How to care for someone with COVID-19
As you look after your sick family member, remember to take care of yourself too.
Limit the number of caregivers. Ideally, assign one person who is in good health and not at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 – i.e. fully vaccinated, below 60 years old and with no chronic health conditions.
Help the sick person to follow instructions from their doctor. In general, they should rest, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.
Monitor symptoms
Seek medical attention immediately if the sick person has:
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Loss of speech or mobility
Some symptoms depend on age. You should seek urgent care if a baby is unable to breastfeed, if a young child has a high fever, or if a child suddenly appears confused, refuses to eat, or if their face or lips turn blue.
Monitor yourself and others in your home for any symptoms of COVID-19 – including fever, sore throat, muscle or body ache, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath dry cough or tiredness. For children the symptoms might vary. Infants’ symptoms can include difficulty in feeding, fast breathing and lethargy. Get tested if you have any of these symptoms.
Take precautions
It is important to follow precautions even if you and other family members are vaccinated. No vaccine protects you 100 per cent against infection and it is possible you may spread the virus to others if you are infected.
Talk to your children about these preventative measures and how it’s important that you all follow them carefully to help stop the spread of the virus.
Physical distance: Avoid unnecessary contact with the ill person who should stay in a separate room if possible, or at least 1 metre away from others in the household, to reduce the risk of spreading infection.
Wear a mask: Everyone should wear a well-fitting medical mask when in the same room as the ill person (who should wear one as well).
Regular handwashing: Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub regularly, especially after any contact with the sick person.
>> Read: Handwashing tips for kids
Ventilation: Ensure that shared spaces (e.g. kitchen, bathroom) are kept well ventilated (keep windows open).
Cleaning and hygiene: Use dedicated dishes, cups, eating utensils, bed sheets and towels for the ill person. Wash all of them with soap and hot water.
Identify surfaces that are frequently touched by the ill person (such as chairs, tables, bed frames, door handles and toys) and clean and disinfect them daily.
>> Read: Tips on cleaning and disinfecting
Clean and disinfect the bathroom using gloves (if available) after each use by the sick person if they are unable to do so themselves.
Dirty laundry from a sick person can be washed with other people’s items, but precautions should be taken:
- Handle the sick person’s laundry with gloves (if available).
- Launder items with soap or detergent, using the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely – both steps help to kill the virus.
- Wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand rub, immediately afterwards.
- Consider storing laundry in disposable bags rather than your usual laundry basket.
Use a separate garbage bag for the sick person to dispose of used tissues, masks and other waste safely.
Visitors should not be allowed until the patient has completely recovered and has no signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
Follow national guidance on how long the sick person should remain isolated and whether others in the home should as well. WHO recommends sick people should self-isolate for 10 days from the start of any symptoms, plus three days after symptoms end.
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Originally Appeared Here