The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has issued guidelines for safe and effective quarantine at home for people who have exposed to the COVID-19. The Ministry in a video message and guidelines posted on the official website stressed that it is extremely important to follow the rules of home-quarantine. “You have a responsibility and duty to protect yourself, your family, your friends, and the community as a whole,” the Ministry said.

According to the Ministry’s guidelines, a person in home quarantine should stay at home in a separate room to other family members, preferably one with an ensuite bathroom, and ensure proper and regular ventilation. The person should avoid any contact with other family members, not allow visitors to the home, use the phone if they need to contact anyone else in the house. “You must not leave your house. In the event of a medical emergency call 999,” said the Ministry.

Only one member of the family should be allowed to provide care to the person in quarantine. The caregiver should wear a face-mask and gloves every time he or she enters your room and should dispose of the mask and gloves and wash their hands immediately after leaving the room. A distance of at least one meter shall be maintained with the caregiver at all times. To protect from infection, it has been advised to ensure to wash hands with water and soap frequently, with the correct technique, for at least 20 seconds, or use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if water and soap is not available. It is important to always wash hands thoroughly, after coughing or sneezing, before, during and after preparing food, before eating and after going to the bathroom. Everyone in the home should wash their hands regularly and avoid touching their face, mouth or nose.

According to the guidelines, “Cover your mouth with a tissue while coughing or sneezing and dispose of the tissue immediately in a lined trash bin. Wash your hands immediately after. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow.” While, in home quarantine, avoid sharing personal household items like dishes, drinking glasses, eating utensils, toothbrushes, clothes, pillows, bed linen, or towels with other people in your home and wash these items thoroughly with soap and warm water after use. Clean and disinfect surfaces and used items at least once a day, including door handles, toilets, tables, TV remote controls, mobile phones, and all other high-touch surfaces and items. Single-use gloves should be used when cleaning and once you finish cleaning, dispose of the gloves and wash hands thoroughly. It is also important, to make sure that clothes of the person under quarantine should be washed separately from other people’s clothes in the house. It has been advised for the person under quarantine, to avoid cooking or preparing food for others, let someone else in the home cook the persons’ food to avoid entering the kitchen. As per guidelines by the Ministry, “Eat your food in your room and avoid eating or drinking with other people in the house, be careful to wash your dishes separately from others in the house, make sure to eat healthy food that strengthens your immunity system, and make sure to drink enough water (8-12 glasses a day).”

If the person under quarantine has a chronic health condition and require regular medication, ensure to have adequate supply available at home. The Ministry has advised to keep several essential things for home quarantine, including, face masks. (Do not use it more than one time, throw the mask in the trash and wash your hands well after you use it.), gloves (Do not use them more than one time, throw the gloves in the trash and wash your hands well after you use it.), thermometer, alcohol swabs, fever-reducing medicine, such as Panadol, hand soap, hand sanitiser etc.

Source http://ftp.thepeninsulaqatar.com/uploads/2020/03/22/e3f1dad6f39f5d677e176f23c68f501e3c686cc8.pdf

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