Home care if you have mild symptoms of Covid

Patients who are positive for COVID-19 do not always show severe symptoms. In fact, most cases often cause no symptoms or only mild symptoms such as dry cough and sore throat. If you are one of those who may have contracted COVID-19 and want to do home care, here are what to do.

Know if your condition allows you to be treated at home

Before starting treatment, of course you have to make sure again to the doctor whether your condition allows you to undergo treatment without medical assistance in the hospital.

You may have concerns that your illness will get worse and need constant supervision from your doctor. However, COVID-19 is self-limiting disease, which means that the disease can actually heal by itself if the patient has a good immune system.

WHO also advises for patients with mild symptoms, hospitalization may not be necessary as long as the family also works together to continue to monitor the patient's progress.

In addition to having mild symptoms, those of you who want to undergo home care must also ensure that you don't have other chronic disease conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, or other conditions. immunocompromising which can increase the risk of complications in the patient.

Especially in a situation like now, where the hospital has limited capacity and resources while patients continue to surge. By doing home care, you will help keep space available for patients who need it most.

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Things to do during home treatment for COVID-19

In treatment for the COVID-19 disease, both the carer and the patient must receive adequate education about the virus and its spread and monitor it at all times. The doctor may give several different recommendations depending on the patient's condition.

However, here are the basic things to do.

1. Isolation in a separate room from other family members

While undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at home, isolate yourself in a different room. If possible, stay in a room that is far from the rest of the room. The room should also be well ventilated with doors or windows open. If there is, also use a different bathroom.

2. Wash your hands

Washing hands is not only mandatory for those who care for it, but also for the patient himself. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially if your hands are starting to look dirty, dry them with disposable paper towels. Use it too hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

choose hand wash or hand soap containing aloe vera which has an additional function to soften the skin. For those of you who have sensitive skin, choose hand wash which contains allergen-free fragrance. That way, you can keep your hands clean and soft at the same time.

3. COVID-19 patients must wear a mask

The disease COVID-19 can be transmitted through saliva droplets that come out when sneezing, coughing, or talking. The saliva that comes out can also stick to the surface of objects and can infect people who come in contact with the object.

Therefore, the patient should wear a mask every time and change to a new one several times a day or until it feels moist. A surgical mask is helpful enough to reduce the spread of outward splashes. Make sure the mask also covers the nose and mouth properly. The use of masks must also be done by those who treat patients.

When sneezing or coughing, cover your mouth and nose with paper towels, then throw them in the trash immediately.

4. Take medicines that relieve symptoms

Some of the medications you may need are painkillers, cough drops, or prescription drugs. You can also take other medications that can reduce the symptoms you are feeling.

For those who feel symptoms of COVID-19 such as body aches or headaches, painkillers such as acetaminophen might help. If you have a fever, you can overcome it by taking over-the-counter medicines and using other aids to reduce heat such as cold compresses.

Additional supplements such as vitamin C may be needed to help restore endurance.

5. Cleaning the room and objects around the COVID-19 patient

Especially on objects that are often touched such as tables, bed frames, or other furniture. As previously explained, the virus that causes COVID-19 can stay on the surface of objects, so clean it and if necessary, use a disinfectant.

Clean surfaces with soap and water, then apply a disinfectant that contains chlorine, for example 0.1% sodium hypochlorite or 60-90% alcohol at least once a day. Also wash the patient's clothes, shoes, bed linen, and bath towels using normal washing soap, or if you use a washing machine set the water temperature at 60-90 ° C. Separate the patient's dirty laundry from others.

Remember, although most conditions can get better on their own, sometimes there are cases where the symptoms don't go away. Monitor your condition and if it happens or if it gets worse, immediately contact health personnel to get the right treatment immediately.