If you are at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19
because of your age or because you have a serious long-term health
problem, it is extra important for you to take actions to reduce
your risk of getting sick with the disease.
- Stock up on supplies.
- Take everyday precautions to keep space
between yourself and others.
- When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick,
limit close contact and wash your hands often.
- Avoid crowds as much as possible.
- Avoid cruise travel and non-essential air
travel.
- During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, stay
home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of
being exposed.
Have supplies on hand
![Prescription medicines and groceries](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7be81ca0-72f0-11ea-b944-bf383d3d3822.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
- Contact your healthcare provider to ask about obtaining
extra necessary medications to have on hand in case there
is an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community and you need to stay
home for a prolonged period of time.
- If you cannot get extra medications, consider using mail-order
for medications.
- Be sure you have over-the-counter medicines and medical
supplies (tissues, etc.) to treat fever and other
symptoms. Most people will be able to recover from COVID-19 at
home.
- Have enough household items and groceries on
hand so that you will be prepared to stay at home for a period of
time.
Take everyday precautions
![washing hands](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7c509df0-72f0-11ea-a47d-ab1cde948aaa.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Take everyday preventive actions:
- Clean your hands often
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for
at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing,
or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
- If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that
contains at least 60% alcohol.
- To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch
surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door
handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or
your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch
something.
- Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.
- Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes,
etc.
- Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs:
practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for
example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks,
toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones)
- Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated
spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19
may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air
circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.
- Avoid all non-essential travel including plane
trips, and especially avoid embarking on cruise ships.
If COVID-19 is spreading in your community
![Practice social distancing and stay away from anyone who is sick](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7ca975c0-72f0-11ea-a7a7-070c1fc29370.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Take extra measures to put distance between yourself and other
people to further reduce your risk of being exposed to this new
virus.
- Stay home as much as possible.
- Consider ways of getting food brought to your
house through family, social, or commercial networks
If a COVID-19 outbreak happens in your community, it could last
for a long time. (An outbreak is when a large number of people
suddenly get sick.) Depending on how severe the outbreak is, public
health officials may recommend community actions to reduce people’s
risk of being exposed to COVID-19. These actions can slow the
spread and reduce the impact of disease.
Have a plan for if you get sick
![on the phone with doctor](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7d07ae70-72f0-11ea-8aad-219866548c85.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
- Consult with your health care provider for
more information about monitoring your health for symptoms
suggestive of COVID-19.
- Stay in touch with others by phone or email.
You may need to ask for help from friends, family, neighbors,
community health workers, etc. if you become sick.
- Determine who can care for you if your
caregiver gets sick.
Watch for symptoms and emergency warning signs
- Pay attention for potential COVID-19 symptoms
including, fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you feel like
you are developing symptoms, call your doctor.
- If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get
medical attention immediately. In adults, emergency
warning signs*:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical
provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.
What to do if you get sick
- Stay home and call your doctor.
- Call your healthcare provider and let them know about your
symptoms. Tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will
help them take care of you and keep other people from getting
infected or exposed.
- If you are not sick enough to be hospitalized, you can recover
at home. Follow CDC instructions for how to take care of yourself
at home.
- Know when to get emergency help.
- Get medical attention immediately if you have any of the
emergency warning signs listed above
What others can do to support older adults
Community support for older adults
- Community preparedness planning for COVID-19 should include
older adults and people with disabilities, and the organizations
that support them in their communities, to ensure their needs are
taken into consideration.
- Many of these individuals live in the community, and many
depend on services and supports provided in their homes or in the
community to maintain their health and independence.
- Long-term care facilities should be vigilant
to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19. Information for
long-term care facilities can be found here.
Family and caregiver support
- Know what medications your loved one is taking
and see if you can help them have extra on hand.
- Monitor food and other medical supplies
(oxygen, incontinence, dialysis, wound care) needed and create a
back-up plan.
- Stock up on non-perishable food to have on
hand in your home to minimize trips to stores.
- If you care for a loved one living in a care facility, monitor
the situation, ask about the health of the other residents
frequently and know the protocol if there is an outbreak.
Stay home except to get medical care
- Stay home: People who are mildly ill with
COVID-19 are able to recover at home. Do not leave, except to get
medical care. Do not visit public areas.
- Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before
you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you feel worse or you
think it is an emergency.
- Avoid public transportation: Avoid using
public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
![family separated](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7d545a90-72f0-11ea-8a9d-43289cd92ea6.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Separate yourself from other people in your home, this is known
as home isolation
- Stay away from others: As much as possible,
you should stay in a specific “sick room” and away from other
people in your home. Use a separate bathroom, if available.
- Limit contact with pets & animals: You
should restrict contact with pets and other animals, just like you
would around other people.
- Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals
becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people
with the virus limit contact with animals until more information is
known.
- When possible, have another member of your household care for
your animals while you are sick with COVID-19. If you must care for
your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands
before and after you interact with them. See COVID-19 and Animals
for more information.
