Caring for someone with COVID-19 at home

Isolation advice to continue families safe

UNICEF S Asia

"What is the departure between quarantine and isolation?"

Quarantine and isolation are both ways of reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Quarantine is separating people who are not ill themselves, but may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. The goal is to monitor symptom development in those who are not ill and observe new cases.

Isolation is separating people who accept tested positive for COVID-nineteen, or have symptoms of the virus, from other people.

"How practise I look after a family fellow member with COVID-19 at home while keeping the remainder of the family safe?"

If someone in your family has COVID-19 and is recovering at home:

  • The whole household volition need to quarantine for 14 days.

AND

  • The person with COVID-19 will need to isolate from the rest of the household for a minimum of 10 days from the starting time of their symptoms. Before they leave isolation they need to have shown no symptoms of the virus for at least iii days.

This is to reduce the adventure of other people in the family condign infected with COVID-19 and end the virus from spreading further.

During this fourth dimension:
  • The person with COVID-19 should stay in a separate room from the residual of the household (if possible).
  • Ideally, no-one in the household should leave the house or collaborate with others from outside the household. Seek advice from your health worker for further guidance.
  • No visitors should enter your abode (with the exception of health workers who may be helping to care for your sick family member.)

When a family member living in your habitation has COVID-19, the risk of other household members becoming infected with the virus is even higher.

Considering of this increased risk, we recommend that anybody in the house follows even more than thorough precautions than usual when washing their easily — and washes their hands for at least 40 seconds (in line with guidance for healthcare facilities), rather than 20 seconds (equally nosotros unremarkably recommend).

handwashing

Talk to your health worker for support

Caring for your loved i with COVID-19 should be done in consultation with your health worker. Speak to them to go personalized care recommendations, based on your situation.

You should as well talk to your health worker about testing the whole family for COVID-19 (y'all could already accept the virus, even if yous don't have symptoms).

Plan ahead and stock up

Y'all should too:
  • Brand childcare plans in example all caregivers in the household become sick.
  • Plan for how you will manage food and grocery deliveries to your house during isolation.
  • Stock upwards on:
    • Surgical masks
    • Household disinfectant containing at least 0.1% bleach (also known as sodium hypochlorite)
    • Soap (for handwashing)

You can take the post-obit steps immediately to keep the residue of the family safe:

1. Isolate the sick family unit member

Move the family unit member with COVID-nineteen to a separate room from the rest of the family (if possible) immediately.

If possible:
  • Choose a room that has natural ventilation, such as a window that can be opened.
  • Add together a handwashing station or ensure there is plenty of hand sanitizer in their room.
While your family fellow member is isolating:
  • They should stay in their room equally much as possible.
  • They need to clothing a mask earlier anyone enters the room or comes within 1 meter's distance of them.
  • They should have their own personal garbage bin inside their room, with a chapeau that closes. Any personal waste matter, including used tissues and masks, should be disposed of in this bin.
If they exercise demand to exit the room, for example to go to the toilet, make sure they:
  • Wearable a surgical mask.
  • Keep as much distance from others in the household as possible.
  • Wash their hands with soap and water for at least 40 seconds, or use an alcohol-based manus sanitizer, before leaving the room.

You should as well ensure practiced ventilation in all communal areas.

If your family is unable to stay in separate rooms:
  • Take whatever steps you can to limit contact between the sick family member and anybody else.
  • Anybody in the room should wearable a surgical mask as much equally possible.
  • Everyone should wash their hands regularly with soap and water for at least forty seconds, or utilise an alcohol-based mitt-sanitizer
  • Arrange the room and so that anybody in the household can proceed at least one metre from the sick family member's bed.
  • Do not share a bed with the ill family member.
  • Do non share whatsoever utensils or personal items (e.g. forks, spoons, dishes, toothbrushes) with the ill family unit member.
  • Clean the room with bleach, including all surfaces, at least once a day.
  • All surfaces must be rinsed with soap and water or detergent, earlier rinsing and applying bleach.

Ventilating the room

  • Open up the windows to keep the room well ventilated.
  • Natural ventilation is all-time, just air conditioning tin can besides be used. However, if you are using ac in the room, the air conditioning unit needs to be regularly inspected and cleaned. Do not use it on recirculation mode.
  • Do not use an air fan — as these can blow air directly from one person to some other and assistance spread the virus.

2. Identify i carer for the sick family member

To reduce the chance of COVID-19 spreading in your home, it'southward important that simply 1 person in the business firm cares for the sick family members who are isolating.

At the starting time of your family fellow member's isolation, you need to identify who volition be their designated carer. This should exist the person in the household who has the lowest risk of developing severe COVID-nineteen.

