As we are all different, catching covid will probably affect us differently
For my age, I thought that I was fairly robust person, so not really concerned, about catching covid
Both the wife and I, caught covid while travelling in the Tamworth NSW area, in January 2023
Had to take the wife to the Tamworth hospital, as she had low oxygen and high blood pressure She received the COVID-19 Oral Antiviral tablets, and was OK and negative RAT test in 10 days
When the wife had a positive RAT test, I was still negative, but had what I thought was the flu I now think that it may have covid, and a false negative RAT test
A few days later I had a positive RAT test, so got the (different brand to wife), COVID-19 Oral Antiviral tablets, by ringing my West Australian doctor, who sent an escript to Tamworth
It took me another 12 days before I had a negative RAT test
It was not very pleasant for me, as I had what I would describe as brain fog
My attention span became very short, and I was unable to enjoy, reading a book, or watching a movie, etc
I was continually feeling tired for about four weeks, and six weeks later, I am OK, but still have a slight cough
For me, I think that I would have been much better off, if I had never caught Covid,
From now on, I will always wear a mask, when in crowded places
Upping/supporting your immune system with Vit C, Zinc, D3 and Quercetin will help out when travelling. When travelling, it's a smart thing to do whether you're jabbed or non jabbed.
I shrugged off vitamins all my life as silly and of no use until a few years ago. I feel pretty stupid now having had that brain freeze, not afraid to admit that. Live and learn.
Plenty of people take vitamins when travelling to help reduce sickness. Not to stop getting sick, that's impossible, to stop getting really sick is the key to understanding why taking immune boosting vitamins are the way to go. This realization, or education on this to be more accurate, really switched my thoughts on the role of simple and readily available vitamins.
RNA viruses ie. all coronaviruses (RNAdependent RNApolymerase) first need to get in your body, by itself it's pretty harmless as a single virus cell or whatever in you, until it replicates over and over and over until critical mass is reached ie. enough replication reached to make the body sick. You'll know this as a incubation time or other description.
The immune boosting vitamins will help you get rid of the virus much quicker by limiting the virus replicating to a point the body can't cope ie. start getting really sick. Again, not stop you catching a virus, that's incorrect thinking how it all works, but to be super ready for it and your body will be strong enough to reduce the replication rate and rid it out of the system much quicker.
RNAdependent RNApolymerase replicating viruses are the ones these vitamins are best at reducing the replication rate/amounts as Zinc is a RNA replicating killer, it just needs to be able to get into the virus to stop it early. By itself, Zinc cannot get through the 'protective shell' of a coronavirus, it just bounces off the virus protective shell. Quercetin luckily does break down the virus wall/barrier so Zinc can just waltz right in and do its work, killing it and stopping/reducing replication rates.
The immune boosting vitamins above will not stop you catching covid-19, or any of the 7 or so coronavirus that we Humans can get, just like a mask will not stop any coronavirus at all. Masks are proven to be ineffective for any of the seven different human type coronavirus's, including your nemesis, Covid-19.
The virus is simply much much smaller ( clumps of 30+ Covid-19 viruses all on top of each other having a covid party can easily go through the fabric of almost all masks you can buy off the shelf. It simply, and literally, goes right through masks material let alone the huge finger size gaps around a mask where most people ill fit them to the face. You'd need to tape the mask sides to your face to stop that galaxy sized hole compared to a virus size, which is about 50-80nm in size. I'd be taping the sides if wearing one for the reason of 'stopping something getting past it' otherwise it's useless.
I get it people feel safer with masks on, and more power to them. They are however duping themselves into a false sense of security, which could be fatal if they catch it anyways and are immune compromised by whatever disease or condition they may have. If you have to wear a mask to shop or be in a Hospital or whatever, then slap one on, no biggie. Harms no one.
Glad you and your Wife got over it pretty well. You'll probably get it again, sorry but it's reality now. We all will likely get it again, many times. Just remember stopping it replicating to the point that the body gets really sick is the key to you guys smashing it out of the part next time. Vit C, Zinc, D3 and Quercetin are you friends, all natural and taken together can radically help stop RNA viruses replicating to the point of getting really sick. Coronaviruses are all RNA replicating.
I've been taking the above vitamins for about 2.5 years now. Only got the covids once, Omicron - was 100% better in 2 days after feeling a bit weak and a cough, but third morning I was back to feeling mint and roaring to go. Never had a cold go past a tickling throat in that time taking immune boosting vits (except for cov-19 Omicron, that was the big daddy of them contagion wise I think).
Anyway, food for though if you have time or the inclination to add something else to your travelling setup. The way I see it all now is if I can either stop the virus replicating to a point of getting really ill, great. Seems to be working very well for me, never really been healthier in my life the past 2.5 years. If it stops a virus replicating to a point that makes hospitals drugs work quicker, great, even fantastic. No downsides for me.
Good luck on your travels. Sorry for the maybe boring bits in my post or my thoughts/experience using vitamins, you may disagree on everything too, that's fine, the world will go on :)
Luckily for me, I am one of those people who (up to date), have never had the need for pills or potions, but I will keep your info in mind, for the future
I always use bottled water when travelling, (tap water at home), up to date I have never had any medical problems when travelling
Apart from my recent Covid setback, which sort of ruined my holiday