UNITED NATIONS SPECIFIED HOME ISOLATION GUIDELINES FOR ALL EMPLOYEES/DEPUTIES SAFETY RULES
Home care and isolation of mild to moderate cases
If you or someone in your household has mild to moderate
respiratory illness or the key findings of coronavirus (fever, cough, malaise,
or respiratory symptoms), isolation is required. This means you or they will
need to stay at home and have home care. The principles below describe how to
isolate and provide home care (or home self-care). Some important points first:
• These principles apply whether the patient
tests positive for COVID-19 or not
• The same general principles apply if you are
the patient, or if you live alone.
• Seek medical advice if caring at home for
those over 65 or anyone with significant medical conditions.
• If the patient experience shortness of breath
or if symptom worsen immediately seek medical care.
How
to manage a home care patient
• The
patient MUST stay home except to get medical care – they must not go to work/school
or interact with others outside the home until well (see the criteria in the ‘I’m
Sick’ page). This is ‘Isolation’.
• If
possible, they should be in a well-ventilated single room (i.e. with open
windows and an open door) and if available, should use a separate bathroom.
• Limit
the patient's movements in the house and minimize shared space.
• Ensure
that shared spaces (e.g. kitchen, bathroom) are well ventilated (keep windows open).
• Household
members should stay in a different room or, if that is not possible, maintain a
distance of at least 6 feet / 2 meters from the ill person and follow strict
hand hygiene.
• Limit the number of caregivers – ideally one well person only, and no
visitors. Caregivers should wear a surgical mask, disposable
gloves and a disposable or washable apron if available. However limiting
contact by using all the social distancing principles and regular cleaning/handwashing
will significantly lower risks if masks and gowns are not available. Perform hand hygiene for at least 20 seconds
with soap and water regularly, and after any type of contact with the patient
or their environment.
• The patient should use a surgical mask if available, otherwise practice
strict cough hygiene (covering the cough with your elbow or a tissue, and
immediately dispose of tissues into a waste bin and wash your hands for at
least 20 seconds with soap and water)
• Avoid sharing personal household items. Do not share
glasses, cups, dishes, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people in
your home.
• Clean “high-touch” surfaces daily. High-touch
surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom faucets, toilets,
phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Use regular
disinfectant/cleaning products and use disposable gloves if available. Wash your
hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water after cleaning, even if you
used gloves.
Advice
for close contacts
Household members, caregivers, and any person who has had close
contact with you should strictly monitor their health for symptoms of
respiratory illness. They should call their healthcare provider or a telehealth
service if they develop symptoms that may be caused by COVID-19 including
fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
When to stop isolation
For patients who were ill:
• At
least 10 days have passed since the start of the illness AND
• At
least 72 hours have passed since any symptoms have completely stopped
For patients who never had symptoms (asymptomatic cases):
• At
least 10 days have passed since COVID-19 positive PCR test (nasal swab)
Advice
for breastfeeding and infant care
For infants, seek medical advice from their pediatrician on how
to continue to breastfeed safely.
As stools may contain high concentrations of virus for weeks,
especially in children, after the infection has resolved, take additional care
when handling stools and soiled diapers and wash thoroughly your hands for at
least 20 seconds with soap and water afterwards.
Comments
Post a Comment