Self Isolation in the time of COVID-19

First published 10th March 2020
Global| Resolving Incidents & Crisis

Many people globally are being asked to isolate themselves to prevent the spread of coronavirus or are choosing to if they’re showing symptoms

What do you need to know about self isolation and how should you prepare?

Firstly — do you need to self isolate?

You may need to isolate yourself if you have travelled to an affected area, or have been in close contact with an infected or person.

Close contact typically means having face to face contact with someone with the virus or spending 10–15 minutes with someone in close proximity (within 2 metres).

When someone does test positive for coronavirus, most health authorities globally will attempt contact tracing, finding everyone that person has spent time with and advise them that they’ll need to self isolate.

What should I do in self-isolation?

Self-isolation means staying at home for 14 days, not going to work, school or other public places such as malls or shopping centres, and avoiding public transport or taxis.

Well ventilation is key, with a flow of fresh air and a window that can be opened but also ensuring you’re able to keep away from anyone else you might live with.

Ensure you have a stock of groceries, shopping and medications you might need. There’s no cause for alarm (and the scenes of panic buying we’ve been seeing) but ensuring you have what you need (not what you think might run out) is key. It’s perfectly ok to have friends, family or delivery drivers drop off supplies to you however visitors aren’t recommended.

What if someone self-isolating shares a home?

Stay in your room with the door closed, only using communal kitchens, bathrooms and living areas when necessary

If you share a home and that includes sharing a kitchen, avoid preparing meals with other people and eat in a seperate room. Ensure all surfaces and kitchen utensils are cleaned daily.

Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding or other items with other people in your home

You may not have completely seperate spaces and be able to seperate yourself from family or housemates entirely — the advice is to simply do as best you can by limiting contact as much as possible.

For people living with someone who’s self isolating, it’s recommended they wash their hands often using soap and water for at least 30 seconds. This is especially true after coming into contact with the person.

Don’t share a bathroom, toiletries or other household items. If that isn’t possible, the isolated person should make sure the bathroom is thoroughly cleaned after each use.

What about work?

During an outbreak, it is important to reduce the risk of further spread of the infection. This will require understanding and support from employers, family members and friends.

It can help to:

• talk to those around you, including your employer, about the importance of self-isolation to reduce the risk of spreading infection at work; if you are well, you may be able to work from home
• make plans with your family and friends on how to manage shopping, dropping children to schools and events
• ask people not to visit your home while you’re self-isolating; if you need a healthcare or care visit at home during this time, tell them in advance that you are self-isolating so they can follow their local employer’s guidance

Finding Self Isolation Hard?

For some people self-isolation can be boring or frustrating. You may find your mood and feelings being affected and you may feel low, worried or have problems sleeping.

There are simple things you can do that may help, such as staying in touch with friends and relatives on the phone or by social media and you may find it helpful to talk to them, if you want to.

Many of our clients globally are already engaging with us as they determine how to monitor the situation whilst continuing their operations and keep their teams and operations safe.

We’ve setup a hub on our website to help our clients track the situation as well as access the latest in analysis as well as advice from the World Health Organisation — find us at www.complexglobal.co/covid-19

We’re helping our clients through monitoring and analysis of the situation via inCountry as well as our local, regional & global analysts and experts as well as our crisis response and emergency management provisions — ensuring our clients are assisted in their time of need.

If you have concerns about your current operations and the risks to your team or your business or if you feel you need a more developed understanding in the current situation and what might help you be better prepared, our team is able to assist. We have an expansive team in most regions with access to the latest information and analysis as well as scenario planning and support. To find out how we can support you, our team can be reached at coronavirus@complexglobal.co