COVID-19 is mildly contagious and many people are able to recover at their own homes. It can be difficult for families to spread the virus to other members of their household. These are some suggestions for what to do if you get sick or a loved one gets it.
If they have no or mild symptoms, people who are positive for COVID-19 can be taken care of at home as long as they aren’t at high risk for severe disease. For guidance, people at high risk for severe disease (e.g. those who are pregnant, elderly, or have a chronic condition or immunosuppression) should consult their healthcare provider.
Care for someone with COVID-19
Take care of your family member who is ill.
Limit the number of caregivers. Assign one person who is healthy and at low risk of serious illness from COVID-19, i.e. Fully vaccinated, less than 60 years of age, and without any chronic conditions.
Assist the person with a serious illness to comply with their doctor’s instructions. They should be able to rest, drink lots of fluids, and eat healthy food.
Keep an eye out for signs
If the person is seriously ill, seek immediate medical attention.
- Difficulty in breathing
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Mobility and speech loss
Age can play a role in some symptoms. If a baby refuses to breastfeed or is having a fever, you should immediately seek medical attention.
You and your family should be aware of any symptoms such as fever, body ache, muscle pain, congestion, runny nose or nausea, dizziness, dry cough, fatigue, or shortness of breath. Children may experience different symptoms. Children’s symptoms may include difficulty feeding, fast breathing, and lethargy. If you experience any of these symptoms, get tested.
Be careful
Even if your family is vaccinated, it is still important to take precautions. There is no vaccine that protects against infection 100%. It is possible to spread the virus from one person to another if you become infected.
These preventative measures can discuss with your children. It’s important for all of you to follow them closely to stop the spread.
Keep the person ill away from other people.
Use a mask: Everybody should use a well-fitting mask for medical purposes when they are in the same room as the person who is ill (who should also wear one).
Hand washing: Always wash your hands with soap, water, or an alcohol-based hand scrub.
Ventilation Make sure that shared spaces, such as the kitchen and bathroom, are ventilated. Keep windows and doors open to let in natural light.
Hygiene and cleaning: Dispose of all dishes, cups, utensils, and bedding for the sick. All of them should wash with hot water and soap.
You should identify surfaces that are often touched by the person with a chronic illness (such as tables, chairs, bed frames, door handles, and toys), and clean and disinfect them every day.
If the person is unable to clean the bathroom, they can use gloves to disinfect it.
You can wash dirty laundry from a sick person with other people’s clothes, but be careful:
- If possible, wash the laundry of the sick person with gloves
- Use soap or detergent to wash your items. Dry them completely. This will help you get rid of the virus.
- Use soap and water to wash your hands immediately afterward.
- Instead of using a laundry basket, you might consider storing your laundry in disposable bags.
To dispose of old tissues, masks, and other waste in a safe manner, use a separate bag.
Visitors shouldn’t allow to visit patients until they are fully recovering and have no symptoms or signs of COVID-19.
The national guidelines will dictate how long the sick person should isolated, and whether other members of the household should do the same. WHO recommends that sick people self-isolate for 10 to 15 days following the onset of symptoms and three days thereafter.