There are some serious hurdles to overcome if a person living in your home contracts COVID-19. You never thought that it would make it into your home, but it did and now you have to avoid it like the plague that it is. What can you do to keep yourself and others safe? Now more than ever, it is paramount to understand how to deal with a COVID-19 positive person in your home.
Since household members have a 50% risk of contracting the virus if someone in the house has it, you need to know how to act. We gathered some information to help you stay as safe and healthy as possible. Keep in mind that some of this information may go against your core beliefs, but these steps are necessary for your health.
Get Tested
If the person in your house comes home with a positive test, wear a mask and gloves around them at all times and quarantine them in a room as best you can. They may only experience mild symptoms, but you still need to get a COVID-19 PCR test ASAP. Now, it’s possible for the test to come back negative because the virus may or may not be present in your system in the first couple days. Because of that, you should get a second test about five to seven days after the person came home with a positive COVID-19 test. Testing is readily available in every state and you can find testing sites on city websites. Lastly, any person who came in contact with that person prior to testing positive should be informed so that they can all take tests.
Designate A Sick Room And Bathroom
If you have a spare room and bathroom, that makes this step a whole lot easier. The infected person needs to use a separate bedroom and bathroom from you. Children and pets should avoid the sick person’s areas at all costs and you should only enter with personal protective gear when absolutely necessary. If you don’t have a second bathroom, you will have to disinfect every single surface after the sick person uses it to ensure that it is 100% clean. You can google which disinfectants are the best to get rid of germs.
Let Fresh Air In Whenever Possible
This gets trickier as the days get colder, but fresh air is necessary, especially if your living quarters are tight. Keep those windows open whenever possible, even if you have to turn on the heat simultaneously. The virus spreads rapidly indoors, so avoid stagnant air by increase airflow into the home.
Eat Healthy
We’re putting this recommendation before mask wearing and hand washing for a reason. Not enough people have put emphasis on healthy eating during the pandemic, which is very upsetting. One of the best ways to improve immune function is by eating a healthy, balanced diet. Focus on fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. If you must eat animal protein, obtain grass-fed/grass-finished beef or wild caught fish. These foods can help decrease your risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, all of which are conditions that make a COVID-19 infection more life-threatening.
Disinfect Like You’ve Never Disinfected Before
Nobody likes to clean the house all the time, but you also don’t want to get COVID-19. Exert the extra effort and regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces and items. These include doorknobs, countertops, light switches, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks, and tables. You need to disinfect at least once or twice daily, depending on how many people live in the house and touch these items.
Always Wear A Mask
If someone in your house contracts COVID-19, that mask better not come off your face, unless you’re sectioned off in your own room away from the infected person. Additionally, the person who is sick should wear a mask if they enter common areas and leave their quarantined bedroom. According to health experts, there is a low risk of transmission if both you and the infected person wear masks. Masks help to block respiratory droplets and aerosols from exiting or entering. Wearing a mask does not make you 100% safe from COVID-19, but it does dramatically reduce your risk of contracting it.
