How to give treatment when a COVID patient is in the house?
Since there has been a sudden rise in COVID-19 cases throughout the country, it is crucial to take precautions to prevent spreading it. As per a study, ”Clinical Infectious Diseases”, published by Stanford in October, it is seen that 17% of the members get affected too when they are living with a COVID positive person.
This article has provided the complete guide to take care of the covid positive and yourself. Let’s first start with how the virus spreads.
How does Coronavirus spread?
Data has shown that coronavirus mainly spreads when people are in close contact with covid positive patients within about 1 meter as prescribed by the WHO.
- When someone infected by the virus coughs, breathes, or talks, the virus spreads through the release of respiratory droplets, which can be inhaled or get into the mouth, nose, or eyes of a person nearby.
- The virus released through respiratory droplets can stay in the air for several minutes or hours , and people may get infected by it through the air , also known as airborne transmission. The recent wave shows signs of air transmission as well.
- Another possible way of being infected by the virus is when a person touches the surface with the virus and touches their face, eyes, or nose without washing hands.
Symptoms
Since we have learned how the virus spreads, the first step towards taking care of yourself from being affected by the virus is to look for the symptoms.
Make sure that no other household member is showing any symptoms of the virus. Covid positive patients offer a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild to severe illness. Symptoms usually appear within 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with COVID-19 may suffer from:
❖ Fever or chills
❖ Cough
❖ Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
❖ Fatigue
❖ Muscle or body aches
❖ Headache
❖ New loss of taste or smell
❖ Sore throat
❖ Congestion or runny nose
❖ Nausea or vomiting
❖ Diarrhoea
However, in many cases, covid positive patients do not show any symptoms, so they are also known as asymptomatic patients. They are equally infectious as symptomatic patients.
Step by step instructions to protect yourself from being influenced by the infection while taking care of the Covid patient?
The most frequent question comes to our mind when anyone is affected by the virus in the house. We have listed the self-care guidelines as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other renowned health institutions.
Isolation
Covid spreads due to exposure to the virus. Make sure that you and the patient are living in separate rooms. In case it is not possible to live in different places, try to maintain a distance of 1 meter and wear your masks all the time.
If possible, arrange a separate bedroom and bathroom for the sick person and stay at least 6 feet away from the ill person.
In case if you are living in the same room, make sure the room has good airflow. You should open the windows to increase air circulation.
The isolated person should be taken well care of as there are chances that a person living alone may get anxiety or depression for an extended period.
Make sure to talk to a person from a distance or online not to feel alone and develop any anxiety or tension.
Provide proper ventilation
It is seen that the disease spreads more quickly in crowded and cold places. Open up windows and doors for the room where the Covid patient is staying. Make sure that the ventilation system is operating effectively in the room.
Wear Your Mask
Please do not take out your mask while contacting the patient , and make sure they are also wearing the mask. It is recommended to wear your covers if you are at a distance of 1m with the Covid positive person. Then the patient should wear a mask for as much time as possible to avoid transmitting the virus.
Many experts have suggested the non-infected members in the house wear mask in the house as the latest COVID strains are now spread through the air.
Types of Masks:
❖ You can use medical masks (Also known as surgical masks or disposable face masks) can be used.
❖ Masks made with cotton
❖ Covers are made with tightly woven fabric that does not let light pass through.
❖ Face masks in two or three layers
❖ Masks with inner filter pockets
Wash and sanitize your hands frequently
You should wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, every time after contacting or being in the same room with the Covid patient. You should keep sanitizing your hand frequently and avoid touching your face. Use a sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. It is advised to prioritize washing your hand with soap than sanitizing as soap can kill the virus more effectively than the sanitizer.
Be careful with a sick person’s laundry
You should avoid washing the sick person’s clothes by yourself. You can wear old clothes which you can throw away after using them, which minimizes the spread of the virus.
Even if you are washing them, make sure you are taking proper precautions. Wash the clothes with the detergent in warm water. Wear disposable gloves while carrying the clothes and wash your hands after putting clothes in the dryer. Get the garments far from your body and face.
Finally, clean and sanitize all the items where the patient put the clothes.
You can buy disposable gloves from Amazon or Flipkart for handling clothes and other items of the sick person.
- Careway Latex Medical Examination Disposable Hand Gloves comes with a pack of 100 gloves at affordable rates and good quality. It is the best seller on Amazon.
- ONSAFE Latex Medical Examination Disposable Powdered Hand Gloves - It is another best-seller at Amazon for disposable gloves.
Be careful with dishes and food
You should not share food with the sick person and avoid eating together. Keep the dishes clean and sanitized. Wear your gloves while touching the Covid patient’s plates.
We have listed some good retailers on Amazon for purchasing disposable plates, bowls, and other utensils.
- SMS HYDRO TECH Biodegradable Disposable and Eco-Friendly Square Plate - It is a good product that comes with dishes and wooden spoons at reasonable rates.
- Redox Disposable Plates - Sugarcane Bagasse Brown Plates -It is another highly recommended product that contains square Plates, bowls , and utensils.
It would be best to take as many precautions as possible while contracting with the Covid positive patient. But it is also essential that the person affected by the virus is also taking proper care to treat themselves.
