A woman has advised ‘creating a drug diary’ and warned ‘hot showers will set you back a day’ after caring for her boyfriend as he battles coronavirus.
Rosie Beaumont-Thomas, from London, shared her advice for those who may become carers for loved-ones during the crisis on Twitter.
She revealed her boyfriend Kit had been ill for eight days and said the experience had been ‘pretty tough’ as he continued to fight the virus.
Listing the things she had learnt since the quarantine started, she told followers to ‘find a routine to manage a fever’, not to use decongestant Sudafed, and build a prescription inventory to keep track of drugs.
MailOnline has contacted Sudafed for comment.
Rosie Beaumont-Thomas, from London, shared her advice for helping loved-ones with coronavirus after caring for her boyfriend Kit for eight days
In a tweet which has since gone viral online with over 5,000 likes, she wrote: ‘I’ve been caring for my COVID-stricken boyfriend for 8 days, in quarantine. It’s been pretty tough, he still isn’t better.
‘So, I’ve listed some things I’ve learned, in case you / someone you know has a similar situation to mine (of course, I can’t speak for everyone!).’
She first advised doing a ‘meds inventory’, writing: ‘If you have a 3 day supply when symptoms start, start asking around for help to get more, it can take that long for your friends/neighbours to get them to you safely.
‘Supplement paracetamol with cough syrup/drops and sleep remedies. Keep it legal, kids.
Rosie revealed her boyfriend Kit had been battling against the virus for eight days and said he was continuing to fight against the disease
‘Even if your loved one is congested, DO NOT F******* USE SUDAFED! It will exacerbate fever, convulsions and insomnia, which Kit is still battling.’
She went on to advise followers to ‘create a drugs diary’, writing: ‘Keep a log of times and dates of every single time you give them meds, you WILL forget as time becomes warped, and it’ll help you plan your day around them.’
Rosie added that it was essential to ‘find a routine for managing the fever’, writing: ‘Regularly apply a light cloth (rather than a towel) soaked in ice water to the head, neck and chest.
‘It can take over an hour to bring down a fever, and may happen several times a night. Be patient.
‘Sounds obvious but refill the ice cube tray as soon as you use the ice, before you even apply the cloth.
‘If you don’t have an tray, freeze a water bottle and wrap the cloth around it.’
She added: ‘No hot showers or baths unless their temperature is regulated, it’ll set you back a day.’
Rosie went on to say followers should ‘stay positive’ in the face of the virus, saying: ‘This can be difficult, dig deep! The worst thing for us has been Kit’s insomnia, which has led to him experiencing delirium/desperation.
Rosie shared her advice in a now viral-Twitter thread earlier this week, with thousands of people liking the posts
‘Assure your loved one it’s temporary, because their mind might convince them otherwise – and the nights can be endless.’
Rosie continued that those caring for others should ‘prioritise their own sleep and exercise’, saying: ‘I initially felt guilt for sleeping when Kit couldn’t, but it meant I was in better shape to cook, clean, care, and “go to” work throughout the day.
‘Try and keep a sleep routine of your own. Take your daily walk, even for 5 minutes.’
She went on: ‘You need your own support network when you are being someone else’s.
‘Plus, people LOVE to help – you can pay forward the favour elsewhere when you’re out of quarantine, we’re all in this together.
Rosie added: ‘I don’t want to scare anyone but this virus doesn’t f*** around. Kit and I are The 1% in terms of our privilege in this scenario, and it’s still been really tough.
‘Take care, stay home, offer support where you can, and wash them filthy fingers.’