List of Things to Do If Someone You Live with Has COVID
COVID took the world by surprise and caused a lot of grief to many families. To mitigate the spread of COVID, governments from all parts of the world devised measures to protect their citizens from the pandemic. Wearing a face mask, using hand sanitizers, and social distancing are a few of the measures implemented to safeguard people from COVID.
However, more needs to be done, especially if you live with or care for an infected person. If you are one of the few people caring for someone with COVID, start by purchasing an at-home COVID self-test kit. We recommend you buy FlowFlex COVID-19 self-test kit to check your COVID status and that of your loved one while at home. Below are tips to help you safeguard yourself from COVID if you live with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
1. Isolate the Infected Person
If you have a COVID19 positive patient at your home, we recommend putting him in an isolated area. So, pick one room and convert it to a “sick room” where the patient will stay until they test negative. This will help mitigate the spread of COVID to other surfaces at your home, reducing the risk of you or any other negative person living with you from getting COVID.
2. Ensure There Is Good Airflow
COVID-19 can spread via bodily fluids. For example, when an infected person sneezes, they release infected respiratory droplets, which are left floating in the air. If you accidentally inhale the infected air, there is a high risk that you may catch COVID. So to minimize the risk of getting infected, keep the infected person in a well-ventilated room with good airflow. Keep all windows open and turn on the air conditioner if you have one at home.
3. Wear Protective Equipment
Disposable face masks and gloves are necessities for anyone handling a sick patient, especially one with COVID. Ensure you have your mask and gloves on when in close contact with a COVID patient, feeding them, and cleaning their room. In addition, wear gloves when washing their clothes, cleaning their stool, or doing anything that may expose you to their body fluids. Dispose of the used face mask and gloves once done with them.
4. Wash Your Hands
Wash your hands as frequently as possible using soap and water, especially after caring for a patient with COVID. If you don’t have water to rinse afterward, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, but ensure it has an alcohol content of 60% or more.
5. Clean and Disinfect Your Home Regularly
Clean your house and all top surfaces, such as counters, tables, toilets, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, and keyboards, as often as possible. You don’t need special tools when doing so. Household cleaning products like bleach, water, and wipes will be fine. Regularly cleaning your house will help remove any traces of COVID left behind by the patient when they get in contact with household surfaces.
Conclusion
The COVID pandemic may be here with us for a while before it disappears completely. Therefore it’s important to learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from getting infected. Follow the tips we’ve provided in the article to protect yourself while living with someone who has COVID. In addition, you can use an at-home COVID self-test kit to check your COVID-19 status and that of your family so you know when someone gets infected.