  • The carer should be the but person in the house who enters the room where the sick family unit member is isolating.
  • Almost people with COVID-xix volition merely develop mild disease and won't need any direct intendance while they are isolating. In this situation, the carer won't need to enter the room where the family member is isolating at all. Instead, they should interact with the family member from outside the room and exit food outside their door.
  • If your family is sharing a room, the carer should exist the but person who goes within one metre of the sick family member — and only when necessary.
  • It'south crucial that both the carer and the family unit member with COVID-nineteen clothing a surgical mask whenever they interact and perform hand hygiene after every interaction.

3. Mask upwardly correctly

During your family unit fellow member's isolation it's actually of import that the whole family unit wearssurgical masks correctly to help preclude infection.

When to wear a mask
The family member with COVID-19 should vesture a mask:
  • Whenever anyone comes into their room.
  • At all times when outside their room.
The person caring for the family unit fellow member with COVID-19 should wear a mask:
  • Whenever they provide whatever care to the sick family member. Including leaving food outside the family member'due south door.
  • Whenever they enter the room where the family member is isolating.
  • While they are in any communal spaces in the house shared with the family unit member (e.chiliad. the toilet, hallway).
The residuum of the household (including children) should wear a mask:
  • Before they come into any close contact with the person with COVID-19.
  • While they are in whatever spaces in the house shared with the family member (e.g. the toilet, hallway).
If y'all are sharing a room with the family member with COVID-19:
  • Everyone in the room should wear a mask as much as possible.

Some countries in S Asia take different guidance. Check with your local health say-so or health worker.

If your child nether v is required to clothing a mask, make certain they are always within a straight line of sight to you, or supervised by an developed.

How to wear masks safely during isol ation

Surgical masks can only be used once. This means they must be changed and disposed of safely afterwards every use and when they go soiled or wet.

At the offset of the isolation flow, brand certain you have plenty surgical masks in the house for every family unit member to change them when dingy or wet every twenty-four hours for the whole isolation period — and a plan to get more delivered if yous run out. Speak to your wellness worker if yous are unsure how many surgical masks y'all will need.

Y'all likewise need to make sure the whole family unit are wearing their masks correctly and that all masks that have been used are disposed of safely and immediately.

Safely putting on your surgical mask:
  • Do non utilize a mask that has previously been worn.
  • Before touching the mask, clean your hands with soap and water for at to the lowest degree 40 seconds, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Inspect the mask for tears or holes. If information technology is damaged do not utilize information technology.
  • Use the straps to place the mask on your face roofing your nose, oral fissure and chin.
  • Make sure there are no gaps betwixt your face and the mask.
  • Place the straps behind your ears or head.
  • Do not cross the straps over your ears or head, or tie the straps. There have been examples of people doing this to endeavour and make the mask tighter, but instead it can cause gaps at the sides of the mask.
  • Compression the metallic strip so it molds to the shape of your nose.
  • Practise not touch the front of the mask while you lot are wearing it. If you lot accidentally touch it, clean your hands.
Safely taking off your surgical mask:
  • When you are ready to remove your mask: make clean your easily with soap and water for at least 40 seconds, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Remove the straps from behind the head or ears, without touching the front of the mask.
  • Every bit yous remove the mask, lean forward and pull the mask away from your face.
  • Discard the mask immediately into a strong garbage bag inside a closed bin.
  • Make clean your hands again.

4. Limit all straight and indirect contact with the sick family unit member

While your loved ane is isolating, they should spend as little fourth dimension outside of their room as possible.

Limit the number of rooms they share with other family unit members, the time they spend in there and the spaces they have to pass through to go at that place.

The family member with COVID-xix should use a separate toilet, bathroom and kitchen from the rest of the household, if possible.

If you lot have to share a toilet or bathroom:
  • Ventilate the room by opening windows.
  • Spend as little time in the room as possible.
  • Use the room individually. No one in the house should be inside at the aforementioned time.
  • Make clean the sink, taps and toilet after every utilise by every person.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and h2o for at least 40 seconds later on every use.
  • Clean things that the sick person and other people accept touched (e.g. door handles, the toilet affluent and surfaces) every day.
If you have to share a kitchen:
  • The carer should set up the meals for the sick family member and take them to the family member'southward room for them to eat at that place, where possible.
  • Avoid using the kitchen at the same time as other people in the household.
  • Ventilate the room by opening windows.
  • Clean the kitchen every day, paying particular attending to things people bear on (east.m. taps, fridge, door handles, surfaces, kitchen tops and tables).
  • If this sick person has to utilize the kitchen, clean all surfaces and things they've touched immediately after utilise.
  • Clean your easily thoroughly with soap and water for at least 40 seconds after every use.
Separating physical items

While your family member is isolating theyshouldn't share whatsoever physical items with the residual of the household.