Here’s a thorough guide on how you can take care of the Covid patient.
How do we take care of COVID-positive patients?
Healthy diet
It is seen that a good and nutritious diet can help to cope up with the diseases naturally and more quickly. Covid patients should get nutrients like vitamin E, vitamins C, iron, zinc, etc. , to boost immunity.
The body utilizes a lot of energy to fight against the virus. Hence, make sure the person is consuming food that provides power to the body. The patient should avoid unhealthy and junk foods as they do nothing good to the body. Fresh vegetables, fruit and food, should be provided to the patient.
There are many healthy recipes like daliya, poha, herbal tea, and many more nutrients and vitamins required to fight against the virus.
You can allude to our article – “Diet for Covid patients” for more data.
Treatment At home
Most of the covid patients can be treated at home. You can follow the given tips to treat COVID at home:
Rest: Do not engage in activities like work from home, excessive exercise, etc. that requires
energy. Take as much rest as you can to feel better and speed up your recovery.
Stay hydrated: Dehydration may worsen the symptoms and can cause other health problems.
Hence, drink water and fluids frequently to stay hydrated.
Stay home: those suffering from covid should not step out of the house, as there are many
chances to infect others. Stay at home in a separate room from other household members to
avoid the transmission of the virus.
Monitor: It is essential to monitor the patient regularly.
❖ Check the levels of oxygen in your blood with a clip-on finger monitor
❖ Check your lung rate
❖ Go for a chest X-ray or CT scan
Call your doctor if your symptoms are getting worse.
When is the problem severe?
The doctor recommends using a pulse oximeter for patients who have risk factors for severe illness with COVID-19. A pulse oximeter helps to check breathing by measuring how much oxygen is in the blood. It is a plastic clip that attaches to a finger. If the reading is less than, 92% the need for hospitalization increases.
If the oxygen level is low, you can inhale extra oxygen through two small tubes that go just inside your nostrils. But if the condition is serious, the caretaker should provide the patient with oxygen through ventilation.
You can purchase the given oximeter from Amazon.
- OXIMETER Heart Rate Monitor
- Dark Seller Pulse Oximeter Fingertip
- Beaver Swadesi Finger Tip Pulse Oximeter
As per the FDA and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, the following medicines can treat the COVID-19 patient. However, any medication is to be consumed after consulting with a doctor.
- Remdesivir (EUA) for patients with
❖ Moderate to severe disease (requiring SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN), AND
❖ No renal or hepatic dysfunction (eGFR <30 ml/min/m2; AST/ALT >5 times ULN (Not an absolute contradiction), AND
❖ Who are within ten days of onset of symptom/s?
Recommended dose: 200 mg IV on day one f/b 100 mg IV OD for next four days.
Precaution: Not to be used in patients who are NOT on oxygen support or in-home settings
- Tocilizumab (Off-label) may be considered when all the given conditions are met.
❖ Presence of severe disease (preferably within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of severe
❖ disease/ICU admission).
❖ Significantly raised inflammatory markers (CRP &/or IL-6).
❖ Not improving despite the use of steroids.
❖ No active bacterial/fungal/tubercular infection.
Recommended single dose: 4 to 6 mg/kg (400 mg in 60kg adult) in 100 ml NS over 1
hour.
- Convalescent plasma (Off label)can be considered when the patient meets the following criteria:
❖ Early moderate disease (preferably within seven days of symptom onset, no use after seven days).
❖ Availability of high titer donor plasma (Signal to the cut-off ratio (S/O) >3.5 or equivalent depending on the test kit being used).
- Sanitization
It is necessary to sanitize all the places frequently that have been in contact with the Covid patient.
The sick person should sanitize or wash their hands from time to time. They should wear the mask all the time.
It is recommended to sanitize all the things touched by the person to avoid transmitting the virus. Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs and reduce their spread.
WHO recommends using sodium hypochlorite (bleach / chlorine) to disinfect the area. According to the WHO guidelines, a person to disinfect that patient’s room should use 0.1% or 1,000ppm (1 part of 5% strength household bleach to 49 amounts of water) .
You can use a concentration of 70-90% alcohol with water can also be used for surface disinfection. You must clean all the surfaces in contact with the infected person with water and soap or a detergent to remove dirt, followed by disinfection.
When to seek an emergency?
If a Covid positive person is experiencing emergency warning signs, call your local emergency number if you notice any emergency signs, like:
❖ Trouble breathing
❖ Persistent chest pain or pressure
❖ New confusion
❖ Blue-coloured lips or face
❖ Inability to stay awake
❖ Pale, grey, or blue-coloured skin, lips, or nail beds — depending on skin tone
❖ Respiratory rate >30/min, breathlessness
❖ SpO2 < 90% on room air
People residing in Delhi can contact the following helpline number in case of emergency.
COVID 19 HELPLINE NUMBERS
SR. No TELEPHONE NO.
011-22391014
011-22301028
011-22302441
011-22307133
011-22304568
011-22307745
Central Helpline Number for corona-virus: - +91-11-23978046
When it comes to Covid, both the caregiver and the patient take proper care. The details provided in the article are from renowned sources and are prescribed by the WHO and other health institutions.