Tips for isolating COVID-19 Loved Ones in the Home

COVID-19 spreads between people who are in close contact or within about six feet of each other through respiratory droplets, created when someone talks, coughs or sneezes.  So, it is very important to protect yourself when caring for someone who is sick with COVID-19, explains Mountain Lakes Medical Center Chief Nursing Officer Kim Ingram.  “If you were a patient of ours and you tested positive for COVID-19 then we would send you home with the CDC guidelines for isolation and quarantine within your home.  Those would basically tell you to get a separate room, so a separate bedroom so people may have to shift around, and then that is your space with a separate bathroom.  Don’t share bedrooms, don’t share bathrooms, don’t share drinking glasses, don’t share plates, cups, and spoons.  Basically you would need to keep yourself away from the other members in your household for whatever period of time the doctor told you that you needed to quarantine.”  If you have to share space, make sure the room has good airflow by opening the window or turning on a fan to increase air circulation.  The person who is sick should wear a cloth face covering when they are around other people at home and out, including before they enter a doctor’s office.  The cloth face-covering helps prevent a person who is sick from spreading the virus to others.  To prevent getting sick, make sure you practice everyday preventive actions like washing hands often, avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose with unwashed hands, and frequently clean and disinfect surfaces.  The decision to stop home isolation should be made in consultation with your healthcare provider and state and local health departments.