How do you take care of someone with coronavirus at home? Here’s some expert advice
At least 80% of people who get infected with the novel coronavirus have mild or no symptoms and recover at home, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, caring for those dependent upon you doesn’t stop if you have mild COVID-19.
Household members, such as seniors, children and pets, continue to rely on the responsible adults in their lives.
This is also true for loved ones, including the elderly and those at high risk, who live nearby and are housebound for their safety. They may be counting on you to deliver groceries or supplies.
Mild COVID-19 symptoms include fever below 101 degrees, mild cough and congestion, which may overlap with other viral illnesses, such as influenza. Some people with COVID-19 also have vomiting and diarrhea.
If you have a mild illness suggestive of COVID-19, the CDC recommends taking care of yourself as you would with any other respiratory viral infection. That is, rest, treat the symptoms, maintain good hydration and closely monitor for worsening symptoms, such as high fever or difficulty breathing.
If your illness does worsen, seek medical care. However, public health officials have asked that people notify the 911 dispatcher, their doctor or emergency room before arriving, to help them protect others while caring for you.
Sick or well, it’s essential to maintain “every day” infection control procedures with cough hygiene, good hand washing and diligent household cleaning, especially high-touch surfaces.
In California, and most other states, everyone is under a directive to stay home — this cannot be stressed enough if you are ill.
If you are well, venturing out to get essentials is permissible. If you haven’t already, get prepared by gathering supplies that might be needed in case a household member gets sick.
Here are some suggested items to have on hand:
- Over-the-counter medications for fever control (such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen) and relief for congestion or mild cough. Honey with lemon is a useful cough remedy for most people older than 12 months.
- Have at least an extra, two-week supply of prescription medications
- Create a list of all household members’ primary care providers and have it easily accessible
- Soap, household cleaning supplies, and alcohol-based (at least 60%) hand sanitizer, as a backup for when soap and water aren’t available
- Small quantities of disposable gloves and surgical masks. If masks are not available, the CDC recommends crafting home-made masks from bandannas or scarves. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated that nonmedical gloves, such as food service gloves, may be used as alternatives.
If you become sick, ideally identify another healthy adult who is not at high risk to pick up the responsibilities of caring for others.
If that’s not an option, here are some tips to help you get through:
- When not providing essential direct care, maintain the social distance of 6 feet.
- No visitors to the house.
- Cover your nose and mouth as completely as possible — if you have them, a mask should be worn. Discard soiled or damaged masks.
- Wash your hands before and after touching any surfaces.
- Disinfect any surfaces that you touched while caring for others.
- Do not share items including food, eating utensils or bedding, among others.
- If possible, use a separate bathroom. If not possible, close the toilet lid before flushing, as the virus may be aerosolized.
The CDC guidelines are similar for caring for an ill household member, with a few additions:
- If the sick person has to be around others, for example in a car, they should wear a mask
- For doing laundry, wear disposable gloves and wash items in the warmest water possible (as noted on the label). Wash your hands immediately after removing the gloves. If no gloves are available, try to avoid direct contact with soiled areas and use diligent hand washing after handling the laundry.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, adds an extra tip: wash stuffed animals or other plush toys following the laundry guidelines above and dry the items completely.
In-home isolation can stop when the ill person has not had a fever for a full 72 hours, symptoms have improved and it has been at least seven days since the symptoms started.
These are guidelines, not specific medical advice. Contact your health care provider for questions.
Additional information can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/care-for-someone.html
This story was produced with financial support from The Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. The Modesto Bee maintains full editorial control of this work.
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 5:22 AM with the headline "How do you take care of someone with coronavirus at home? Here’s some expert advice."
