How We Handled My Grandma Catching COVID
The human brain seems to have a strange mechanism: it assumes extreme events won't happen to us. My grandma has lived in Hong Kong for years, so her chances of being infected were high — yet I had no plan at all, and when I learned she had tested positive, I panicked for a moment.
Besides starting to search for information, I also asked for help on WeChat Moments. Within minutes I received so many kind tips, offers of help, medicines rounded up for us, shared information and emotional support… Hundreds of messages in all helped me get past the panic and gradually learn the essentials of monitoring her and what to know about the medicines.
My friends' kindness gave me enormous comfort and support — thank you all once again.
To thank everyone, and to pass that kindness on, I've gathered and organised the information. It is all specific to my grandma's situation — she is 86 and has had high blood pressure for twenty years. It is not medical advice, just experience shared by friends. If you plan to use any of it, please be sure to consult a doctor and other professionals. Here it is:
- General
My grandma got infected when she went out for a flu shot, so the first priority is still to avoid infection and go out as little as possible.
Despise the enemy strategically, respect it tactically: monitor the elderly person's vital signs more closely than usual, but don't panic. Stay calm and give them a relaxed environment that eases anxiety and tension — a peaceful state of mind helps recovery.
Frail elderly people may not run a fever at all. Fever is the immune system responding — the body's own protective mechanism. When someone's health is extremely poor, even this alarm signal may be gone. That's why so many elderly people who passed away had very similar pictures: blood pressure not high, temperature normal, no fever.
Think carefully before going to hospital: hospital visits are exhausting and also increase the elderly person's exposure to the virus, so you don't have to go unless it's necessary.
Have a plan ready: if you do need to go to hospital, which one? Will you call an ambulance? How long will it take to arrive? Will they be seen right away? Do they have ventilators and ECMO?
- Medication
Paracetamol (compound acetaminophen): probably less likely to clash with blood pressure medication.
Ibuprofen-type drugs: may affect high blood pressure.
Be careful with Lianhua Qingwen: it has strong side effects; if you must take it, the elderly and children should halve the dose.
Be careful with cough medicine: some raise blood pressure or can trigger angina. Read the leaflet carefully, and be cautious with anything containing ephedrine-type ingredients.
If phlegm is thick and hard to cough up, consider Mucosolvan (ambroxol).
Doses for existing conditions may need adjusting: during a fever, if they drink and urinate a lot, blood pressure may drop, so blood pressure medication may need to be reduced appropriately to avoid harm or misdiagnosis from blood pressure that's too low.
Can the COVID drug Paxlovid be used?
A very important question — but honestly, I don't know.
What we know so far:
People over 60 can use it, but! There are many restrictions.
Special groups, especially patients with kidney damage, should be cautious.
It conflicts with many drugs for underlying conditions — for example, my grandma's cholesterol-lowering medication. But if fighting the virus is the priority, you can pause that medication and take Paxlovid. This needs to be done under a doctor's guidance; we have no hands-on experience. We've booked a doctor's consultation for tomorrow and I'll update afterwards.
I found a very good tool: a CHECKER for whether COVID medications conflict with other medications, so you can check for yourself before taking anything.
Website: https://www.covid19-druginteractions.org/checker
- Monitoring
Monitor temperature, pulse, blood oxygen and blood pressure, and assess overall condition — do not, do not, do NOT look at just one number.
Blood oxygen: a very important indicator. If it keeps falling to 93% or below, seek medical care.
Heart rate: without a fever, an elderly person's heart rate is around 80 beats per minute; for every 1 degree rise in temperature, the pulse rises by 10 beats per minute. If there's no fever and the heart rate is over 90 beats per minute, consider a little diuretic.
Blood pressure: monitor continuously and compare with normal readings.
Watch fluid intake and output — that is, how much they urinate versus how much they drink.
Here's a new, counter-intuitive piece of knowledge: elderly people should not drink very large amounts of water.
Drink moderately, and drink it warm — enough to work up a sweat is fine. If they drink too much and don't pass it in time, it adds to the burden on the heart, increases blood volume in the lungs and strains the lungs.
- Symptoms That Need a Trip to Hospital
Chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, angina
Increased pulse
Blood oxygen continuously falling to 93% or below
Breathing rate over 30 breaths per minute
Temperature still above 38.5°C after fever medication, for 2 days
Temperature below 35°C
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
Dizziness, unable to wake up or stay awake
Pale, grey or bluish skin, lips or nails
Weakness or unsteady on their feet
Seizures
Persistently unable to eat or drink, or diarrhoea or vomiting for more than 2 days
Clear worsening of existing underlying conditions
More information is attached below:
Tomorrow, December 25, is Christmas — and it happens to be my grandma's birthday too.
Happy birthday to my strong, optimistic, bright-hearted and clever-handed grandma.
Wishing you good health, safety and smooth days ahead. Love you.