Most people who become sick with COVID-19 will only experience mild illness and can recover at
home. Symptoms might last a few days, and people who have the virus might feel better in about a
week. Home treatment mainly focus at relieving symptoms and includes rest, fluid intake and pain
relievers.
Follow the doctor's recommendations about care and home isolation for yourself or your loved
one. Talk to the doctor if you have any questions about treatments.
It's also important to consider how caring for a sick person might affect your health. If you
are older or have an existing chronic medical condition, such as heart or lung disease or
diabetes, you may be at higher risk of serious illness with COVID-19.
Emergency or serious symptoms
Observe yourself or your loved ones carefully for worsening symptoms. If symptoms appear to be
getting worse, call the doctor.
If you experience the following symptoms please call for immediate medical attention.
- Troubled breathing
- Persistent pain in the chest or pressure
- Loss of speech or movement
- Bluish lips or face
Protecting others if you are ill
If you are infected with COVID-19, you can control or prevent the spread of infection by adopting
these measures.
- Stay home isolated unless it is medical emergency.
- Avoid using public transportation and other ride sharing services.
- Stay isolated in a room, away from your family members, as much as possible. This includes
eating in your room. Use a separate bathroom if possible.
- Avoid shared space in your home as much as possible. When using shared spaces, limit your
movements. Maintain 6 feet distance between you and your family members.
- Clean touched objects and surfaces in your room and bathroom, such as doorknobs, light
switches, counters and electronics and everyday used items.
- Avoid sharing of your personal items like towels, dishes, beddings and electronics.
- Wear mask while interacting with others.
- Frequently wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based
hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
Protecting yourself while taking care of someone with COVID-19
To protect yourself while caring for someone with COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend
-
Keep your hands clean and away from your face
Frequently wash hands with soap for at least 20 sec or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer
with at least 60% alcohol.
-
Wear a face mask
If you have to be in the same room with the infected person always wear a mask and try to
make 6 feet distance.
-
Clean your home frequently
Every day, use household cleaning sprays or wipes to clean surfaces that are often touched,
including counters, tabletops and doorknobs
-
Be careful with laundry
Don't shake dirty laundry. Use regular detergent to wash the sick person's laundry. Place
dirty gloves and masks in a waste bin with a lid in the sick person's room. Clean and
disinfect clothes hampers and wash your hands afterward.
-
Be careful with dishes
Wear gloves when handling dishes, cups or utensils used by the sick person. Wash the items
with soap and hot water or in the dishwasher. Clean your hands after taking off the gloves
or handling used items.
-
Avoid direct contact with the sick person's bodily fluids
Wear disposable gloves and a face mask when providing oral and respiratory care and when
handling stool, urine or other waste. Wash your hands before and after removing your gloves
and mask. Don't reuse your mask or gloves.
Ending isolation or quarantine
Talk to the doctor about when to end home isolation, especially if you have a weakened immune
system. The CDC recommends the following guidelines for ending home isolation after you think or
know you had COVID-19.
- If you won't have a test to determine if you're still contagious, you can leave your sick
room or home if at least 10 days have passed since your symptoms started, at least 24 hours
have passed with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medicine and other symptoms are
improving. Loss of taste and smell might last for weeks or months after recovery but
shouldn't delay ending isolation
- If you'll be tested to determine if you're still contagious, your doctor will let you know
when you can be around others based on your test results. Most people don't need testing to
decide when they can be around others.
Coping with caregiving stress
To care for yourself follow these steps
- Maintain a daily routine, including showering and getting dressed.
- Take breaks from COVID-19 news, including social media.
- Eat healthy meals and stay hydrated.
- Exercise
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid use of drugs and alcohol.
- Stretching, breathe deeply or meditate.
- Focus on enjoyable activities.
- Connect with others and share how you are feeling.
Caring for yourself can help you cope with stress. It will also help you be able to support your loved one's recovery.