Corona Treatment at Home: 13 Steps to Follow for Effective Treatment
In this article, I am sharing 13 steps to handle corona at home. These steps are based on the World Health Organization guidance. Thus this article is designed accordingly. The document ‘Home Care for Patients with the suspected novel coronavirus’ depicts the following steps.
These 13 steps of home care should only be considered in the following cases. Firstly, the illness is mild. Secondly, the patient is symptomatic but no longer requires hospitalization. Also, the capacity is limited and the resources are unable to meet the demand in the current situation.
Steps to Follow During Home Treatment of Corona
1. Be in touch with your Doctor
Above all, communication should be established between your doctor or health care provider. For instance, communicate until the symptoms have resolved. Also, it includes an assessment of the
patient’s home environment. That is to say, make sure it’s suitable for home care.
2. Isolate the patient having symptoms of Corona
Place the patient in a well-ventilated single room. In other words, with windows open and a door open.
Limit the patient’s movement in the home.. Also, minimize shared space. In addition, ensure that shared spaces, for example, the kitchen, and bathroom are well-ventilated. Moreover, keep windows open. So, if you have a kitchen exhaust fan or a bathroom vent fan keep them running. Likewise, make sure that shared spaces in the home have good airflow. For example, an air conditioner or an opened window which are weather permitting.
Members of the household should each be assigned to a separate bed.. For instance, if that’s not possible, maintain a distance of at least 3 feet from the ill person. Also, sleep in a separate bed.
3. Assign a Caregiver for Corona Patient
Limit the number of caregivers. Assign one person who is in good health if possible.. In other words, that person should not have any symptoms. To clarify, the caregiver should be asymptomatic without any adverse health condition. Do not allow any visitors until the patient completely recovers.
4. Maintain Hand Hygien
Perform hand hygiene after any type of contact with patients. Albeit, upon contact of their immediate environment, wash your hands. In other words, perform hand hygiene before and after preparing food. Furthermore, before eating, after using the toilet, and whenever hands look dirty. Using an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands aren’t visibly dirty. On the other hand, for visibly dirty hands use soap and water. A little more guidance, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
In the same vein, use disposable paper to dry hands after washing hands with soap and water. If these are not available use clean cloth or towels. Most importantly, replace them when they become wet.
5. Wear Mask to prevent the infection of Corona
Provide a medical mask to the patient to contain respiratory secretions. Wear a mask as much as possible.
Meanwhile, due to the shortage of medical masks, it is really difficult. So, let me share some guidance from WHO about homemade masks. When face masks are not available, health care providers might use homemade masks.
For example, use a bandana scarf for the care of patients with CoVID-19. However, homemade masks are not much effective in preventing the spread of corona.
Be cautious while considering this option. Also, you can use homemade masks in combination with a face shield. As a result, it will cover the entire front. In other words, it extends to the chin or
below and the sides of the face.
6. Alternative for Medical Masks
This tip is for those individuals who cannot tolerate a medical mask. They should use rigorous respiratory hygiene. For example, cover the mouth and nose with disposable paper tissue. Also, discard the material used as covering after coughing or sneezing.
Moreover, appropriately clean the material used. For instance, if it’s a handkerchief, then wash it using regular soap or detergent and water.
7. Steps to Follow by Caregiver
Caregivers should wear a tightly fitted medical mask. It should cover their mouth and nose when in the same room as the patient. Do not touch or handle the mask during use. However, if the mask is wet or dirty from secretions, it must be replaced immediately. Use a new
clean dry mask. Do not reuse masks or gloves.
Also, remove the mask using an appropriate technique. For example, don’t touch the front of it but instead, untie it. Dispose the mask appropriately after use. Also, maintain hand hygiene.
8. No Direct Contact
Avoid direct contact with body fluids. That is to say, oral or respiratory secretions and stool. Use disposable gloves and a mask when providing oral or respiratory care. Similarly, when handling stool, urine, or other waste perform hand hygiene before and after.
9. Use Separate Household Items for Corona Patient
Use separate eating utensils for the patient. These items should be cleaned with soap and water after use. Also, reuse it instead of throwing it away. You can buy disposable dishes and glasses for patients. Buy a bunch and dispose it properly after use.
10. Steps for Cleaning and Disinfecting
Clean and disinfect daily surfaces that are frequently touched in the room. For instance bedside, tables, bed, frames, and other bedroom furniture. Firstly, use regular household soap or detergent for cleaning. Subsequently, rinse regular household in water containing 0.5% Sodium Hypochlorite. It is a powerful disinfectant. Hence, we can use it to clean and disinfect the utensils.
Daily clean and disinfect the bathroom and toilet surfaces at least once. Perform this task the same as before. Firstly, use regular household soap or detergent and then rinse with disinfectant.
11. Washing of Clothes Worn by Patient
Most importantly, clean the patient’s clothes, bed, bath and hand towels using regular laundry soap and water. Also, you can use a washing machine with a hot water setting and common household detergent. Subsequently, dry them thoroughly. By all means, avoid contaminated materials coming into contact with your skin and clothes.
12. Gloves and Protective Clothing
For instance, wear a plastic apron when cleaning surfaces or handling a patient’s cloth. Depending on the work, either utility or single-use gloves can be used. Also, after using the utility gloves, clean with soap and water. Subsequently, decontaminate it with a disinfectant. Whereas discard single-use gloves like nitrile gloves or latex gloves after each use. Also, perform hand washing before and after removing the gloves.
13. Use Waste Bin to Discard Infected Materials
Use a waste bin with a lid to discard gloves, masks, and other waste generated during at-home patient care. Do not dispose of the infected waste anywhere. It may generate the risk of the spread of corona.
Other forms of contamination from the patient’s immediate surroundings should be avoided. To clarify, do not share toothbrushes, cigarettes, eating utensils, dishes, towels, washcloths, or bed linen.
Conclusion:
All things considered, follow these 13 steps while treating a corona patient at home. The steps are:
- Be in touch with your doctor.
- Isolate the Corona patient.
- Assign only one caregiver.
- Maintain hand hygiene.
- Wear a mask.
- Use tissue paper as an alternative to a medical mask.
- The caregiver should follow certain steps as mentioned.
- Avoid direct contact with a corona patient.
- Use separate household items.
- Clean and Disinfect.
- Wash and disinfect the clothes of a patient.
- Wear gloves and an apron.
- Use waste bin.