They need to be given separate utensils to consume with from the residual of the household. These should as well exist cleaned separately.

Also, brand sure they don't share any of the following:

  • Toothbrushes
  • Cigarettes
  • Cups
  • Crockery
  • Cutlery
  • Washcloths
  • Bed linen
  • Towels
  • Washcloths
  • Tea towels

Speak to your health worker to get more tailored isolation guidance for your home and family unit situation.

5. Make clean your home and dispose of waste safely

During your family unit fellow member'south isolation you volition need to clean your home regularly, especially high-adventure areas.

Equally nearly COVID-19 infections are mild, the sick family fellow member should clean their own room, where possible, to minimize the adventure to other family members.

Thorough and regular cleaning, with household detergent containing bleach, is especially important if you have an elderly person, or someone at a loftier risk of getting severely ill from COVID-nineteen, in your household.

How to clean surfaces and what to use

To clean surfaces finer:

  • Use regular household soap or detergent starting time.
  • Rinse.
  • Then use a disinfectant containing at least 0.ane% bleach (too known every bit sodium hypochlorite) to wipe surfaces.
What to wear when cleaning
Gloves

You lot should article of clothing either utility gloves or disposable gloves, depending on what y'all take available at home and what yous are cleaning.

Utility gloves are unremarkably fabricated of leather, nitrile or heavy latex. They are designed to exist strong and long-lasting and provide good protection from chemicals and punctures from precipitous objects. They tin be worn multiple times if cleaned and disinfected correctly.

Disposable gloves are usually fabricated of thin natural rubber latex. They are designed to be form-fitting, to requite the wearer more dexterity when handling smaller objects. They provide excellent bulwark protection against blood, saliva, oils and grease, but do non provide adequate protection against punctures. They are widely used in laboratories and healthcare settings and should only be used once. If y'all accept whatever allergies to latex, talk to a health worker about alternative options.

Gloves set

Wear utility gloves and a plastic apron:
  • When cleaning the sick family member'southward room.
  • When handling the sick family member'southward clothing or linen.
  • When cleaning any surfaces the sick family member has touched and rooms that they have been in.
  • If you need to mix bleach solutions.

You can also clothing goggles or a face shield, equally an extra mensurate to protect yourself from splashes while cleaning. After utilize, wash googles and face shields in lather and water and dry thoroughly.

Habiliment dispensable gloves and a plastic frock when:
  • Handling whatever of the sick family member'due south rubbish or tissues.
  • Handling any actual fluids.
Using gloves and protective vesture safely
  • Launder your easily before putting on and after removing gloves.
  • Don't touch your face while wearing gloves.
  • Throw abroad plastic aprons, dispensable gloves and other disposable PPE (e.g. frock, mask) after one use.
  • Utility gloves tin can be used again, if cleaned with soap and h2o and then decontaminated with bleach.
Cleaning the sick family member's room

Every bit well-nigh COVID-nineteen infections are mild, the sick family unit member should clean their ain room, where possible, to minimize the take chances to other family members.

The surfaces in the room should be cleaned and disinfected at least in one case a day. Including:
  • Bedside tables
  • Bedframes
  • Article of furniture
  • TV remote controls

Pay shut attention to high-touch on areas, such as light switches and door handles.

Disposing of waste from the family member'southward room

Your ill family members should have a divide waste matter bin in their room for their personal waste (e.g. used tissues and masks) with a lid that closes.

Dispose of their personal waste, along with any cleaning cloths and any PPE you have used while caring for them (e.g. disposable gloves) in disposable rubbish bags.

These bags should be placed into another bag, tied deeply and put aside for at to the lowest degree 72 hours earlier existence put with your external household waste material bin.

Brand sure all household waste is stored in a potent and completely closed garbage bag before removing it from your domicile.

Launder your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at to the lowest degree 40 seconds, after removing any gloves or handling whatever waste material.

Washing the ill family member'southward bedding and clothes
  • Clean the family unit fellow member's clothes, bedsheets and towels regularly using:
    • Regular laundry soap and water, OR
    • a washing machine. Wash at 60–90 °C with a common household detergent.
  • When handling the sick person's laundry, hold it abroad from your torso and wear utility gloves.
  • Do not shake dirty laundry, equally this could spread the virus through the air.
  • Dry laundry completely before using it once again.
Cleaning items that the family unit member with COVID-nineteen has used

Utensils (dishes, cups and cutlery) that the sick family member has used demand to be cleaned thoroughly after they have been used. You do non need to throw them abroad.

