Quarantining yourself at home means staying at home and avoiding contact with others if you have developed, or been exposed to, an infectious disease, until the infectious period of the illness is over, or until you know that you have not contracted an illness to which you have been exposed. Quarantine helps to slow the spread of infection across a population.
You may be asked to stay at home until at least seven days after the onset of symptoms or after you were first exposed to someone with the disease. Your doctor will tell you exactly when your quarantine can safely end. Ziqitza Rajasthan and ZHL Rajasthan help you with the tips which you should keep in mind while you are quarantined at home.
Do’s to follow when Quarantined at Home
- Dr Datar Ziqtza Limited says when you are home quarantined for 14 days, stay in a well-ventilated room with an attached toilet. Prefer to stay away from the rest of the family members if you are suspected to have an infection. Follow all hygiene measures including mask, hand sanitisation, and physical distancing at all times.
- Eat healthy and nutritious food: Make sure that you have a balanced and nutritious diet every day.
o Include plenty of vitamin C, proteins, and other essential nutrients in your daily diet.
o Avoid eating outdoor or junk foods, highly processed foods, and foods containing trans fats or saturated fats.
o Develop a meal schedule and follow your meal plan.
o Avoid skipping meals and munching on snacks throughout the day.
- Stay Hydrated: Ensure that you drink plenty of water and healthy fluids when quarantined at home. Adequate water intake helps you maintain good health, eliminate toxins, and combat viruses and infections. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Also, you can have citrus fruit juices, such as orange juice, sweet lime juice, lemonade, and others.
- Exercise: Continue your fitness routine while quarantined at home. Performing exercises regularly helps you stay fit and aids in recovery when quarantined. Practice various yoga poses in your room. Also, you can perform exercises, such as wall squats, breathing exercises, planks, sit-ups, and many more, to manage your weight and maintain good health. While performing exercise make sure that you do not do over-exertion. Stop if you are feeling uncomfortable or pain.
- Take care of your mental health: Ziqitza understands being confined to home or indoors for days together may affect your mental health adversely. You may feel low or experience anxiety and stress. Following certain stress-relieving and relaxing techniques can help you enjoy good mental health.
o Practice meditation and yoga.
o Take a break from the news and social media.
o Have plenty of sleep.
o Interact with your beloved family and friends through a video call.
- Clean and disinfect the frequently touched surfaces, with a disinfectant, often. These include doorknobs, hangers, toilet surfaces, bed-frames, and others.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Wear a surgical mask, while interacting with anyone, to prevent the spread of infection. Change the mask and replace it with a new one every 6 to 8 hours, and dispose of the used mask in a closed bin.
- Stay away from your kids, elderly family members, pregnant women, and people having comorbidities, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. in the house.
- Clothes and other linen of the individual who is home quarantined should be cleaned separately by using good detergent and should be sun-dried. Also, the utensils of the quarantined individuals, such as spoons, plates, water glass, cups, and other objects, should be washed separately.
- Masks used by the caregivers, patients, or close contacts of the quarantined individual should be disinfected by using disinfectant and then disposed of properly.
- If you happen to experience any discomforting symptoms, such as cough, fever, fatigue, dehydration, or difficulty in breathing, immediately contact your nearest healthcare centre without any delay.
Don’ts to follow when Quarantined at Home
- Do not share your personal household items, such as drinking glasses, spoons, teacups, bedding, towels, and other items, with the rest of the family members.
- Do not take any medicines without consulting a qualified doctor.
- Do not get in close contact with your family members. Prefer staying in an isolated room for the quarantine period. Avoid being part of any social gathering or family gathering.
- Do not touch your nose, mouth, and eyes with your unwashed hands.
- If you need to visit the doctor or hospital, do not use any public transport. Call a private vehicle or an ambulance.
Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd (ZHL) share some helpful tips for family members or home quarantined individual
Ziqitza Limited suggests when you are home quarantined, along with you, your family members also need to take care to stay safe and avoid the spread of the infection.
- Only one selected family member should take care of the home-quarantined individual. Providing the food, collecting the used household items, such as utensils and clothes to wash, providing medicines, and other necessary activities should be carried out by the assigned family member only.
- Avoid getting in direct contact with the quarantined family members. Also, avoid shaking the soiled bedding and linen.
- Make use of disposable gloves when cleaning the soiled or used linen and various surfaces.
- Wash your hands with soap and water after removing the hand gloves.
- Do not allow visitors to meet the home quarantined family members.