have the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. That dubious honor will go to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who, much to the consternation of Jets fans, have refused not to lose this season.

In most years there are a number of college players who could be the top choice in the NFL Draft but that won't be the case for 2021, when Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is being spoken about with the same "can't miss" tag that both Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck had when they were finishing their college careers.

It's hard to blame Jets fans for feeling somewhat bitter based on what they have seen from their current quarterback, Sam Darnold. Granted, Darnold has had little talent around him in terms of both blocking and receiving, but he has shown little to give anyone hope he will be an elite QB in the NFL.

The Jets' second win of the 2020 season means their 1996 squad, which finished 1-15, remains the all-time worst in Gang Green history. Head coach Adam Gase, who will probably be dismissed shortly after Sunday's game, can at least take solace that Rich Kotite will remain the gold standard for bad Jets head coaches.

The Jets' two wins remove a tantalizing subplot for this Sunday's Jets-Patriots game in Foxboro, Mass. This is the first time in a dozen years the Pats won't be going to the NFL playoffs. There was some speculation Pats head coach Bill Belichick might emulate the storyline of "The Producers" and let the Jets win the game if it meant keeping Lawrence from becoming a part of the AFC East for years to come. Frankly, you couldn't blame Belichick for wanting to place long-term strategy ahead of winning a meaningless year-end game. Now that he doesn't have that hanging over his head, expect Belichick to go all out to win this game just to remind the Jets he still owns them.

Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, 81, died from cancer on Sunday. Niekro was the greatest knuckleball thrower ever. Just as important, he was very affable.

I spoke with him when he was pitching for the Atlanta Braves in 1983. He laughed when I told him I used to throw knuckleballs in stickball games. He took the time to work with me on my grip in case I ever had to pitch in a schoolyard again.

See the extended version of Sports Beat every week at qchron.com.

Life and style

Everyone can't wait for 2020 to end and the various television networks expect record ratings even though the public will not be allowed into Times Square this year. Ozone Park native and 1980s hit-maker Cyndi Lauper will be performing on ABC's "New Year's Rocking Eve with Ryan Seacrest." Also understandably getting a starring role will be Gloria Gaynor who is best remembered for the best-selling hit of 1979, the iconic "I Will Survive."

For those who want an early jump on the ball drop or are fearful they may fall asleep before midnight strikes, a real estate management firm, Jamestown, is sponsoring a virtual New Year's Eve in Times Square experience (vnye.com) on the internet.

The pandemic has made television more important than ever. Broadcast television networks have lost luster over the years to both cable rivals and streaming services but they still have the biggest audience reach. Two broadcast network shows that have promise are Fox's "Call Me Kat" and NBC's "Mr. Mayor."

"Call Me Kat" stars Mayim Bialik as a 39-year-old single woman who has given up a career in academia to open a cat café in her hometown of Louisville, Ky. The influence of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" is evident with Bialik and her ensemble, which includes Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson and perennial scene stealer Leslie Jordan. It debuts Sunday on Fox.

Ted Danson returns to television as a New York native who is now the mayor of Los Angeles in "Mr. Mayor." Co-starring with Danson are acclaimed actress Holly Hunter and former "Saturday Night Live" player Bobby Moynihan. "Mr. Mayor" airs next Thursday on NBC as well as the following day on the Peacock streaming service.

I was saddened to learn of the death of guitarist Leslie Weinstein, better known professionally as Leslie West. West is best known for his work in the rock band Mountain, which had a huge hit in 1970 with "Mississippi Queen." Like Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Burt Bacharach and most of the Ramones, West was an alumnus of Forest Hills High School.

A common New Year's resolution is to eat healthier. One way to do just that is to use extra virgin olive oil as a replacement for butter and most dressings. A good option is Chef Pano Greek Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (chefpano.com).

Chef Pano is real chef and Atlanta restaurateur Pano Karatassos. Another specialty of his is Greek Wild Thyme Honey, which is helpful if you are battling winter sore throats and chest congestion.

