Aberdeen pharmacist’s essential picks for easing Covid symptoms

By Ana Da Silva

July 19 2022, 6:00 am

We asked an Aberdeen pharmacist for his top medicine cabinet picks to help ease Covid symptoms.

With Covid cases rising in Scotland again, we’ve asked a north-east pharmacist for the medicine cupboard essentials you should have on hand.

As many as one in 16 Scots had Covid last week, according to the Office for National Statistics.

And with new subvariants like BA.4 and BA.5, and restrictions eased across the country, it’s not surprising to hear many are once again contracting the virus.

But thanks to the vaccine and the booster, the majority of people’s symptoms should be mild.

We spoke to Cameron Bell, a pharmacist at Braehead Pharmacy in Bridge of Don, for his top picks to ease your illness if you catch Covid.

What medicines should I buy to help my Covid symptoms?

He says, as long as you’re a fairly healthy adult without any underlying conditions that could make Covid worse, to treat it like a cold or the flu.

“Make sure you’ve got oral rehydration sachets,” he added.

“They’re always good if you’ve got diarrhoea.

“And paracetamol to reduce your temperature and ibuprofen for any muscle aches or pains as long as you can take it.”

Because Covid-19’s main symptom has notoriously been a cough, Mr Bell advises picking up the appropriate cough mixture to help ease it.

He added: “Depending on the type of cough, there are ones for a dry or chesty cough.

“You could consult your pharmacist for an appropriate one in conjunction with your medicine.”

While these are great guidelines to follow, always consult your pharmacist or GP on what medication you should be able to take.

Lozenges or throat sprays also help alleviate sore throats, which have become synonymous with the Omicron variant.

What Covid symptoms should I be keeping an eye out for?

Traditionally, the typical symptoms of Covid were a loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath and a persistent cough.

But the nationwide Zoe symptoms study has found people who’ve had at least two vaccinations are now being affected by the coronavirus in different ways.

The most-reported symptoms are now more similar to the common cold: