COVID-19 Care Guide

Oy. It’s your turn to deal with dreaded COVID… so sorry to hear this. I thought it’d be helpful to offer some tips on how to feel better, as well as some things to do for entertainment in case the quarantine outlasts the COVID symptoms!
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If you’ve received positive COVID test results…

Shoot! But hey, it’s better to know, right?

You should stay home until it’s been at least 5 days since symptoms first appeared. If you can’t remember when symptoms first started, play it safe and stay home until it’s been 5 days since you received your positive test result. Then, continue masking for an additional 5 days when around others, even those in your household.

During this window:

• Isolate away from others in your household, if possible.
• Grocery delivery only! Even if this means a friend or family member gets them for you.
• While getting outside is vital to mental health, be sure you aren’t heading to the local trails or parks. Stick to your porch, yard or - if you’re rural - uncrowded neighborhood route where you can stay far away from others.

If you haven’t taken a COVID test yet…

If you or a loved one are experiencing COVID-like symptoms (fever, respiratory symptoms and/or loss of taste/smell) but haven’t taken a COVID test yet, please do so, even if you’re fully vaccinated. While you await your (hopefully) negative results, stay home and keep your distance from others.

If you decide not to get tested, you can end isolation when you meet ALL of the following:

• It’s been 5 days since your symptoms first appeared,
• You’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the help of medication, AND
• Your symptoms are improving (aside from loss of taste/smell - this can take a while to resolve)

As stated above, even past the initial 5 days, continue wearing a mask for 5 days when around others.
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Tips to feel better, faster (regardless of your test result!)

If you’re looking for tips on how to alleviate specific symptoms, we’ve got them on the blog so pop over and browse around!

Otherwise, basic guidelines for recovering from a viral illness - rest and hydrate. 

• Ensure you are getting plenty of sleep and drinking plenty of fluids - this will make you feel better and recover faster. Water, ginger ale, popsicles and half-strength gatorade are all great options for hydrating. 

• For older kids and adults, make sure you’re peeing at least every 8-12 hours.
• For our younger kids/babies, ensure they’re peeing at least every 4-8 hours.

• You could also try a humidifier if you’re dealing with a cough, sore throat or stuffy nose.
• Increase your hand washing and disinfecting. If you live with others, remind them to wash their hands more often as well. While you rest, assign them the task of disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces.

Five days is a long time...

If your symptoms are mild or short-lived, 5 days is a long time to be cooped up at home. If you’re an adult or are dealing with a COVID-positive teen, maybe this is the break you’ve been looking for - catch up on your favorite TV show or finally read that book collecting dust on your bedside table. Hey, maybe you even want to get going on the chores, your call.

But if it’s a COVID-positive younger child we’re talking about here, you might be wondering how to entertain them for 5 days if they feel great, are bouncing off the walls and you’re “lucky” enough to be working from home during this time. That’s a lot to balance.

• Chores Bingo. Fill in boxes with age-appropriate chores and send them off to complete! Chore ideas can be brushing teeth, putting dishes away, wiping down door handles with disinfectant wipes and so on!
• Reading Bingo. Same as above but with reading categories - types of books, minutes read, or places read! Read on the couch, read outside under the tree, read to your dog; whatever makes it fun.
• Speaking of dogs, have your child teach the dog a new trick. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t, but it might keep them busy for a while. 😊 (Don’t have a dog? GET ONE! No, just kidding, that actually won’t help your current situation at all.)
• Create scavenger hunts. Hide 10-20 objects around the house (yellow marker, sunglasses, dog’s collar), jot ‘em down on a piece of paper and send your little one off to find them all.
• Create a simple, daily schedule for your child. This might help them understand when it’s “homework time” versus “play with mommy/daddy time” and provide a buffer where you can get some work done. Include everything on there such as TV time, lunch, snacks (don’t forget multiple snack breaks, it’ll save you the headache of them asking a million times), homework, cuddling the dog, art/coloring, recess, napping (?!), facetime with grandma, etc.

          Pro tip: have them create their own schedule. Not only will it be an activity of its own but kids always like to be in charge and are more likely to stick to the schedule if it was their idea to begin with.

Our hope is that you or your kiddo are bored enough during these 5 days that it means you aren’t miserably sick. Ideally this list helps entertain any little ones so the quarantine passes swiftly! Get well soon!