HOW TO LIVING WITH A COVID-19 PATIENT IN A CLOSE HOUSEHOLD

This guidance is intended for people living together in close quarters, such as people who share a small apartment, or for people who live in the same household with large or extended families.

• Separate (isolate) a household member who is sick.

• Provide a separate bedroom and bathroom for the person who is sick if possible. If you cannot provide a separate room and bathroom, try to separate them from other household members as much as possible. Keep people at higher risk separated from anyone who is sick.

• If possible, have only one person in the household take care of the person who is sick. This caregiver should be someone who is not at higher risk for severe illness and should minimise contact with other people in the household.

• Identify a different caregiver for other members of the household who require help with cleaning, bathing, or other daily tasks.

• If possible, maintain six feet between the person who is sick and other family or household members.

• If you need to share a bedroom with someone who is sick, make sure the room has good air flow. Open the window and turn on a fan to bring in and circulate fresh air if possible.

• Maintain at least six feet between beds if possible. Sleep head to toe.

• Put a curtain around or place other physical divider (e.g., shower curtain, room screen divider, large cardboard poster board, quilt, or large bedspread) to separate the ill person’s bed.

• If you need to share a bathroom with someone who is sick, the person who is sick should clean and disinfect the frequently touched surfaces in the bathroom after each use. If this is not possible, the person who does the cleaning should:

– Open outside doors and windows before entering and use ventilating fans to increase air circulation in the area.

– Wait as long as possible before entering the room to clean and disinfect or to use the bathroom.

If you are sick, do not help prepare food. Also, eat separately from the family.