In many ways, nursing someone with a mild or moderate coronavirus infection can be a lot like dealing with any type of respiratory illness: Cue the chicken noodle soup, fluffy pillows, and streaming platform of choice. But with COVID-19 there are some key differences and additional considerations, due to the high transmissibility of the virus and the potential for even a minor infection to develop into a severe illness. Keep reading to find out how to take care of someone with COVID-19 without getting sick yourself, and how to know if the infected person requires emergency medical attention.
Help the Sick Person With Their Daily Tasks
If the person with COVID-19 is an adult with adult responsibilities, check in with them to see if they need help with managing life while they are in recovery mode. That could include things like grocery shopping or arranging for food deliveries, filling prescriptions, canceling any upcoming commitments, taking care of pets, or arranging carpools or childcare.
Contact a Healthcare Provider if the Person With COVID-19 Is at High Risk for Serious Disease
Older adults, individuals with certain chronic diseases (such as heart disease and diabetes), and immunocompromised people face an increased risk of severe illness due to a COVID-19 infection, according to the CDC. If someone under your care falls into the high-risk category, or if you aren’t sure, contact their primary healthcare provider. Not only can a medical professional give you advice about helping the sick person, they may also prescribe an antiviral treatment like Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), which studies have shown can prevent hospitalization and death in the most vulnerable people. Antiviral treatment for COVID-19 must begin within five days of the onset of symptoms (the sooner, the better) so call the healthcare provider asap rather than waiting to see if a mild illness develops into something worse.
Help the Person With COVID-19 Isolate at Home
The sick person should limit contact with others as best they can. If possible, they should stay in their own bedroom and have exclusive access to a separate bathroom and their own personal household items, according to the CDC. Because it’s impossible to mask while eating and drinking, (ideally) the sick person should have their meals alone in their room or in a room away from others. If you do have to share the same room with the sick person, you should both wear well-fitting masks, preferably an N95 or KN95 (although a well-fitting, lower-quality mask is probably better than a poorly-fitting, high-quality mask). Also try to stay at least six feet apart as much as possible. Make sure the room is well ventilated, since good airflow helps remove virus particles, says the CDC. If possible, keep a window or two open; even just a few inches can improve air circulation. If the sick person feels up to it, they can talk on the phone or via video chat with other friends and family to keep their spirits up, but in-person visits are a no-go until the isolation period is over. Even with precautions, taking care of someone with COVID-19 means that you could potentially get COVID-19 too and spread it to others. The CDC recommends that caregivers and anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 “should stay home, except in limited circumstances.”
Offer Over-the-Counter Medicines and Home Remedies for Symptom Relief
Symptoms of COVID-19 include sore throat, headache, stuffy nose, cough, sneezing, fatigue, and muscle pain. Monitoring symptoms is a good idea, and if they get noticeably worse (such as a spiking fever or trouble breathing), seek medical help. For mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms, turn to the same types of comfort measures that are common for any upper respiratory illness, says Joseph Khabbaza, MD, a critical care and pulmonary medicine doctor at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. These include both over-the-counter medicines and home remedies:
To relieve body aches, headache, and fever: Acetaminophen (Tylenol), naproxen (Aleve), or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can help — provided the sick person doesn’t have any preexisting conditions or allergies to these drugs. A lukewarm bath or sponge bath may help cool a fever but should not be used in place of fever-reducing over-the-counter medicines.To manage cough: Cough drops, Vicks VapoRub, and hot water or hot tea with lemon are all options.To soothe a sore throat: Gargling several times a day with warm salt water (½ tsp or 3 grams of salt in 1 cup or 240 milliliters of water) can reduce inflammation and pain.To unblock a stuffy nose: Short term use of a nasal decongestant, such as a nasal spray, can help clear airways.To prevent dehydration from diarrhea: Drinking plenty of clear liquids, such as water, diluted fruit juices, and clear soups can help compensate for fluid loss. Avoid dairy products, fried foods, caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks.To minimize nausea: Small meals and bland foods are best. Avoid foods with strong smells.
As a caregiver you should also urge the sick person to rest, eat, and drink plenty of fluids, says Dr. Khabbaza. “A healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables should be encouraged; there’s no evidence that any type of food or drink will shorten the course of COVID-19,” he says.
Monitor Symptoms for Emergency Warning Signs
Keep track of the sick person’s symptoms as recommended by their healthcare provider. “If after a few days the symptoms are getting significantly worse rather than improving, or they are having trouble breathing — for example, if they are winded just walking from room to room — you should check in with their doctor,” says Khabbaza. Other signs and symptoms can indicate a person with COVID-19 requires emergency medical care, such as:
Persistent pain or pressure in your chestNew confusionInability to wake up or stay awakePale, gray, or blue-colored lips, skin or nail beds (depending on skin tone)
Help the Person Figure Out When They Can End Isolation
The CDC recommends that anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 stay at home and isolate for a minimum of five full days. To calculate the isolation period, Day 0 is the first day of symptoms, and Day 1 is the first full day after symptoms developed. For example, if the person first felt symptoms on Monday (Day 0) and Tuesday was their first full day of symptoms (Day 1), Saturday (Day 5) would be their last day of isolation. They can leave isolation on Sunday, but only if their symptoms are improving and they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. The CDC recommends they continue to wear a mask when they are around other people for an additional five days. The CDC’s online calculator can help determine the recommended isolation period. People who experienced severe COVID-19 or who have a weakened immune system should isolate for at least 10 days and consult with their doctor before ending quarantine. If a sick person has access to a rapid COVID-19 antigen test and wants to make sure they aren’t contagious, they can take the test toward the end of the five-day isolation period, says Khabbaza. If the test result is positive, they should continue to isolate until Day 10. If it’s negative, they can leave isolation but should continue to wear a mask when around others until Day 10, according to the CDC.
You May Need to Quarantine, Too
In most cases, if you’re caring for someone with COVID-19, you should quarantine, too. The exceptions? If you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines and recommended boosters or you’ve had a COVID-19 infection within the last 90 days. Even if you are fully vaccinated and boosted, you should wear a mask around others for 10 days after your last close contact with the person who has COVID-19 (during their initial five-day period or when they had symptoms.) You should get tested at least five days after your last close contact, and if you are positive, follow the recommendations for quarantine. If you had a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 90 days, you don’t need to quarantine or get tested.
Help the Sick Person Ease Back Into Daily Life After Recovery
Although rest is an important part of recovering from mild or moderate COVID-19, so is resuming normal activities when symptoms subside, provided the person feels up to it, says Khabbaza. “Encourage the person who is recovering to listen to their body. When they feel ready to resume their normal activities — whether that’s running, biking, or walking — they should do so,” he says. When a person is sick, their body becomes deconditioned, and getting “back in the saddle” is an important step in the recovery process. But they shouldn’t expect to be able to just jump back in where they left off fitness-wise; they need to be patient and not push too hard, especially in the first few weeks, Khabbaza adds. People who have other chronic conditions or who had a more severe course of COVID-19 should check with their healthcare provider before resuming activities, according to UCLA Health. A person can have lingering symptoms or health effects that continue after the normal recovery period, known as post-COVID conditions (PCC) or long COVID. Researchers are still learning about long COVID and how to best treat it. If the person you are caring for has bothersome symptoms at least four weeks after infection, they should check in with their primary care doctor, according to the CDC.
