With the scarcity of hospital beds and the pressure on our health care system, people are preferring and also being advised to stay at home.
So how do you care for a family member or friend who is staying with you and has tested positive? Here are a few handy tips that will not only protect you but allow you to take care of those in need of your care and affection very efficiently and effectively.
- Ensure that the person who is sick is following the medical practitioner’s advice and instructions carefully and taking medicines on time.
- An oximeter should be kept handy and oxygen levels tracked from time to time. The reading should be above 94.
- If over-the-counter medication is not helping in lowering the fever or if their oxygen levels are dropping below 94 then without any delay shift them to the nearest hospital after taking an appointment and ensuring that there is proper space and medical care available.
- The patient must be given a lot of fluids – including water and juices.
- The patient must get adequate rest and sleep in clean and hygienic surroundings.
- Their cough and sneeze must be done using a flexed elbow and if tissues are used, they must be discarded immediately.
- The sick person must wear a mask at all times and the mask should be a proper surgical or N95 mask and not cloth masks that do not offer good protection.
- Keep your family doctor’s number, hospital numbers, and ambulance numbers handy for emergency use.
- Limit contact with the patient.
- If it is possible let the patient use a separate bathroom and bedroom
- Maintain social distancing with the sick person and try and stay at least 6 feet apart.
- Keep your house and the patient’s room very well ventilated.
- Do not allow visitors or guests in your house and you too stay at home as you may be a carrier.
- Wear gloves while handling any utensils and clothes of the patient and dispose of those gloves after touching their clothes or utensils
These are trying times for everybody but we can surely follow a few guidelines to ensure ours as well as the safety of others! Let’s be responsible and fight this global pandemic together!