If someone in your home is sick
![on the phone with doctor](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7d07ae70-72f0-11ea-8aad-219866548c85.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Call ahead before visiting your doctor
- Call ahead: If you have a medical appointment,
call your doctor’s office or emergency department, and tell them
you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the office protect
themselves and other patients.
![man wearing a mask](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7e005f20-72f0-11ea-acd7-29b1dee76379.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Wear a facemask if you are sick
- If you are sick: You should wear a facemask
when you are around other people and before you enter a healthcare
provider’s office.
- If you are caring for others: If the person
who is sick is not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it
causes trouble breathing), then people who live in the home should
stay in a different room. When caregivers enter the room of the
sick person, they should wear a facemask. Visitors, other than
caregivers, are not recommended.
![woman covering their mouth when coughing](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7e4b5630-72f0-11ea-8eb6-bf9b5e099eb9.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Cover: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue
when you cough or sneeze.
- Dispose: Throw used tissues in a lined trash
can.
- Wash hands: Immediately wash your hands with
soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not
available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
that contains at least 60% alcohol.
![washing hands](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7c509df0-72f0-11ea-a47d-ab1cde948aaa.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Clean your hands often
- Wash hands: Wash your hands often with soap
and water for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important
after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the
bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
- Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not
available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60%
alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them
together until they feel dry.
- Soap and water: Soap and water are the best
option, especially if hands are visibly dirty.
- Avoid touching: Avoid touching your eyes,
nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Handwashing tips
![don't share](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7ee24e50-72f0-11ea-8049-391b78d10fa7.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Avoid sharing personal household items
- Do not share: Do not share dishes, drinking
glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other
people in your home.
- Wash thoroughly after use: After using these
items, wash them thoroughly with soap and water or put in the
dishwasher.
![cleaning a counter](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7f2cd0e0-72f0-11ea-b446-1fedcb036ba2.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces everyday
Clean high-touch surfaces in your isolation area (“sick room”
and bathroom) every day; let a caregiver clean and disinfect
high-touch surfaces in other areas of the home.
- Clean and disinfect: Routinely clean
high-touch surfaces in your “sick room” and bathroom. Let someone
else clean and disinfect surfaces in common areas, but not your
bedroom and bathroom.
- If a caregiver or other person needs to clean and disinfect a
sick person’s bedroom or bathroom, they should do so on an
as-needed basis. The caregiver/other person should wear a mask and
wait as long as possible after the sick person has used the
bathroom.
High-touch surfaces include phones, remote controls, counters,
tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, keyboards,
tablets, and bedside tables.
- Clean and disinfect areas that may have blood, stool,
or body fluids on them.
- Household cleaners and disinfectants: Clean
the area or item with soap and water or another detergent if it is
dirty. Then, use a household disinfectant.
-
- Be sure to follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe
and effective use of the product. Many products recommend keeping
the surface wet for several minutes to ensure germs are killed.
Many also recommend precautions such as wearing gloves and making
sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.
- Most EPA-registered household disinfectants should be
effective. A full list of disinfectants can be found hereexternal
icon.
Complete disinfection guidance
![taking temperature](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7f764420-72f0-11ea-8d73-012c86bc1602.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
Monitor your symptoms
- Seek medical attention, but call first: Seek
medical care right away if your illness is worsening (for example,
if you have difficulty breathing).
- Call your doctor before going in: Before going
to the doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them
your symptoms. They will tell you what to do.
- Wear a facemask: If possible, put on a
facemask before you enter the building. If you can’t put on a
facemask, try to keep a safe distance from other people (at least 6
feet away). This will help protect the people in the office or
waiting room.
- Follow care instructions from your healthcare provider
and local health department: Your local health authorities
will give instructions on checking your symptoms and reporting
information.
alert icon
Call 911 if you have a medical emergency: If
you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the
operator that you have or think you might have, COVID-19. If
possible, put on a facemask before medical help arrives.
![father playing with his son](//img.homeworklib.com/questions/7fc0c9c0-72f0-11ea-a28a-b5d74e0908ea.png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_560)
How to discontinue home isolation
- People with COVID-19 who have stayed home (home
isolated) can stop home isolation under the following
conditions:
- If you will not have a test to
determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after
these three things have happened:
-
-
- You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full
days of no fever without the use medicine that reduces
fevers)
AND
- other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or
shortness of breath have improved)
AND
- at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first
appeared
- If you will be tested to determine if
you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three
things have happened:
- You no longer have a fever (without the use medicine that
reduces fevers)
AND
- other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or
shortness of breath have improved)
AND
you received two negative tests in a row, 24 hours apart. Your
doctor will follow CDC guidelines.
There is much to learn about the novel coronavirus that causes
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on what is currently
known about the novel coronavirus and similar coronaviruses that
cause SARS and MERS, spread from person-to-person with these
viruses happens most frequently among close contacts (within about
6 feet). This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets.
