Apr 05, 2020 15:00:00

What can be done to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus at home?

With the outbreak of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) , countries are urging them to refrain from going out of their way, or taking measures to block the entire city. However, because you can not break contact with family members living in the same house, there are many people who are worried that `` Is it possible to transmit the new coronavirus from a family living together or transmit the virus to my family by myself '' . Experts at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas explain how to prevent new coronavirus infections in the home.

How do we protect ourselves at home during coronavirus, and what if someone has been exposed? 4 questions answered
https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-protect-ourselves-at-home-during-coronavirus-and-what-if-someone-has-been-exposed-4-questions-answered-133992

'Social distance' has been widely advocated as a measure against the new type of coronavirus, based on the idea that reducing physical contact can reduce the risk of infection for each individual. However, even if you can stay away from contact with others by staying out, it is difficult to completely cut off contact with family members living in the same house.

If one of the family members living with the immune system has a problem, the other family members need to act as if they could transmit the new coronavirus, experts say. Claim. He said that direct contact with the target person should be avoided as much as possible, and that hands should be washed before contact as with healthcare professionals. Also, other families should keep a distance of 6 feet (about 1.8 meters) to families with immune system problems and take the initiative in purchasing food and other tasks so that they can stay out. Is also important.

On the other hand, during periods of instability and stress, such as the spread of infectious diseases, maintaining emotional interactions with others is also necessary to stabilize the mind. Still, keep your conversations to text messages, phone calls, video chats, etc. and don't visit relatives or friends, stay overnight, party or date. They should also avoid contact with parents, grandparents, and elderly friends who are at high risk for COVID-19.

In addition, with the spread of infection in countries around the world, it is quite possible that someone in the family has been infected with the new coronavirus. Symptoms do not always appear when infected with the new coronavirus, but it has been

pointed out that even when the symptoms are not present, there is a possibility of infecting other people. Therefore, if someone in the family turns out to be positive for the new coronavirus, they need to be very careful about infection, even if they have no symptoms.

Experts point out that those who are tested positive for the new coronavirus should stay at least 6 feet away from other families, at a social distance and, if possible, in a separate room. In addition to washing hygiene often and paying close attention to hygiene, they should refrain from using shared household items and cooking utensils. In particular, it is recommended that bacteria, such as smartphones, remote controls, game controllers, lighting switches, faucets, and toilet levers, which are easy to touch, are regularly disinfected.

In addition, there may be a case where 'a member of the family became infected with the new coronavirus and developed COVID-19.' In this case, someone in the family needs to take care of the patient, so you must take steps to protect yourself and take care of the patient. Experts point out that if any member of the family develops a new type of coronavirus infection, it is best to do it as much as possible.

• If possible, isolate patients to separate rooms to maintain physical distance from other family members.
・ Limit the number of family members who care for the patient to one and minimize the risk of transmission of the infection within the family members.
• In addition to frequent hand washing by the whole family, caretakers should wash their hands whenever they come into contact with the patient.
• Patients should cover their faces with tissues when coughing or sneezing, and discard the tissues each time.
・ Do not share household items and dishes with patients.
・ If the weather is good, open the windows and ventilate.

He said that the above should be continued for 72 hours after the patient's symptoms disappeared, plus at least one week after the first symptoms appeared. In other words, even if 3 days (72 hours) have passed after the symptoms disappeared, it is recommended to continue isolation at home if it is still 5 days after the first symptoms appeared.

Of course, there are problems such as the number of rooms in the house, and it may not always be possible to take measures such as isolating the family in a separate room. Even so, it is important to keep the distance as far as possible in the same room, practice frequent hand washing and sanitization in the home, and ensure that patients wear masks and bandanas on their faces to minimize the spread of the disease. Experts said.