Dos & Don’ts of #COVID-19 Patient’s Home Care

India is presently on the rising trend of the patients of COVID in almost all the big cities. We’re in the community spread the way to beat the disease is by breaking the chain of infectivity. We all are following the precautions as much as we can but unfortunately due to rapid spread, anyone could get sick.

Recap on COVID-19

Although asymptomatic cases are a lot in INDIA I’d still like to emphasize on the symptoms you should take care of:

The incubation period of the virus is 2-14 days.

• Fever
• Cold
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Breathing difficulty
• Feeling unwell
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Know More on COVID-19: Here

Modes of spread

Know your symptoms: How to differentiate between COVID-19 & Flu?

Who all should be Home Cared?

Out of all the COVID positive people, many fall under mild infection so they could always be taken care of at home for comfort care in a known environment.

Sick People who are:

• Stable patient
• Mild illness
• No risk factors
• Mild symptoms
• No or mild fever

These set of cases could be isolated at:

• Hotels (Govt Allocated)
• Govt approved Quarantine centers
• Home Quarantine

These patients should be chosen by the health professional after a very thorough & careful clinical judgement.

Is your Home Quarantine Friendly?

After this important question next few things you should have in your home are:

• Well ventilated home/ bedroom/ bathroom
• Adequate caregivers
• Separate bedroom with attached bathroom to maintain social distancing
• Resources for access to food & necessities
• Household members capable of following safety precautions
• Absence of High-risk members
  • >65 years of age
  • Young Children
  • Pregnant women
  • Immunocompromised person
  • Heart/ Lung/ Kidney condition
• Accessible location (near the hospital)

What is essential while Home Care?

While taking care of a person at home we all should adhere to few recommendations:

Limited Contact:

The contact should be very limited to the patient. They should be taken care of by either a health care professional or a caregiver. A well ventilated separate room preferably with an attached bathroom should be used.

NO VISITORS

Avoid Direct Contact:

If room has to be shared with someone then a minimum distance of 1 meter should be maintained (separate beds/ tables/ chairs or couches)

Eat Separately:

Keep the movement of sick person minimum

• Do not use a common area for meals. The sick person should be provided in bed or the room but not with all the occupants.
• Wash the utensils with soap and water followed by 1% sodium hypochlorite solution.
• Keep the hands clean. If hands are already clean the sanitize the hands regularly.

DO NOT SHARE

Avoid sharing personal items and things to stop cross-infection.

Wear Protective Gear:

Caregiver should take extra precautions:

• Use face mask & gloves
• Use face shield & cover the hair
• Keep hands clean and sanitized
• Clean the surfaces & items once or twice in a day with 0.5% bleach solution

Hand Hygiene:

Hand hygiene is most important so follow few basic rules and you’ll do just fine

• Use gloves
• Do not reuse the gloves
• Wash hands/ sanitize after changing gloves
• Regularly wash hands or sanitize them

Laundry Rules:

Change clothes & bed linens daily

• Keep the used clothes in a different hamper.
• Use gloves while handling the clothes.
• Do not shake the soiled clothes.
• Wash clothes at the highest temperature settings (60-90°C/ 140-194°F)
• Keep them under sun for drying thoroughly
• Wash hands properly after washing clothes

Trash Care:

Use lined trash cans to avoid soiling the hands. Keep the infected trash separate and dispose of them in double-lined trash.

Last but the most important “As a care giver keep a track of your health”

While taking care of a corona infected patient at home keep your mind open towards the warning signs. You could reach out to the professionals if the need arises.

Warning Signs

• Troubled breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in chest
• Confusion/ Dizziness
• Inability to wake/ stay awake
• Bluish discoloration of lips/ face/ fingertips

Community support

As a good community, we all should support the sick person, not panic, and make their life easier. In these difficult times, it’s very essential to help & support them. They’re stressed and support would be good for their mental wellbeing & recovery.

• Help them in following the instructions of doctors
• Make sure they maintain hydration and take medication
• Help them in acquiring groceries/ medicines/ necessary items.
• Take care of the pet

Few helpful gestures go long way. Be a part of supportive community and Let’s fight COVID-19 together.

Take care of your Mental Health, don’t feel shy to seek support: Fight Depression.

Few hospitals have home care packages worth checking: Medanta, Fortis, Max, etc.

Be Healthy & Be Safe.

A letter from COVID-19 with Love…

Disclaimer: This article is for reference purposes only, under no circumstances it should be used as a replacement of medical opinion by Professionals. Any decision regarding health and health care should be taken after professional advice only. Health care advice and information shared by the author are best to her knowledge. We disclaim all responsibilities for any inadvertent omission/ commission by the author or the website.

References:

• https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/home-care-for-patients-with-suspected-novel-coronavirus-(ncov)-infection-presenting-with-mild-symptoms-and-management-of-contacts
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-home-care.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-recommendations.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Finfection-control%2Fcontrol-recommendations.html#
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/care-for-someone.html