Early Signs You Have COVID, According to the CDC | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Posted: 26 Dec 2020 03:35 AM PST

With the coronavirus killing our loved ones—or leading to long-term suffering for others—it's essential you know the early signs so you can save yourself and stop the spread. They're a bit tricky to identify. "In all my experience," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, has observed, "I have never seen a disease range from asymptomatic to mild to fatal like this one." However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified the most common symptoms you need to know—read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus.

The most common of symptoms, coronavirus fevers can vary in temperature from low-grade—99.5 to 100.3—to high. And, like a fatigue, a coronavirus fever is usually paired with other symptoms. When should you be concerned? "Take your temperature and if it's 100.4˚F, you should monitor and if persistent, call your doctor to check in," explains William W. Li, MD, physician, scientist and author of Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself. Note: not everyone with COVID-19 develops a fever.

A COVID cough is often described as dry, and it can range from mild to brutal. One British Member of Parliament, Yasmin Qureshi, described her recent bout: "The coughing would not stop. I used an oximeter and it showed that my oxygen levels went down to 89/90," she told the Guardian. "It was hurting the base of my stomach, my chest. I could feel a physical pain inside. My oxygen levels then dipped to 85/86. But it was the coughing that really began to hurt. At times, the pain felt unbearable. I coughed so much that I threw up," she said.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can impact all your body's systems—your lungs, naturally, included. Some patients get out of breath walking to the fridge or climbing one flight of stairs. Other patients have been left with permanent lung scarring. "The shortness of breath came and has never left," formerly fit 27-year-old Amy Fabrizius told CBS News Chicago.

This isn't "feeling sleepy," although you may feel tired when fighting a virus. No, patients instead describe a profound fatigue, as if their body is willing itself to shut down. Layth Hishmeh, a 26-year-old, told the Financial Times: "I couldn't sit up for about one month, and then I couldn't get myself to the bathroom for another month," he said. "I'm not doing so well on the mental front at the moment, it's traumatizing."

Here's a good word to learn during the pandemic: myalgia. "Myalgia describes muscle aches and pain, which can involve ligaments, tendons and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones and organs," reports Johns Hopkins. Dr. Fauci has said this myalgia can last in some COVID patients long after the virus has left the body.

"My friend described the headaches like a hammer inside his head that was trying to chip its way out," wrote Broadway actor Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!), who got COVID early in the pandemic. "That's an understatement."

This one, even Fauci had to say, is pretty distinctive, noting during the AAP's National Conference & Exhibition "the peculiar loss of smell and taste that precedes the onset of respiratory symptoms."

A sore throat could just be allergies or a cold—or COVID-19. The World Health Organization reported early on in the pandemic that a sore throat was apparent in only 13.9% of the patients studied, less than those with shortness of breath but more than those with nausea or conjunctival congestion.

Like a sore throat, congestion or a runny nose could be allergies or a cold—or it could be coronavirus—and like the sore throat, the WHO found, early in the pandemic, that it was relatively uncommon, with 4.8% reporting nasal congestion (that's opposed to, say, 87.9% reporting a fever).

You may remember Tom Hanks saying his wife Rita Wilson experienced nausea when they caught COVID early on. "Rita went through a tougher time than I did," Hanks said. "She had a much higher fever and she had some other symptoms. She lost her sense of taste and smell. She got absolutely no joy from food for a better part of three weeks … She was so nauseous she had to crawl on the floor from the bed to the facilities."

Thought by one study to be most commonly the final symptom of COVID-19, diarrhea can also be an initial sign—and sometimes, one of the only signs, appearing before even any respiratory issues.

"Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus," says the CDC, adding, "this list does not include all possible symptoms…If you have a fever, cough or other symptoms, you might have COVID-19. Most people have mild illness and are able to recover at home. If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider." And if you have an emergency—for example, you can't breathe—then seek emergency care immediately. And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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Tips for the road to recovery at home with COVID - KNBN NewsCenter1 - Newscenter1.tv

Tips for the road to recovery at home with COVID - KNBN NewsCenter1 - Newscenter1.tv

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