Caring yourself or any beloved one suffering from Coronavirus is an effortful situation. Most of the patients who are well known about symptoms of coronavirus and get tested for it at early stages, can recover from this deadly virus at home. As India is also facing shortage of beds and ventilators in hospitals, it is more valuable if you defeat coronavirus at home. But you might also have some questions in your mind when caring for the corona patient or yourself at home. These questions would be what are safety measures in this situation? What are the caring tips for corona patients? What things should be followed by the patient attendant? And what are the critical situations seeking for a doctor quickly? In this article, you will get all your answers and the important things you need to know.
Safety Measures
Around 70% of the people getting sick with coronavirus possess mild symptoms only and there is no call for admission in the hospital. Signs and symptoms of this disease may last for several days and patients begin to feel better within a week. The main aim of treating coronavirus at home is taking enough rest, pain-relievers, and sufficient fluids. But firstly you need to do some tasks immediately after resulting positive:
- Isolate yourself in a room and prohibit the entry of any family member except the attendant at your room or washroom.
- Get all the basic equipment necessary for determining the patient’s medical parameters. You will need a Sphygmomanometer (BP checkup machine), Thermometer (to check body temperature) and Oximeter (for determining oxygen levels in your blood).
- Prepare a medicine kit having paracetamol and all important medicines.
- Arrange a PPE kit and box of hand gloves. These wearable will be used by the person caring for you or the patient attendant.
After arranging all the required things, the patient needs to take rest most of the time and consume a healthy diet.
DIET TIPS
Diet plays a crucial role in providing relief from coronavirus in a paced manner. A healthy diet will enhance your internal health and strengthen your immune system. While unhealthy foods will lag the recovery time. So, follow some of the dietary tips which are:
- Consume only a food having good quantities of nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, etc. Your body needs protein in large quantities while suffering from coronavirus to repair damaged body cells and tissues.
- Take warm or cold water in a large quantity to stay hydrated. Dehydration at this stage can make your condition worse.
- Drink homemade kadhas and herbal tea to strengthen your immunity.
- At night, light foods such as idli, poha, soups, daal, khichdi, etc should be consumed to reduce the burden on the digestive system.
Tips for Patient Attendent
Caring a corona patient is really a challenging situation because you are also at high risk of being infected with this life-threatening virus. Also the attendant needs to know some things to care for the corona patient in a wise manner.
- The patient attendant should be of young age because unfortunately if he also becomes corona positive, then his immune system is much stronger that he can cope up with the virus. Whereas the immune system of elder people is weaker and they can easily get affected by the virus.
- The patient attendant should keep an eye on the patient’s blood pressure, oxygen levels, pulse reading, and fever constantly.
- If the corona patient also has some other medical ailments such as diabetes, thyroid, etc. Then his regular checkup for these conditions should also be kept.
- Wash and sanitize your hands frequently after coming in contact with the patient.
- The room where the corona patient is isolated and the washroom which he is using should be sanitized regularly.
- Always wear a mask while going near to the patient and if possible, wear a mask all of the time and at home also.
- The patient attendant should restrict the corona patient from going outside his room. He may be provided with a fixed place to roam.
- Prevent the entry of visitors at your home at any cost. Their visit may spread the virus to many people.
- Give separate utensils and other usable stuff like clothes to the patient.
- The things used by the patient should be sanitized and washed properly.
- Keep all the family members far from the patient.
- The patient attendant should wash, sanitize, and take bath as well as many times he attends the patient. This will eliminate the virus from his body.
- Provide masks to the whole family members and instruct them to wear masks all of the time.
- Also take care of the mental health of the patient. Living in an isolated room may trap him in a stressful and depressing condition.
- Mental health of a corona patient is a serious issue. They feel like they are left over, abandoned, isolated from the rest of the world. Many symptomatic persons don’t get the test done in the fear that no one would want to come in contact with them and they would be treated as aliens if they result positive.
- The patient attendant should inspire and motivate the patient all the time so that negative thoughts wouldn’t come in his mind.
- Ask the hobbies of the patient and the things he wanted to do always but time shortage didn’t allow him. Tell them that this is the correct time now to follow his passion.
- The patient can read books, write blogs, watch movies, documentaries, etc, to pass his time in a decent manner.
- If possible, hang the motivational quotes and paintings one walls of the Corona patients room. These quotes will fill his mind with positive energy.
- Teach the patient that spending time with one’s own is much worth at this condition.
All these tips will help the patient and patient attendant to get a safe and speedy recovery from covid. These measures will also prevent the spread of virus to other persons living around the patient.
Emergency Warning Signs
The patient attendant as well as the patient should be aware about the conditions which need emergency care before the occurrence of something worse. You should immediately call your doctor, if you observe:
- Trouble in breathing
- Severe chest pressure or pain
- Failure to stay awake
- Bluish face or lips
- Gray, pale or blue-colored skin
- New confusion
Conclusion
The coronavirus disease needs attention and safe steps to be taken at the correct time. Delaying taking care can give you hazardous results mainly if you are caring for the patient at home. Follow all the above given tips to boost the recovery rate of the patient in an effective manner.