Guidelines for Home Isolation

Guidelines for Home Isolation

Advice for Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Patients (as of March 26, 2020, from the Department of Medical Services)

Most COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms and may not require hospitalization or stay at the hospital for a short period of time before continuing their recovery at home or a recovery facility. Patients with mild symptoms will usually recover gradually until they are fully recovered, but some may experience worsening symptoms during the first few weeks. Patients must pay close attention to their symptoms and, when in doubt, consult their doctor or get evaluated at a hospital to receive proper care.

Patients with mild symptoms or those who are improving may still carry the COVID-19 virus in their nasal and respiratory secretions for at least two weeks after onset, so patients who are sick must isolate themselves from others at home for at least two weeks from the onset of symptoms to minimize the spread of the virus. For example, if the patient develops a fever on March 1 and is admitted to the hospital on March 3 and discharged on March 9, they should isolate themselves at home until at least March 15.

Suitable Accommodation for Home Isolation

During the isolation period, suitable accommodation should have the following characteristics; otherwise, patients may need to find another suitable location:

• The accommodation should provide necessary food and supplies so patients don't have to leave the house to purchase them.
• The patient should stay alone or with others who are also in isolation, with separate bedrooms and bathrooms. If that's not possible, the patient should wear a mask and maintain a distance of at least six feet from others in the household.
• The patient's room should have good ventilation, natural light, and be cleaned frequently. It should also have access to a bathroom and a trash can with a lid to dispose of used tissues or masks.
• The patient should have access to a thermometer and be able to check their temperature twice a day. If they have a fever or other concerning symptoms, they should contact a healthcare provider immediately.

Patients with COVID-19 should follow these strict measures while in isolation:

1. Do not allow anyone else to visit while in isolation.
2. Clean hands regularly with alcohol gel or soap and water if hands are dirty. Especially after touching nose or mouth secretions, coughing, sneezing, using the bathroom, or before touching common surfaces like doorknobs, handrails, refrigerator handles, etc.
3. Stay in a separate room at all times and avoid close contact with other people in the living area, especially elderly people, young children, and individuals with chronic illnesses. While in a separate room, wear a face mask if still experiencing symptoms such as coughing and sneezing.
4. If necessary to be close to other people, others must wear a face mask and stay at least one meter away or approximately an arm's length apart (except for breastfeeding mothers, who can breastfeed since the virus has not been found in breast milk. However, the mother should wear a face mask and wash hands thoroughly before touching or breastfeeding the infant). If coughing or sneezing, do not get close to others, or stay at least 2 meters away.
5. While wearing a face mask, do not use hands to cover the mouth while coughing or sneezing since hands may be contaminated. If coughing or sneezing while not wearing a face mask, use the elbow or tissue to cover the mouth and nose.
6. Use a separate bathroom from others. If you must use a shared bathroom, use it as the last person, close the lid, flush, and clean any contaminated surfaces with a solution of sodium hypochlorite bleach containing 5,000 parts per million (ppm) or 0.5% (1 part bleach to 9 parts water).
7. Keep personal items separate from others, such as dishes, utensils, glasses, towels, phones, and computers.
8. Do not share meals with others. If eating outside the home or preparing food in a shared space, have others provide food separately and eat alone.
9. Wash clothes, linens, and towels with soap and water or detergent, using hot water at 60-90 degrees Celsius if possible.
10. Separate personal trash and dispose of general waste immediately. Dispose of contaminated waste, such as used masks, tissues, etc., in a plastic bag with a solution of sodium hypochlorite bleach containing 500 parts per million (ppm) or 0.05% (1 part bleach to 99 parts water), then tie the bag tightly before disposing of it with general waste. Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the waste.
11. Rest in a room with adequate ventilation and avoid very cold air. Drink enough clean water, avoid very cold drinks, and eat nutritional food.
12. Avoid going to public places, workplaces, and schools until the period of isolation has been completed.

If you experience new or worsening symptoms such as high fever, persistent cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, fatigue, or loss of appetite, please call and seek immediate medical attention at a hospital. This disease can worsen significantly during the second week of illness. If you need to travel to the hospital, please use a private car and keep the windows open. Alternatively, you can request an ambulance while contacting the hospital.

13. During isolation, clean and disinfect frequently-touched surfaces and equipment such as beds, tables, chairs, and phones with appropriate detergent and water. After completing the isolation period, thoroughly clean all areas that can be cleaned with 0.05% sodium hypochlorite bleach.

If you have any questions, you can contact the hospital where you received treatment or call the Department of Disease Control emergency hotline Tel 1422.

Reference: Department of Disease Control and Ministry of Public Health