On the other hand, transmission of novel coronavirus to persons
from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented.
Transmission of coronavirus occurs much more commonly through
respiratory droplets than through fomites. Current evidence
suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days
on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly
dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure
for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in
households and community settings.
Purpose
This guidance provides recommendations on the cleaning and
disinfection of households where persons under investigation (PUI)
or those with confirmed COVID-19 reside or may be in
self-isolation. It is aimed at limiting the survival of the virus
in the environments. These recommendations will be updated if
additional information becomes available.
These guidelines are focused on household settings and are meant
for the general public.
- Cleaning refers to the removal of germs, dirt,
and impurities from surfaces. Cleaning does not kill germs, but by
removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading
infection.
- Disinfecting refers to using chemicals to kill
germs on surfaces. This process does not necessarily clean dirty
surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface
after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading
infection.
General Recommendations for Routine Cleaning and Disinfection of
Households
Community members can practice routine cleaning of frequently
touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches,
handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks) with household cleaners
and EPA-registered disinfectants that are appropriate for the
surface, following label instructions. Labels contain instructions
for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including
precautions you should take when applying the product, such as
wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use
of the product.
General Recommendations for Cleaning and Disinfection of
Households with People Isolated in Home Care (e.g.
Suspected/Confirmed to have COVID-19)
- Household members should educate themselves about COVID-19
symptoms and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in homes.
- Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces daily in
household common areas (e.g. tables, hard-backed
chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, handles, desks,
toilets, sinks)
- In the bedroom/bathroom dedicated for an ill person: consider
reducing cleaning frequency to as-needed (e.g.,
soiled items and surfaces) to avoid unnecessary contact with the
ill person.
- As much as possible, an ill person should stay in a specific
room and away from other people in their home, following home care
guidance.
- The caregiver can provide personal cleaning supplies for an ill
person’s room and bathroom, unless the room is occupied by child or
another person for whom such supplies would not be appropriate.
These supplies include tissues, paper towels, cleaners and
EPA-registered disinfectants (examples at this linkpdf iconexternal
icon).
- If a separate bathroom is not available, the bathroom should be
cleaned and disinfected after each use by an ill person. If this is
not possible, the caregiver should wait as long as practical after
use by an ill person to clean and disinfect the high-touch
surfaces.
- Household members should follow home care guidance when
interacting with persons with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 and
their isolation rooms/bathrooms.
How to clean and disinfect:
Surfaces
- Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
Gloves should be discarded after each cleaning. If reusable gloves
are used, those gloves should be dedicated for cleaning and
disinfection of surfaces for COVID-19 and should not be used for
other purposes. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions for
cleaning and disinfection products used. Clean hands immediately
after gloves are removed.
- If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent
or soap and water prior to disinfection.
- For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol
solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered
household disinfectants should be effective.
- Diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate
for the surface. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application
and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its
expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any
other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective
against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
- Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
- 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
- Products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claimspdf
iconexternal icon are expected to be effective against COVID-19
based on data for harder to kill viruses. Follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g.,
concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).
- For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and
drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with
appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. After
cleaning:
- Launder items as appropriate in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, launder items using the
warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items
completely, or
Use products with the EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims
(examples at this linkpdf iconexternal icon) that are suitable for
porous surfaces.
Clothing, towels, linens and other items that go in the
laundry
- Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from an ill
person and then discard after each use. If using reusable gloves,
those gloves should be dedicated for cleaning and disinfection of
surfaces for COVID-19 and should not be used for other household
purposes. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.
- If no gloves are used when handling dirty laundry, be sure to
wash hands afterwards.
- If possible, do not shake dirty laundry. This will minimize the
possibility of dispersing virus through the air.
- Launder items as appropriate in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, launder items using the
warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items
completely. Dirty laundry from an ill person can be washed with
other people’s items.
- Clean and disinfect clothes hampers according to guidance above
for surfaces. If possible, consider placing a bag liner that is
either disposable (can be thrown away) or can be laundered.
Hand hygiene and other preventive measures
- Household members should clean hands often, including
immediately after removing gloves and after contact with an ill
person, by washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. If
soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty,
an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol
may be used. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands
with soap and water.
- Household members should follow normal preventive actions while
at work and home including recommended hand hygiene and avoiding
touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Additional key times to clean hands include:
- After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After using the restroom
- Before eating or preparing food
- After contact with animals or pets
- Before and after providing routine care for another person who
needs assistance (e.g. a child)
Other considerations
- The ill person should eat/be fed in their room if possible.
Non-disposable food service items used should be handled with
gloves and washed with hot water or in a dishwasher. Clean hands
after handling used food service items.
- If possible, dedicate a lined trash can for the ill person. Use
gloves when removing garbage bags, handling, and disposing of
trash. Wash hands after handling or disposing of trash.
- Consider consulting with your local health department about
trash disposal guidance if available.