When the sick family fellow member has finished using their utensils, they should ideally wipe them downwards themselves, before putting them outside their room.

If utensils cannot be washed within the room, it'southward of import that the carer wears utility gloves earlier handling them.

To make clean utensils effectively:

  • Wash them with soap and water.
  • Brand sure all items have dried before using them again.
  • Dry thoroughly using a separate tea towel, or in the dominicus.
  • Ensure other members of the household don't use them.
Cleaning high-risk areas

Clean and disinfect the highest take a chance areas of your dwelling at least in one case a day. This includes:

  • Any shared spaces or rooms.
  • Whatever oftentimes touched surfaces or objects e.g. door handles, remote controls.

If y'all are sharing a bathroom/toilet, information technology needs to be cleaned after every utilize, by every person, paying particular attention to surfaces and things people touch - for example, taps and the toilet flush.

Dispose of all waste matter from high-adventure areas in disposable rubbish numberless. These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and put aside for at least 72 hours before being put with your external household waste material bin.

Safely disposing of waste matter from your home

Information technology'south important that you dispose ofall waste from your household while isolating in a rubber way.

  • Dispose of all household waste matter in a stiff and completely closed garbage handbag before removing information technology from your domicile.
  • Make sure the purse is not damaged or won't become damaged during disposal.
  • Your waste should ideally be collected by the waste service in your municipality.
  • If this service doesn't exist in your expanse, yous can also bury waste material.
  • Burning waste matter should be a last resort.

Make sure all household waste material is stored in a stiff and completely closed garbage bag before removing it from your home, co-ordinate to your local say-so's waste management guidance.

6. Introduce safety routines for everyone in the household

Everyone in the household should:
  • Clothing a surgical mask correctly in the situations described in a higher place.
  • Wash their hands with soap and water, for at least 40 seconds, even more than than usual, especially:
    1. Before and after preparing nutrient.
    2. Earlier eating.
    3. Afterward using the toilet, or changing children'southward diapers.
    4. Whenever easily look dingy.
    5. Afterward whatsoever contact with the sick family fellow member, or areas of the house where they take been.
    6. Later touching face masks.
  • Dry out easily using dispensable paper towels or clean cloth towels (don't share cloth towels and replace them every twenty-four hour period).
  • Cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. If they practise non have a tissue, they should coughing or sneeze into the crook of their elbow, non into their hand.
  • Care for all waste product in the house as infectious material. Used paper towels, tissues and surgical masks should be tending of immediately into a potent bag, in a bin with a closed lid. Then immediately wash their hands.
  • Avert touching their faces.

If you take immature children in the family, develop a new routine that incorporates these actions. Attempt to brand these routines simple and fun, where you can, to help keep everyone safe and help children feel more than in control.

7. Care safely for the family member with COVID-19

COVID-19 affects dissimilar people in unlike ways and people need different levels of care while recovering. 85% of people go balmy illness from the virus and will be able to recover at abode with little aid from their carer.

Talk to your health worker for support and guidance on your loved one'south situation and the all-time style to intendance for them.

While your family unit fellow member is isolating, help them to:
  • Rest
  • Stay well-nourished
  • Stay hydrated
If your family unit member is too sick or weak to care for themselves and yous need to enter their room to intendance for them, take these steps before you lot do:
  • Wash your easily with soap and water for at least 40 seconds.
  • Put on your surgical mask correctly, making sure it is covering your nose and rima oris.
  • Avoid touching your mask when wearing it.
  • Make sure the sick family member is wearing a surgical mask before you lot enter the room.
After you accept finished caring for the family member:
  • Remove your mask by the straps and dispose of it immediately.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 40 seconds.

While caring for your family unit member avoid any direct contact with their torso fluids (especially those from their mouth) and their stool.

If you lot need to provide any directly care to your loved one (for case to feed them) or handle bodily fluids (for instance when changing soiled sheets or handling tissues), make sure yous are wearingdisposable gloves and a disposable apron (if available).

Use disposable gloves safely past:
  • Washing your hands earlier putting on and after removing your gloves.
  • Only using disposable gloves once.
  • Disposing of the gloves in a strong garbage purse that is airtight completely after use.

Every bit mentioned, most people will recover from COVID-xix at dwelling house without needing any medical help. Only some people practise develop more severe symptoms that crave medical attending (especially those who are older or accept pre-existing health conditions).

While your family member is isolating monitor their symptoms every day, paying special attention If they are in a high-hazard group.

