What should I do if I had close contact with someone who is infected with COVID-19? :- COVID-19 is certainly a disease that can’t be taken lightly as the data of the infected and dead has been showing currently all around the world.

The risk of the disease is that the virus causing the disease can be transmitted from person to person when a healthy person comes in contact with the infected one. So what is contact?

When you say you have come in contact with the infected one that means Living in the same home as a person with a confirmed infection or direct contact with someone who has a confirmed infection. Or their body fluids, without the proper personal protective equipment or face-to-face contact with a person with confirmed infection, by any period of time.

Or being within two meters of a person with a confirmed infection for more than 15 minutes or being informed by a public health agency that contact with a confirmed case has occurred.

If you have just passed by the infected person say in the hall, and he infected person didn’t cough or sneeze or haven’t touched you anywhere, that means you haven’t met the prolonged time criteria.

So you are not at the risk of the disease. So this is not regarded as being in contact with the infected person.

What should I do if I had come in contact with the infected person of COVID-19?

When you come in contact with the infected person of COVID-19, then two things may happen. You will either get sick or you won’t get sick.

If you are not sick

You should keep monitoring your health and watch out if you develop any signs of the disease such as fever, cough, and shortness of breathing. At least monitor for these signs for 14 days after you had the last day you had come in contact with the infected person.
You should also look for other early symptoms such as chills, body aches, sore throat, headache and runny nose, muscle pain or diarrhea.
You should isolate yourself at home and not go to work, school or any other public places except for medical care.
When you isolate yourself at home, it means that you should stay in a separate room if possible far from other rooms. If possible use different bathrooms that others don’t use.
If you are staying in the same room as the other person of your family, wear a surgical mask. If you have to go out for medical care, also wear a
Separate use of utensils and articles, and wash hands properly.
Don’t go to school, work or any other public places, don’t use public transportation or rideshare.
If there are any elderly person, child or any person underlying health condition, then move him out of your home to your friends or relatives if possible till your isolation period.
If they can’t be moved to some other place to stay, then stay away from them as much as possible and wear a

If you get sick

If you develop the symptoms as mentioned above, don’t panic and determine whether you’re experiencing mild symptoms or severe. If you can manage at home or you have to go to the hospital or medical care. If you have mild symptoms, then you are able to recover at home. So stay inside the home and don’t get to public places.
don’t use any public transport
Isolate yourself at home and stay in a separate room away from others. Use a separate bathroom for your use only I possible.
Keep your distance from pets in your home. It has been proved that the virus can infect your pets such as dogs and cats. One of the dogs which are said to be infected with the disease has died already.
If you live alone and have to take care of your pet, wash your hands before and after caring for them.
Wear a surgical mask whenever you are around other people in your home.
When you cough and sneeze, Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue and dispose of the tissue in the trash can.
Wash your hands properly for 20 seconds with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizers.
If soap and water are not available, then use a hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol. Wipe all the surfaces of your hands properly and rub them together until they are completely dry.
don’t touch your face, eyes, mouth or nose till you wash your hands.
Separate your utensils, dishes, cups, glasses, towels, That is whatever you use from others so that only you can use them.
After being used, wash them properly with soap and water.
Clean your room yourself, don’t let anyone clean your room if possible.
Clean the high touch surfaces such as tabletops, doorknob, furniture, remote control, your mobile phone, and bathroom with the disinfectant if possible daily.
If you cant clean your room or bathroom, you have to seek the help of others. Then the other person should wear a mask and gloves to clean the room and bathroom.
If your condition is worse and you think that you now cant manage at home, then seek medical attention at once.
If you have your doctor, call him before going to the hospital so he can make the necessary preparation.
If you have to go to the hospital, wear the mask all the time. If possible go alone and don’t anyone especially children with you.
Follow the instructions as given by the health care provider or professionals.

Discontinuation of your home isolation

How to know that you are fit to now go outside and discontinue your home isolation? You can go outside and continue with your work if you have:

No fever for at least 72 hours without the use of any fever-reducing medicine
If you had other symptoms such as coughing, runny nose r shortness of. They have improved and subsided.
At least 7 days have passed after the onset of your first symptoms

Just remember that till now, there is no medicine for the disease, whatever the treatment that doctors carry out fo the patients in the hospitals or quarantine are only symptomatic.

Therefore, follow the advice as given by the health care providers or your government or follow the guidelines provided by WHO. don’t go unnecessarily to the hospitals to pressurize the health care providers.

The key is to make the immunity of your body strong so that your body can fight against the virus.