Not all patients who test positive require hospitalization
Once a loved one tests positive for COVID-19 but is well enough to return home to recover, the question then becomes: How do I safely care for someone who is quarantining in my home?
Not all patients who test positive require hospitalization. Most are sent home with a physician’s instructions for their recuperation and recovery.
Follow these guidelines to best care for the patient while also protecting yourself and other loved ones living in the home from the virus.
Determine their living space
Isolate the patient in one room or space in the home. If possible, designate a bathroom solely for their use and keep their soiled laundry separate until it’s time to wash.
Help them pass the time be providing books, magazines or TV, and save extended communication for virtual meetings (using apps and other technology). Do not deliver meals and other food to them, but rather designate a spot to leave it for them to pick up.
Keep hydrated and treat symptoms
Staying hydrated and treating the symptoms of COVID-19 (such as fever) are common instructions physicians send patients home with. Help them to accomplish this by ensuring these instructions are fulfilled.
Document their progress
Track their symptoms, whether they’re worsening or getting better, specifically their body temperature. If they continue to worsen and medications are not controlling their fever, contact a physician.
Double down on cleaning
Help stop the spread of the virus by regularly and frequently cleaning the entire home, limiting the potential for infections of others in the home.
It’s OK to ask for help
This pandemic is unprecedented, and it’s understandable that it can be overwhelming. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to seek moral or emotional supported from a trusted source.
Once the patient is better, safely clean their living space. Also, keep an eye out for symptoms in yourself and whoever else lives in your home. Protect against the spread (as an asymptomatic spreader) by wearing a mask and maintaining proper social distancing.