In cases where you have a risk of close contact with a COVID-19 patient but do not show any symptoms yet, it is necessary to self-isolate and monitor your symptoms at home for 14 days to prevent spreading the virus to others if you are infected. This count starts from the last day of exposure to the disease.
How to Monitor Your Symptoms at Home During a 14-Day Quarantine
It is recommended to monitor for fever and respiratory symptoms by checking your body temperature every day. If you develop any of the following symptoms, please seek medical attention immediately.
- Fever Symptoms: When body temperature reaches 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher, or feeling hot, experiencing chills, or having body aches.
- Respiratory Symptoms: Having a runny nose, cough, sore throat, loss of smell, altered sense of taste, or shortness of breath.
** If you need to travel to see a doctor, using a personal vehicle is highly recommended. If there are passengers, everyone must wear a surgical mask at all times, and keep the car windows open.
Guidelines for Conducting Yourself During a 14-Day Home Quarantine:
- Stay at home and do not travel outside under any circumstances.
- Wear a surgical mask and maintain a distance of at least 1-2 meters from others in the household, especially the elderly and those with chronic diseases.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water (for at least 20 seconds) or use an alcohol gel with a concentration of at least 70%
- Sleep in a separate, single room. Do not dine with others or share personal items such as towels, spoons, forks, and water glasses.
- If possible, use a separate bathroom. If there is only one bathroom in the house, it is recommended to use it last and always close the toilet lid before flushing.
- Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or use a tissue to completely cover your nose and mouth down to your chin. Put the tissue in a plastic bag, seal it tightly before discarding, and wash your hands with soap or alcohol gel immediately.
- Dispose of used masks in a plastic bag and seal it tightly before throwing it into a trash can with a secure lid, then wash your hands with soap or alcohol gel immediately.
- Clean living areas such as beds, tables, surrounding items, and bathrooms using a 5% sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) solution.
- Wash clothing, bed sheets, and towels with regular soap, laundry detergent, or powder.
Guidelines for Household Members
- Everyone in the household must wear a surgical mask.
- Wash your hands every time you touch shared surfaces or potentially contaminated objects, as well as before meals and after using the restroom, using soap and water or alcohol gel with a concentration of at least 70% to reduce transmission risk.
- Monitor close contacts or family members for symptoms for 14 days after exposure to the isolated individual.
- Sleep in a separate room from the person under quarantine, or stay at least 1-2 meters apart, and keep the windows open for ventilation.
- Do not share meals or personal belongings.
However, if any symptoms develop within 14 days of exposure, or if you have any health concerns, seeking professional medical advice is highly recommended.
