I am an HCP (Health Care Provider), Physiotherapist. I travel and treat patients with all the precautions that I can take to ensure the safety of my patients and myself too.

But at times you never know, what single action or mistake can make you contract the virus.

I happened to fall sick a day after my regular visit. It was just a severe cold and slight feverish feeling that gave me weakness. I usually have cold issues due to my past sinusitis history.

But during these times, taking a cold lightly isn't acceptable. I decided to get myself tested, home quarantined myself and informed my patients about my condition.

While I did this, I started home remedies and precautions just to be safe. By God's grace, my report came back negative, but I would like to share some tips on what you can do at home if you suspect you could be Covid positive.

Since it takes a couple of days for the reports to arrive, we could start this basic home care to stay safe till we get our test reports back.

1. Isolation: If it's a small house and this is not possible, just try to minimise your contact with other members of the family. Keep your personal belongings; towels to bedsheets, separate, even your utensils, so that it doesn't get mixed with the others'.

2. Medication: Take your paracetamol if your temperature is high or if you have a body ache. Be sure that the medicine you have is ONLY paracetamol. If your temperature is too high and you feel that paracetamol is not enough, then use wet patches. Take the regular tap water, dip a cloth in it and apply it on your forehead and underarms. Take a sponge if needed too. This will definitely get your temperature down. For cough, if present, your family doctor could prescribe something for you.

3. Multivitamins: Take your vitamin C and zinc supplements. You could ask your GP (Family doctor) to prescribe one of the vitamin C chewable tablets that has zinc in it too. One tablet a day would be enough or as your GP suggests.

4. Chest Physiotherapy: This will help you a lot, irrespective of you being positive or negative.

a) Spirometry: Buy yourself a spirometer. Inhale in the mouthpiece. When you do, the ball should rise up. Then exhale outside the mouthpiece with your lips making an O. Do this 10 times, twice a day. If you happen to get a headache while doing this, you should stop. It could be a sign of hyperventilation. You can start back later or do sets of 5, 4 times a day. b) Diaphragmatic breathing: Lie down. Place one hand on your chest and other on your abdomen. Take a deep breath. Your mouth should be closed. The hand on your abdomen should raise up when you inhale. If the hand on your chest goes up or both hands go up, it means that you are taking the support of your neck muscles to breathe, which is the wrong method. You have to use only your diaphragm. Then exhale with your lips making an O. The hand on your abdomen will go down as you exhale. Do this 5-10 times, 4 times a day.

5. Steam: This makes you feel much better. It helps in deep breathing and provides you with moist heat. Just see to it that you take deep breaths while you do your steam. Take it 3-4 times a day.

6. Hydration: This is very important. Load your body with fluids. Water, hot soups and turmeric milk. At times, milk may aggravate your cough, so you could ask your GP about it. But go ahead with warm water and homemade soups.

7. Rest: The last and another important factor, rest rest rest! You body is weak, irrespective of you being positive or negative, any sickness makes you feel weak. Good rest gives your body the strength it needs to fight whatever it's fighting against.

Hoping all of you are well. Times are very tough, so let's take care of ourselves and each other as much as we can. May we all get through this together soon!

PS: If in doubt regarding the chest exercises, just type Spirometry and Diaphragmatic breathing on YouTube. You will get an idea of what I've explained above.

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