6 tips for living with someone who has the coronavirus
How to reduce the risk to you and your family
This is not hyperbole. The estimates vary, but up to 60% of people will contract SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the next year.
With mass social distancing in force to help slow the speed at which coronavirus courses through the United States and the world, many are finding themselves spending extended periods of time at home. Combine those two facts, and the odds are that if you live with others, you will eventually be living with someone who has it.
Testing is still very limited in the United States. Eventually, even very mild cases may be able to get tested, but for the moment, that is not possible. The precautions here are sensible for anyone with a cough or other respiratory symptoms, especially if you have a fever.
As America moves into the spring, colds and flu will become less common and COVID-19 more common. Therefore, it is prudent to assume that a person with these symptoms might well be a COVID-19 case, even if testing is not possible.
The good news is that we are not helpless in this fight at home. We know how this virus is transmitted: through large droplets, touching contaminated surfaces and through the air. That means you can take steps in your home to minimize risk for you, your family, roommates and anyone coming through your door:
1 Isolate those who are visibly ill. If someone is visibly ill, isolate the infected person in one room and keep the door closed. Take your shoes and clothes off at the door. Keep an extra pair of clothes at the door where the isolated person is staying. Put them on when you enter, and take them off when you leave. (This is what health care workers do in hospitals.) This helps prevent the virus’ spread if the isolated person sneezes on you.
2 Open your windows. When you cough or sneeze (or just breathe normally) you generate particles that can stay airborne for a few hours (these are called droplet nuclei). Scientific studies show that higher ventilation rates (i.e., more fresh air) can be effective at reducing risk of airborne viruses. It’s intuitive: Bringing in more air dilutes what’s indoors.
3 Increase your filtration. Airborne viral particles can be captured by air filters. If you have a portable air purifier, run it in the room where the infected person is. If you have multiple air purifiers, run them in multiple rooms, prioritizing those in which people are spending the most time. If you are in a multifamily housing, ask your landlord to double check the filters and upgrade them to a higher level (MERV 13 or better).
4 Humidify. Viruses survive for longer periods at low humidity, and your body performs better at moderate humidity levels. If you have a humidifier, start running it. Place the humidifier in the room where the isolated person is. The optimal relative humidity is 40% to 60%.
5 Clean and disinfect surfaces. There is evidence that contaminated surfaces are playing a role here, too. You may have seen the term “fomite” used. Fomite is just the word given to any inanimate object that, if contaminated, can serve as a source of transference. Fortunately, coronavirus is easy to kill on surfaces using most common home cleaning sprays registered with the Environmental Protection Agency. (Diluted bleach solutions and alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol work, too.) A few times per day, pause what you’re doing and clean frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, sink handles, countertops, keyboards, handrails and light switches. In multifamily apartments, add in things such as elevator buttons and other surfaces in common areas.
6 Run exhaust fans in the bathroom. Several studies show that people can shed virus in feces. One study on COVID-19 shows that children with mild infections can shed virus in feces for over one month. Other research, not specific to COVID-19, shows that flushing fecal waste generates bioaerosol that can remain in the air for longer than 30 minutes post-flush. Closing the toilet lid before you flush and running the exhaust fan can help reduce airborne concentrations. If you don’t have an exhaust fan, just let the bathroom breathe for a bit before the next user goes in. If you have multiple bathrooms, dedicate one for the ill person. If not, the ill person should clean the bathroom after each use. Most important, continue to wash your hands frequently.
This virus is highly contagious, so we have to take every precaution we can. You will need to keep these enhanced protections in place for at least three days post-symptoms (no fever, cough or shortness of breath) and seven days since symptoms first appeared, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance given to health care workers.
Also, given the evidence of asymptomatic transmission, you can start implementing these tips now as a precaution, even if everyone seems healthy.
The best evidence suggests that once people have recovered from infection, they probably will be immune, at least for many months. That means they can repay the favor and help those who helped them when it’s their turn to get the virus.
Joseph Allen, assistant professor and director of the Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is co-author of “Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity.” Marc Lipsitch is professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at the T.H. Chan School.