How to treat COVID-19 petients at home?

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS & WAY OF HOME-ISOLATION

We all know "Health is Wealth" and we should take care of it not only for ourselves but also for others. We have to fight together against COVID-19. 

The symptoms are divided into three parts given below.

1. Most common symptoms: fever,dry cough,tiredness

2. Less common symptoms: aches and pains sore throat,diarrhoea,conjunctivitis,headache,loss of taste or smell a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes.

3. Serious symptoms: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath,chest pain or pressure,loss of speech or movement.

Important Ways to Slow the Spread:

• Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth to help protect yourself and others.

• Stay 6 feet apart from others who don’t live with you.

• Get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you.

• Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.

• Drink plenty of fluids. Drink enough water so that your pee is a pale, clear colour.

• Avoid alcohol as this will make you more dehydrated. There is also evidence that people with COVID-19 infection are prone to liver damage, which can be worsened by drinking alcohol.

• Get plenty of rest. You should isolate yourself at home if you have any symptoms of coronavirus, and avoid any strenuous activity whilst you are unwell.

• Use over-the-counter medicines to treat some of your symptoms.

In the home isolation we have to take care of the patient very carefully.

• Limit the patient’s movement around the house and minimize shared space. Ensure that shared spaces (e.g. kitchen, bathroom) are well ventilated.

• Household members should avoid entering the room where the patient is located or, if that is not possible, maintain a distance of at least 1m from the patient (e.g. sleep in a separate bed)f .

• Limit the number of caregivers. Ideally, assign one person who is in good health and has no underlying chronic conditions.

• Visitors should not be allowed in the home until the person has completely recovered, shows no signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and has been released from isolation.

• Perform hand hygiene according to the WHO 5 moments. Hand hygiene should also be performed before and after preparing food, before eating, after using the toilet, and whenever hands look dirty. If hands are not visibly soiled, an alcohol-based hand rub can be used. For visibly soiled hands, always use soap and water. A medical mask should be provided to the patient, worn as much as possible by the patient and changed daily and whenever wet or dirty from secretions. Individuals who should practice rigorous respiratory hygiene; that is, coughing or sneezing into a bent elbow or tissue and then immediately disposing of the tissue followed by hand hygiene.

• Materials used to cover the mouth and nose should be discarded or cleaned appropriately after use (e.g. wash handkerchiefs, using regular soap or detergent and water).

• Caregivers should wear a medical maskthat covers their mouth and nose when they are in the same room as the patient. Masks should not be touched or handled during use. If the mask gets wet or dirty from secretions, it must be replaced immediately with a new clean, dry mask. Remove the mask using the appropriate technique, which is to untie it, rather than touching the front of the mask, to discard it immediately after use and then to perform hand hygiene.

• Avoid direct contact with the patient’s body fluids, particularly oral or respiratory secretions, and stool. Use disposable gloves and a mask when providing oral or respiratory care, and when handling stool, urine and other waste. Perform hand hygiene beforeputting on the mask and gloves and after removing gloves and the mask.

• Do not reuse medical masks or gloves (unless the gloves are a reusable product such as a utility glove) .

• Gloves and protective clothing (e.g. plastic aprons) should be used when cleaning surfaces or handling clothing or linen soiled with body fluids. Depending on the context, wear either utility or single-use gloves. 

• Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched in the room where the patient is being cared 

for, such as bedside tables, bedframes, and other bedroom furniture at least once daily. Clean and 

disinfect bathroom and toilet surfaces at least once daily. Regular household soap or detergent should 

be used first for cleaning, and then, after rinsing, regular household disinfectant containing 0.1% sodium hypochlorite (i.e. equivalent to 1000 ppm) should be applied by wiping surfaces. 

• Use dedicated linen and eating utensils for the patient; these items should be cleaned with soap and 

water after use and may be re-used instead of being discarded.

• Place contaminated linen in a laundry bag. Do not shake soiled laundry and avoid contaminated materials coming into contact with skin and clothes.

• Clean the patient’s clothes, bed linen, and bath and hand towels using regular laundry soap and water, or machine wash at 60–90 °C (140–194 °F) with common household detergent, and dry thoroughly. 

• After use, utility gloves should be cleaned with soap and water and decontaminated with 0.1% sodium hypochlorite solution. Single-use gloves (e.g. nitrile or latex) should be discarded after each use. Perform hand hygiene before putting on and after removing gloves.

• Waste generated at home while caring for a COVID-19 patient during the recovery period should be 

packed in strong bags and closed completely before disposal and eventual collection by municipal waste services. If such a service does not exist, waste may be buried. Burning is the least preferred option, as it is bad for human health and the environment. 

• Avoid other types of exposure to contaminated items from the patient’s immediate environment (e.g. do not share toothbrushes, cigarettes, cutlery, crockery, towels, washcloths or bed linen).

(An exception may be made for breastfeeding mothers. Considering the benefits of breastfeeding and the insignificant role of breast milk in the transmission of other respiratory viruses, a mother can 

continue breastfeeding. The mother should wear a medical mask.)

Isolation or quarantine periods are different for different symptomatic persons.

1. For asymptomatic persons: 10 days after testing positive. 
2. COVID-19 patients who receive home-based care or have been discharged from hospital should remain in isolation for a minimum of 10 days after symptom onset, plus at least 3 additional days without symptoms (including without fever and without respiratory symptoms).

3. Health workers need to establish a means of communicating with the caregivers of individuals with 

4. COVID-19 for the duration of the isolation period.

To care for yourself, follow these steps:

1. Maintain a daily routine, including showering and getting dressed.

2. Take breaks from COVID-19 news, including social media.

3. Eat healthy meals and stay hydrated.

4. Exercise.

5. Get plenty of sleep.

6. Avoid excessive use of alcohol and tobacco.

7. Stretching, breathe deeply or meditate.

8. Focus on enjoyable activities.

9. Connect with others and share how you are feeling.