Family & Home Pandemic Prepared (Coronavirus nCoV-2019, Covid-19, Wuhan Flu) ness by Lynn Jack - HTML preview

Chapter 8 – Sick Rooms and Illness Care

In a pandemic, hospitals will only have space for the most ill patients. Therefore, before, instead of, or after a hospital stay, you or your ill family members will need to be cared for at home.

It is important to not spread the illness through the entire family unit, as there will be no one left to care for the others.

If possible, you should create a sick room. You want this room to have good lighting, a window that opens, and easy access to bathroom. If a separate sick room is not possible, you should section off part of a room for the sick person with plastic sheeting and duct tape. If the bathroom is going to be used by both the sick person and others, it will need to be thoroughly cleaned a couple times per day. Lysol spray or some other anti-bacterial/anti-viral spray would be a good item to have on hand.

Everything brought into the sick room should stay there and only be used by the person providing care and the sick person. Don’t share any items between the sick person and anyone else (towels, glasses). Medicine bottles should remain in the sick room. If possible, all items in the sick room should be able to be cleaned or disposed of in a proper manner. You can purchase the red plastic medical waste bags online. Use disposable plates, cups, and plastic ware if you are concerned about your water supplies.

Follow the following procedures to help prevent spread of the disease:

• No one except the caregiver should enter the sick room.
• Hang plastic curtains at the doorway with duct tape. Hang one curtain on the inside and one on the outside of the door.
• Line the bed with a waterproof sheeting to prevent bodily fluids from soaking in.
• Seal the furnace air return vent (if there is one) with plastic and duct tape.
• Open a window as much as possible in the sick room to allow fresh air flow. Try to keep the sick person out of the draft and warm at times.
• Wash your hands before and after entering the room.
• Wear disposable gloves.
• The caregiver should wear a Tyvek suit, waterproof apron or waterproof raincoat while in the room. This item of clothing should stay in the sick room until it is washed.

Both the caregiver and sick person should wear masks when in close contact. The caregiver should also wear goggles.

Use disposable dishes and discard them in the sick room.

If the sick person needs to cough at any time, they should cough into a tissue and then dispose the tissue. All tissues should be placed in a Ziplock bag and sealed before removal from the sick room.

Have the sick person wash their hands after using a tissue. Hand sanitizer works best for this.

Remove and discard your gloves immediately when leaving the sick room. Discard the gloves in the sick room.

• Clean the sick room daily. Use liquid disinfectant on all hard surfaces. Change the sick person’s clothes every day. Clean their bed linens every other day or immediately if soiled. Wear gloves and place used clothing and bedding in a plastic bag and wash immediately after taken from the room. Dispose of the plastic bag and gloves.
• Everything in the sick room, or brought into the sick room, should remain in the sick room (i.e., phone, bell to request assistance, flashlight, thermometer, etc.)

You should give the sick person all medicines their doctor directs. Over the counter medications can be used as instructed on the bottle to alleviate symptoms. CAUTION: Do not give aspirin to manage influenza symptoms unless otherwise directed by a doctor. Medicines that might be useful are:

• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), Naproxen (Aleve) or Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for fever and pain.
• Guaifenesin (Robitussin) for cough.
• Antihistamine for nasal congestion.
• Lip balm

You must be careful that the sick person does not get dehydrated. This is especially true if they have a fever and/or diarrhea. They should be drinking at least 80 oz of fluid each day - the more the better. They should drink constantly during the day. Pedialyte and Gatorade can help replenish electrolytes lost through vomiting and/or diarrhea.

The information in this book is not a substitute for medical treatment and advice. Seek and follow any guidance provided by the government or medical providers regarding the disease in question.