Updated on July 5, 2024
Due to the increasing numbers of COVID19 patients, many hospitals are facing a scarcity of beds and other treatment facilities for the COVID19 pandemic. To solve this problem, Govts and health departments have decided to hospitalise only seriously sick and need life-saving treatments by health experts. All others having mild symptoms or not having any serious sickness or breathing problems have to follow home care for COVID19 patients as per the directions from the health departments. It is estimated that almost 70% to 80% of people with COVID19 will have mild illnesses and can be managed at home with guidance from the healthcare provider and symptomatic treatments. This article and the video cover the basic points on how to care for people with COVID-19 at home.
Disclaimer:
This article and video is only for informational purpose. Information and tips shared in the article do not represent or treated as a health expert advice. You should seek and follow expert advice for your problems.
Home care for COVID19 patients
We are going to be talking about how to manage covid-19 at home. What is the suggested home care for COVID19 patients? Advisory and guidelines by the government of India and the Ministry of Health state that if you have covid-19 mild illness you can be managed at home. Since 70 to 80% of cases of COVID-19 present mild symptoms, taking certain precautions and necessary care at home can help you to achieve your road to recovery.
Stay home in isolation
The first important home care for COVID19 patients is if you are diagnosed with COVID19 and a health care provider asks you to stay home you need to be in a separate room that is in isolation. And preferably this room must have an attached bathroom so that no other members of the household use that room or that bathroom.
Visiting a Doctor
You only must step out of your house to go to the doctor for the appointment. And before you go for the appointment, make a call to the health care provider and let them know that you are COVID-19 positive. Also, you should not travel on public transport when going to the hospital. You need to arrange for a private vehicle so that you can be taken to the hospital. You also need to take the necessary precautions that using a hand sanitiser, using a face shield and a mask when you are travelling to your doctor’s appointment.
Maintain a daily routine
It is equally important to maintain a daily routine, that is getting up at a particular time in the morning, and having a bath. changing clothes and getting some exercise. Moving around in your own home for 10 to 20 minutes 3 to 4 times a day will also help.
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Maintain a healthy diet
The next important thing is you need to maintain a healthy diet. A healthy diet is a balanced diet that has a mix of cereals, proteins, and fruits, especially citrus fruits because citrus fruits contain a lot of Vitamin C, and studies have shown that vitamin C improves your immunity. Find 7 Health Benefits Of Citrus Fruits That You Didn’t Know
Read How To Boost Immune System With Food And Healthy Living
Drink plenty of fluids
It is equally important to drink at least 2 to 3 or 3 to 4 litres of water a day. This can be in the form of plain water, milk, juices, tea or coffee. Regarding instructions on fluid intake and dietary modification consult with your doctor if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.
Read How To Drink Water The Right Way?
Monitor symptoms
You need to monitor your own symptoms very carefully. For this you would require a thermometer, you would also require a pulse oximeter, and if possible you can also get yourself a blood pressure monitor.
You need to monitor your temperature and your pulse oximeter reading at least two to three times a day and keep a record of it. This will help your health care provider in making certain treatment decisions for you. It is normal in COVID-19 illness to have some throat irritation and a low-grade fever. But you need to watch out for certain warning signs. These warning signs include trouble with breathing, persistent fever which is more than 101 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 days, saturation which is less than 95%, pulse of more than 110 per minute, feeling of heaviness in the chest, confusion, drowsiness, bluish/grey or pale lips, and nail beds. if you experience any of these symptoms you need to immediately contact your healthcare provider and seek medical help.
Read How To Stay Healthy During COVID 19? | Expert Advice
Breathing exercises
Since COVID19 primarily affects the lungs, it is important that your lungs need to be strong enough. For these, there are a lot of breathing exercises that you would do. This will improve the oxygenation capacity of your lungs as well as it will help and facilitate in removal of excess secretion from your lungs.
Throat irritation
Throat irritation is another problem that you would face because of COVID19. For this, you may take gargle three to four times a day. This can be done with warm water and salt added to it.
It’s very important to drink a lot of fluids because fluids help you to loosen the secretions. Deep breathing exercises along with coughing exercises and prone positioning and cupping techniques will help in the removal of the secretions. If you sneeze or cough, you need to use tissues and dispose of tissues in light trash bags which have legs on them.
If you are using a handkerchief to cover your nose when sneezing and coughing what should 10 soap and water and try it in direct sunlight immediately after using a tissue or after sneezing and coughing wash it in soap and water and dry it in direct sunlight.
Immediately after using a tissue or after sneezing or coughing you need to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitiser if you do not have access to soap and water.
Read 5 Indian Habits To Learn During COVID19
Clean and disinfect surfaces
It is important for you to clean and disinfect all the surfaces that you touch, especially the doorknobs, remote controls, handles, grab bars or anything that you are using. It is better if you can do this by yourself by cleaning and disinfecting with the household cleaners. But if you require help a caregiver can do it for you but the caregiver has to take necessary precautions like wearing gloves and using a mask while cleaning the surfaces.
First, clean the surfaces with soap and water followed by a household cleaner. You need to follow the instructions given on the label of the household cleaner or surface disinfectant so that the disinfection can be effective.
Read Pregnancy And Breastfeeding Guidelines – COVID-19
Do not share personal items
It is again important that you should not be sharing the personal items that you are using with any other members of the house. This includes drinking glasses, dishes in which you eat, mattress, bed anything that you use.
Read Healthy Parenting Tips In The Time Of COVID-19
Mental health – Stay positive
Last but not the least, and very often neglected is mental health. You need to keep yourself positive. Avoid watching a lot of negative news and things shared on social media about COVID19. Good mental health and a positive attitude will help your immunity to fight the infection better. Take care of your mental health and do a lot of diversion techniques such as listening to music or watching movies or reading books or whatever you like.
Read Covid-19 Coping With Stress During The 2019-nCoV Outbreak
Take rest, keep yourself hydrated, take good food, do a lot of breathing exercises, and talk with your health care provider if you feel that you are getting sicker.
Read How To Manage COVID19 Isolation – Useful Things You Can Do
Home Care For COVID19 Patients And Precautions – Rinta Rajan
Rinta Rajan, RN MSN (CVTS), Nurse Educator. She is providing useful health education for the general public as well as nursing care for certain disease conditions and their nursing management. In this video, she is giving a few basic and helpful information and tips about home care for COVID19 patients and the precautions to be taken.
Read A COVID-19 Monologue And A Human Response ( Lessons Learned)
Conclusion
Hope that this article and the video helped you to get some basic information required for home care for COVID19 patients and the necessary precautions to be taken while staying home in isolation. It is a fact that if one person in a family gets infected, all others can also be affected. At the same time precautions and proper care can help to avoid spreading the disease. Stay safe, and follow the guidelines from the health department and other concerned authorities. It is not just that you should take care not to get infected, but it is your duty to control the spreading COVID19 pandemic. Let’s join hands together and fight against this tiny virus that destroying the world.
Recommended for further reading
- How To Self Protect Against COVID-19 – WHO
- Coronavirus Myth Busters | COVID-19 WHO Advice
- Coronavirus Basic Protective Measures – WHO – COVID19
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References: WHO CDC
Mathukutty P. V. is the founder of Simply Life Tips, a blogger, content writer, influencer, and YouTuber passionate about learning and sharing. Guided by “Simple Living, Creative Thinking,” he believes in the power of knowledge sharing and lifelong learning.