Seek urgent medical help if they develop any of these symptoms:
  • Lightheadedness
  • Difficulty animate
  • Confusion
  • Problem waking upwardly
  • Chest pain

Using pulse oximeters

Y'all can also monitor the severity of your loved i's symptoms through using a pulse oximeter. Pulse oximeters are fingertip devices used to monitor oxygen levels.

Talk to your health worker for more information and guidance on using pulse oximeters.

"What medicines or treatments should I give my family member to help them recover from COVID-nineteen at dwelling house?"

Fever, muscle pain and headaches tin be treated with paracetamol (always follow the dosage advice from the pharmacy).

A fever tin also be soothed with a common cold wet cloth on the brow.

Do not use antibiotics unless prescribed by a medical doctor. This is considering antibiotics care for bacterial infections and COVID-19 is a virus. This ways antibiotics accept no outcome in treating COVID-19.

However, if your doctor suspects your loved one might have a bacterial infection on top of COVID-19, they may prescribe antibiotics to care for this boosted infection.

"Tin can I use steroids, herbal remedies and oxygen to treat my family fellow member at home?"

Currently, the Earth Health Organization (WHO) only recommends one steroid — Dexamethasone — to care for COVID-19. All the same, they just recommend that this drug is used to treat very serious COVID-19 cases and this should be done in a hospital or a medical facility, non at domicile.

They besides currently recommend confronting using Hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir to treat COVID-xix. This is because there is currently no evidence that proves there is a benefit to using these drugs to care for COVID-19.

Additionally, there is no evidence that herbal home remedies tin treat COVID-19.

WHO also exercise not recommend giving oxygen to COVID-xix patients at dwelling house. Oxygen needs to be administered by a professional to be effective and safe. Nonetheless, due to the strain on health facilities in South asia in that location may situations where wellness workers prescribe oxygen for people who have been discharged from infirmary, to exist used at home.

"How can I protect my family'due south mental health during quarantine and isolation?"

An experience with COVID-nineteen in the family tin can be a alone and difficult experience, particularly for your loved ane with the virus.

It's normal to feel sad, stressed, scared or angry. Yous can assistance protect your family's mental wellness during isolation and quarantine by:

  • Staying connected through telephone calls, video chats and messaging.
  • Talking about how you are feeling — and really listening.
  • Maintaining a healthy lifestyle — eating properly, sleeping well and exercising regularly.
  • Encouraging yoga and meditation.
  • Looking for online classes or courses that can aid you lot practice at home.
  • Planning your quarantine in advance and setting goals for what y'all would similar to achieve while at domicile.
  • Reaching out to friends and family for support in delivering supplies.
  • Fugitive besides much news and social media.
  • Cooking.
  • Reading.
  • Watching films.

"My child has COVID-19 and I don't. How best tin I intendance for them?"

Detailed information on caring for children with COVID-19 at home can be foundhere.

"If everyone in the family has COVID-19, what should we do?"

If your whole family has COVID-19, yous demand to isolate until yous are no longer symptomatic. This is a minimum of xiii days for each person.

During this time:

  • Children tin can stay with their parents, unless they are too sick to treat them or are hospitalized.
  • The family practice not need to stay in split up rooms.
  • The whole family unit should still follow preventive measures to protect other people.
  • Mothers should go on to breastfeed infant children equally much equally is possible and feasible.

"When can my family member with COVID-19 cease isolating?"

Your family unit member needs to isolate at home until they are no longer infectious to other people. The time this takes differs depending on how severe your family unit fellow member's illness from the virus is.

WHO recommends that:
If your family member had no symptoms merely tested positive for COVID-19:

They need to stay in isolation for 10 days after testing positive for the virus.

If your family member tested positive for COVID-nineteen and had symptoms:
  • They need to stay in isolation for a minimum of 10 days after the symptoms kickoff began.
  • Before they leave isolation they need to take shown no symptoms of the virus for at least 3 days (including fever and coughing).

This is general guidance from the WHO and does differ in different countries. It's of import to bank check with your health worker the guidance for your country and make sure yous are post-obit this.

"Someone in the firm had COVID-19. When can the rest of the family unit get out quarantine?"

If a member of the family has COVID-nineteen, the whole household volition need to quarantine for xiv days and go on away from the infected family fellow member during this time.

If at any bespeak while quarantining other family members show symptoms of COVID-19, they should go tested.

If at the stop of the quarantine menstruum, the other family members have had no contact with the sick family unit member and have no symptoms, they can cease quarantine without taking a test.

Again, these are general guidelines and local guidance beyond countries does differ. Speak to your health worker about the guidance and when your family unit can leave quarantine.