With COVID-19 cases on the rise in this area, many are caring for someone at home who has been diagnosed with the virus. The following is a list of ways to care for and support those sick at home with COVID-19 from the CDC:

Provide Support
• See if over-the-counter medicines for fever help the person feel better
• Make sure the person who is sick drinks a lot of fluids and rests

Watch for warning signs
• Call their doctor if the person keeps getting sicker.
• For medical emergencies, call 911 and tell the dispatcher that the person has or might have COVID-19.

When to seek emergency medical attention
• Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately.
– Trouble breathing
– Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
– New confusion/irritability
– Inability to wake or stay awake
– Pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips or nail beds, depending on skin tone.
* This list is not all possible symptoms. Call a medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

Call 911 or call ahead to a local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

Protect yourself
• Limit contact, if possible stay six feet apart.
• Isolate the sick person in the home.
• If possible, have the person who is sick use a separate bedroom and bathroom.
• If you have to share space, make sure the room has good air flow (open window).
• Put on a mask and ask the sick person to put on a mask before entering shared spaces.
• Children under the age of two should not wear a mask.
• Wash your hands often and clean high-touch surfaces and objects regularly.
• Caregivers should quarantine.
• Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
• Watch for fever (100.4), cough, shortness of breath or other symptoms of COVID-19.
• If possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.
• High-risk persons over the age of 18 may be eligible for monoclonal antibody therapy.

There is plenty of the COVID-19 vaccine available for those in the area that have not yet been vaccinated. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. The risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity. COVID-19 can have serious, life threatening complications and there is no way to know how it will affect anyone. The COVID-19 vaccine, which is readily available locally, creates an antibody (immune system) response without having to experience sickness.

Allamakee County Public Health does have a good supply of vaccine and is highly encouraging everyone to receive it. Vaccine clinics will again be readily available following the holidays, in early January.  Vaccine clinics are …….

Source: https://www.waukonstandard.com/articles/2021/12/22/caring-someone-sick-home-covid-19