Be Safe, Remain Isolated: How to Prepare for COVID-19

Published in

Renata Limited’s COVID-19 Journal

3 min readApr 20, 2020

COVID-19 is now spreading through our communities at a rapid speed, and many of us will unfortunately come into contact with someone who has the disease. If you start showing symptoms that resemble that of COVID-19 or suspect you may have come into contact with someone who has the disease, you need to isolate yourself in a room in order to protect your household. In this article, we will show you how to set up a room in your house for isolation.

Across all COVID-19 guidelines, 14 days is recommended for self-quarantine. In those 14 days, you should not leave the room unless absolutely necessary, and when you do leave the room, maintain at least a 2-metre distance from your family member (avoiding elders would be best). Disinfect any surfaces you touch in your house.

Having said that, let’s set up your isolation room. Choose a room with windows for clean air and good amounts of sunlight. This helps maintain the hygiene of your room.

Stock up with medicines for at least 14 days in your room, have plenty of tissue papers and disinfectant available. You need to take care of your mental well-being too, so have some source of entertainment: books, movies, music. You can have a device for this but clean regularly. Have a routine of light exercises you can do in your room because exercise is really important for your immune health. Have a means of communication with friends and family.

Preferably, this room should have its own bathroom so you do not have to share one with your family. But if you do have to share, create a roster for bathroom usage. The oldest and most vulnerable members of your family will use the bathroom first, and you or anyone else who has symptoms will go after everyone else. After use, clean every surface you have touched with disinfectant. Have your own set of toiletries (soaps, shampoos, toothbrush and toothpaste) and towels that you store separately from those of others, making sure no one else can use them.

Have meals away from family inside your room. Have your own plate, water pitcher and glass, spoons etc. that you wash thoroughly after every use. Store these in the isolation room if possible.

Worn clothes and personal wastes such as used tissue papers should be placed in a plastic bag within another plastic bag. After they have filled up, close them tightly and leave them in your room for 72 hours. Be careful not to shake them when open, as movement can get the virus airborne and place others at risk of infection. However, it’s best if you can wash your own clothes separately from everyone else’s so that you don’t run short of fresh clothes.

Masks, should you use them? Evidence shows masks are most effective in a clinical setting so we do not recommend their use. If you sneeze or cough, covering your face with a napkin or towel is enough to stop the virus from becoming airborne and infecting others. Dispose of them in the designated trash bag and disinfect your hands every time you sneeze or cough. Maintain a minimum distance of 2 metres with your households, and avoid having face to face conversations.

Staying in a room for 14 days in a stretch will definitely be tough, but remember, your persistence and patience will stop an infection spreading to you family and community, so isolation is not to be taken lightly.

References:

This article was written by Aumio Ishaat from Renata Limited. If you have any queries please send an email to aumio.8997@gmail.com

Be Safe, Remain Isolated: How to Prepare for COVID-19

Written by Aumio Ishaat