Caring For Someone With COVID-19

How to Safely Provide Care for A Family Member With COVID-19.

For most people who are exposed to coronavirus and become symptomatic with COVID-19, symptoms typically last only a few days and they start to feel better after about a week. Still, even when symptoms are mild, the virus itself passes from person to person easily. So, while their symptoms may feel like the average flu, they are still highly contagious. That puts anybody living in the same house, especially those who are providing care, at risk.

If you are caring for someone who has COVID-19, there are a few steps you should take to protect yourself and everyone else in the household:

• Keep the sick person isolated as much as possible. Ideally, it's best if the sick family member has their own bedroom and bathroom completely to themselves. You definitely want to keep him or her out of the kitchen for at least 10 days to two weeks. This means someone will have to bring meals to their bedroom several times a day.
• Wear masks inside the house when in the sick person’s presence. For example, every time you hand a plate of food over and take the dirty dishes from their room, both of you should be wearing masks.
• Assist them in following doctor’s orders. Your physician should give you some clear instructions on what the patient should be doing and for how long. Be there to help your ailing family member in following those orders. Make sure they drink plenty of fluids and get a good night's sleep every night. Also, it's a good idea to have the doctor’s phone number readily available.
• Keep pets away from them. Studies have shown that the coronavirus can pass from people to their pets. And while it's unclear whether the transmission of the virus can go the other way, it's a good idea to keep sick people and pets apart.

Finally, make sure you know the signs that mean you should drop everything and seek medical attention at an emergency room right away. Those signs include:

• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.
• A bluish tint on the face or lips.
• Severe high fever that doesn’t improve with over-the-counter medications.
• Pain or pressure in the chest.
• Inability to wake up or stay awake.
• Confusion that is new or unexpected.

Note: This is not a complete list. Be sure to follow your medical provider’s instructions on when to seek emergency medical treatment.

At Workplace Screening Intelligence, we provide a wide range of services that include clinical laboratory testing, employment drug testing, parental drug testing, and DNA paternity testing, as well as COVID-19 screening. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 800-338-5515 or visit our website at www.workplacescreening.com.