The world changed forever when in 2020, the Covid-19 virus outbreak emerged. In the blink of an eye, we were forced to stay at home, distance ourselves from each other, and wear masks to avoid being infected. Although Coronavirus hasn’t been eradicated, we have advanced quite a bit regarding prevention methods. Not to mention, we’ve regained plenty of our freedom, being allowed to walk mask-free in the open air, and go back to the cinema, music concerts, and theater.
Unfortunately, Covid-19 is far from being eliminated entirely. This means that, sooner or later, one either catches the virus or has a friend or family member who has caught it. If you’ve fallen victim to such unfortunate circumstances, do not despair. There are plenty of ways in which you can provide help and support to a loved one who has been affected by Covid-19. Here we’ll show you how.
Help By Providing The Basic Needs
If you live in the same house as your affected loved one, then you may find yourself having to take on the role of a nurse. In other words, your responsibility will be to cover their basic needs: food, water, comfort, and heat.
If your loved one has received medical instructions to take a specific medication, for example, then make sure that it is taken and that it is done so on time.
Also, you’ll be the one in charge of buying the groceries, washing the dishes, cleaning up the room, and preparing every meal. However, the most important task to fulfill is to make sure that your loved one drinks enough water. Hydration is pivotal for Coronavirus recovery, so encourage them to consume as much water as they can, even if they refuse to.
Be Aware of These Warning Signs
Sometimes, catching Coronavirus ends up being nothing but an unpleasant experience, without it escalating any further. That is to say, the affected person stays in bed feeling sick and terrible for a couple of days, but eventually recovers and is back on track strong and healthy. Nonetheless, we would be lying if we told you that everything is a bed of roses. There are occasions in which health problems do escalate, and you must be prepared to act as fast as you can.
Some warning signs include breathing difficulties, paler skin, constant and sharp pain in the chest, inability to tolerate liquids (accompanied by vomiting), and inability to stay awake. Whenever you notice one or more of these symptoms, call your doctor. Health experts will know what procedure to take.
Bear in mind that this is not to scare or worry you more than you already are. This is for prevention purposes only. Therefore, immediately contact a doctor should you spot any of these signs, even if you have doubts. The sooner you tackle the problem, the sooner your loved one will recover.
Protect Yourself Too
Taking care of someone else means taking care of yourself as well. After all, it is futile tending to a sick person while you yourself are sick. What we are trying to say is that you must protect yourself from catching Coronavirus too. It’s mandatory to take transmission based precautions to avoid catching the disease or spreading it to other parts of your house. The good news is that there are plenty of methods to put a stop to the spread.
First of all, wear a mask all the time. It may be uncomfortable to wear, but it is highly effective. If the mask has two or more layers of breathable fabric, then that’s even better. Also, it would be great if the mask contains a nose wire to prevent air from leaking through the mask’s top.
Secondly, wash your hands as often as you can. Not just before eating. Not after you’ve been in the same room with the infected person. We mean every time. Plus, do not forget to clean your hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Clean, forks, spoons, pillows, clothes, glasses, and sheets with it as well.
Lastly, we encourage you to wear disposable gloves and, if possible, eye protectors. They are not as effective as masks, but they surely help a lot. With such security measures, you can expect not to catch the disease at all.
Relieve Stress With Fun Activities
Getting Covid is no fun at all because it requires you to focus on so many problems and responsibilities. Long story short, looking after someone with Coronavirus is stressful both for the caretaker and the patient.
So, why make things worse than they already are? After all, once the main responsibilities have been covered, who’s stopping you from enjoying yourself for a while? On the contrary, having fun and distracting yourself from constant negativity is a precautionary method on its own.
Play video games, watch a series, read a book, meditate, listen to music, and call your best friends. Truth is, you can do these activities with your loved one too. As long as you maintain a reasonable distance from each other and don’t spend too much time sharing the same room, you can do some relaxing activities together.
Consider that the physical well-being of your loved one is not at its peak. Therefore, avoid worsening their mental and emotional stability. Provide sources of fun to dissipate any negative thoughts. If your friend or family member is distracted from the current situation, you can expect a wonderful recovery on their part.
We sincerely hope you have found these tips useful. We are aware of how much stress, fear, and doubt you and your loved one are going through.
However, we encourage you to not lose hope. There are thousands of experts working every day to put a stop to this deadly disease. They have been quite successful because they created prevention vaccines and discovered precautionary methods.
You don’t have to be a medical professional to be part of this team of experts. By following all this advice and being a pillar of support to your loved one, you are contributing to the eventual victory of humanity against Coronavirus.