Home care for patients with COVID-19 that are self-quarantined.

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Adapted from WHO ‘Home care for patients with COVID-19 presenting with mild symptoms and management of their contacts’

Limit Contact

  • Only one healthy person should provide care
  • Do not share personal items with the ill person, like towels, toothbrushes, cutlery or electronic devices
  • Use a separate bathroom from the ill person if possible. If not possible, the ill person should put the toilet lid down before flushing

Protect yourself

  • If possible, people who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 should not care for someone with COVID-19.
  • These people include elderly persons, those with chronic medical conditions (e.g., heart disease, diabetes) or compromised immune systems
  • If you need to be within 2 metres of the ill person, wear a face mask, disposable gloves and eye protection.
  • Wear disposable gloves when touching the ill person, their environment and soiled items or surfaces.
  • Do not re-use face masks or gloves.
  • Clean your hands often for at least 20 seconds, especially after contact with the ill person and after removing gloves, face masks and eye protection.
  • Dry your hands with disposable paper towels.
  • If not available, use a reusable towel and replace it when it becomes wet.
  • You can also remove dirt with a wet wipe and then use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Keep your environment clean

  • Place used face masks, gloves and other contaminated items in a lined container, secure the contents and dispose of them with other household waste.
  • Place possibly contaminated laundry into a container with a plastic liner and do not shake.
  • Wash with regular laundry soap and hot water (60-90°C), and dry well.
  • Clothing and linens belonging to the ill person can be washed with other laundry.
  • At least once daily clean and disinfect surfaces that people touch often, such as toilets, laundry containers, bedside tables, doorknobs, phones and television remotes.
  • High-touch electronic devices (e.g., keyboards, touch screens) may be disinfected with 70% alcohol (e.g., alcohol prep wipes) at least daily.

Monitor yourself for symptoms

  • If you have always used the recommended precautions, then monitor yourself for symptoms for 14 days following your last contact with the ill person.
  • If you have had direct contact with body fluids of the ill person (e.g., were coughed or sneezed on when you weren’t wearing a face mask), contact your health care provider for further instructions
  • If you develop symptoms, isolate yourself as quickly as possible and contact your health care provider for further instructions

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