The Department of Health has issued guidelines for home isolation, especially for those living with COVID-19 patients.

Director-General Dr. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai explained that, as the COVID-19 situation deteriorates, home isolation is necessary for patients while they are waiting to be admitted to hospitals.

The guidelines include:

• Separate areas and keep 1-2 metre distance
• If there’s not enough space, use partitions between the isolating person and other family members
• Ensure the room has good ventilation and sunlight
• Use separate towels, cutlery, glasses and dishes
• Wash clothes separately
• If you can’t use separate bathrooms, the person self-isolating must be the last person to use the bathroom. Clean the bathroom using a wet cloth with bleach (0.1%), alcohol (70%), or hydrogen-peroxide (0.5%)
• Prepare a rubbish bin with a lid, including personal items for the person in isolating (both in the bedroom and the bathroom)
• If you have only one bedroom, keep the bedroom door fully open, to allow ventilation.
• Stay away from other family members and record your body temperature every day. See the doctor straight away, if your body temperature rises above 37.5oC, accompanied by other symptoms, such as breathing problems, pink eye, rashes or blood oxygen levels fall below 95%.

Those living with COVID-19 patients must wear face-masks at all times, wash their hands frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds. They should also separate all personal items, refrain from sharing meals or drinks and keep a distance from the infected, especially in air-conditioned rooms. Washing clothes should be done separately, but drying can be on the same clothes line. Clean the house every day, including common areas where physical contact is frequent.

Food must be fully cooked, drink 6-8 glasses of water per day, rest well and find activities to relieve stress.

Remove all trash, including used face masks. Pour two lids of bleach on the trash before disposal, then put all of the trash into another bag and tie it.

Dr. Suwanchai also advised managers of condominiums and apartments to announce COVID-19 updates and guidelines, including disinfecting common areas, especially the stairs, elevators, door knobs, mailboxes, chairs, gym equipment, as well as providing sanitizer gel in all common areas.