Isolation due to coronavirus is otherwise solitary due to test-confirmed coronavirus infection. Isolation can take place both at home and in a special facility - an isolation room. What are the rules for isolation in COVID-19, how should home isolation look like in practice due to the coronavirus?

Home isolationis not the same as home quarantine. Home isolation is used in people who tested positive for the coronavirus - but their he alth is so good that they do not require a hospital stay. Its goal is to isolate he althy people to reduce the risk of further spread of the coronavirus.

It is worth knowing that not only the infected person must stay in isolation, but also all household members - they, in turn, are subject to the rules of home quarantine.

People in home isolation have mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19, such as coughing, mild or low-grade fever, sore muscles and throat, and general weakness.

However, if your he alth worsens during home isolation - the temperature rises above 39 degrees C, shortness of breath, chest pain or other disturbing symptoms appear, you should immediately call an ambulance (informing about being in isolation at home) ), which will take the patient to the hospital.

What are the rules for home isolation?

Home insulation - guidelines of the Ministry of He alth

It is worth knowing that the final duration of home isolation is not predetermined - it depends primarily on the he alth condition and symptoms accompanying the infection, on the basis of which the primary care physician (or a physician in an isolation center) decides whether it should be extended.

  • People referred to home isolation receive an SMS on day 7 that they need to contact a primary care physician on the 8-10th day of isolation. Then the doctor decides how long the isolation will last - he can do it either in the form of a telepath or during a home visit.
  • If the primary he alth care physician fails to extend isolation, isolation ends after 10 days from the date of the first positive SARS-CoV-2 test result (in the case of people without clinical symptomsCOVID-19)
  • If the patient develops symptoms of infection, isolation should end after 3 days without fever and without symptoms of respiratory infection - but not earlier than 13 days after the symptoms appear.
  • In special cases - clinically justified or in the case of medical professionals or people caring for people staying in social welfare homes - isolation is completed after obtaining two negative test results from samples taken at least 24 hours apart . This rule applies to people who previously tested positive. The ministry's guidelines specify that in the case of medical personnel, performing the test is not a condition for returning to work.
  • People who have weak immunity, e.g. due to chronic diseases, may be in isolation for longer, up to 20 days.

Home insulation - what to do and what not?

A person in home isolation should monitor their he alth by taking their temperature at least twice a day and checking for an exacerbation of COVID-19 symptoms.

These are not the only rules for home insulation, however. If you are in isolation, follow the recommendations of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate:

  1. Drink at least 1.5 liters of fluid a day (including soups) and eat 3-4 light meals
  2. Isolate yourself from other household members around the clock - GIS recommends staying in a room where there is no one else besides you
  3. Try to communicate with the environment in such a way as to expose other people to contact as little as possible - e.g. by phone
  4. Remember that other household members should not come closer than two meters to you
  5. Avoid contact with pets as they can transmit the virus to other household members
  6. A person entering your room should wear a mask or otherwise cover their nose and mouth
  7. Do not take things out of the room you are using - GIS recommends that used bedding, towels, dirty clothes, etc. should be put in a plastic bag in the room, and only when it is full, put it out the door (let someone else do the laundry ). Likewise with waste - only when the bag is full, put it out the door so that someone else can throw it away. People who come into contact with these items must wash their hands thoroughly afterwards.
  8. Do not enter other rooms if someone is in them. When leaving the room, e.g. to the bathroom, put on a mask.
  9. If you use the shared toilet, disinfect the toilet before you go out. Keep towels and toiletries inthe room in which you are isolating.
  10. Air the room often. It is recommended to turn off air conditioning and fans, as well as air purifiers during insulation.
  11. Change the towel every two days, change the linen and pajamas every two days.
  12. Use separate cutlery, glasses and plates. Eat meals in isolation, and leave dirty dishes outside the door of the room - they should be washed in a dishwasher at a minimum temperature of 60⁰C with detergent or by hand with dishwashing detergent and under hot water. After washing the dishes, the person washing the dishes must wash their hands with soap and water.

Category:

Infectious diseases