My COVID-19
Action Plan: How to Cope When the Virus Hits Home
By Sonja Bartolome, M.D. Internal Medicine
– Pulmonary Disease UT Southwestern Medical Center
Special to The Truth
In a pandemic, even when you do everything right, viruses
can still find a way into your home. As a respiratory
specialist, I have lived in PPE for the better part of a
year and made sure that my family has taken every
precaution. I was also among the first health care workers
to be vaccinated. So when my husband, Ivan, got COVID-19
this winter, it was a stark reminder of just how insidious
and unpredictable the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be. Ivan didn’t
have a mild case, either. He was sick with a fever and cough
for two weeks straight. When I posted an update about Ivan’s
condition to my social media, I was surprised how many
people came out of the woodwork and said, “I had it, too!”
or “My whole family caught it at the same time!” It was as
if they felt ashamed of being infected by a novel
coronavirus that has spread to nearly 29 million people in
the U.S. They also seemed worried about being judged by
others: What were you out doing?
Didn’t you wear a mask or wash your hands? Leading up to
Ivan’s illness, we hadn’t really gone anywhere or done
anything. We never went out in public without masks on and
hand sanitizer in tow. But that’s what viruses do. They are
always searching for an available host, even when we do our
best to be careful. As we approach the one-year mark of
living with COVID-19, we need to eliminate the stigma and
shift our focus to controlling the controllables,
particularly as new variants to the SARS-CoV-2 virus arise.
The vaccines, while vital, don’t mean we can let our guard
down. If someone in your immediate family becomes infected,
there are steps you can take to reduce the risk and limit
the spread at home. We developed an action plan when Ivan
tested positive for COVID-19, and I wanted to share our
experience in hopes it might help others.
1.
GET TESTED EARLY
When Ivan first started
feeling sick, we thought it might be a cold or flu and not
COVID-19. But just to be sure, we all got tested right away.
My tests came back negative, and we were surprised when his
were positive. More severe symptoms began shortly
thereafter. My children and I got tested a second time just
to be sure, and we were still negative. Testing helped us
isolate him early, potentially sparing the rest of the
family from infection. Explore UT Southwestern testing
options.
2.
ISOLATE AT THE FIRST SIGN OF SYMPTOMS
Even before his test
results came back, Ivan self-isolated at the first sign of
symptoms. We’- re fortunate to have a bathroom off the
master bedroom, which he was able to use through his
two-week isolation. I took the spare room, main bathroom,
and kitchen so I could bring him food throughout our time
apart. I also worked from home, attending meetings and
seeing patients via video conferences. Ivan and I set up a
protocol. I’d mask up, and then knock. He’d put on his mask
and move at least six feet from the door. I’d place his food
on a side table, chat a bit, then leave so he could unmask
and eat. When he was through, we’d repeat the process to
clear away the dishes. Our master bedroom has an external
door, so we could see him through the glass if we stood in
the yard. We could Face Time, but it was difficult being
apart for that long. I empathize with people who have had to
deal with this situation throughout the pandemic with
relatives in nursing homes and hospitals.
3.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Keep people who have
COVID-19 or symptoms in one area of the home and those who
are well in another. We know families who live in their RVs.
When one person got infected, that person stayed in a room
at the back of the RV, leaving only to use the restroom
(masked up, of course). The rest of the family stayed out of
the person’s space, masked up, and used antiviral cleaners
to wipe down the doorknobs, toilet handle, and faucets. No
one else in the family got sick. Do your best in your
environment. Keep at least six feet of distance between sick
and well individuals for at least 14 days after a positive
COVID-19 test and after they’ve been fever-free for 24
hours. Keeping them isolated behind a door is safest, but
physical distance may suffice. Weather permitting; spend
time outdoors at home as much as possible. The virus is more
likely to spread in closed in spaces without much
ventilation. Related reading: Tired of social distancing?
Try NPIs on for size
4.
WEAR PPE AT HOME WHEN SOMEONE IS SICK
Most of us don’t love
wearing masks, but they make a difference. At work, I wear
an N95 mask, face shield, gloves, gown, you name it. But at
home, we wore simple surgical masks, and the virus did not
spread to anyone else in our home. Some of the recently
recorded COVID-19 variants appear to spread faster than the
original SARS-CoV-2 virus, but they do not appear to cause
more severe infections. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) recently reiterated the importance of
wearing a snug-fitting mask and even suggested wearing two
masks, depending on the type, to further reduce the risk of
exhaling or inhaling respiratory droplets.
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