Anyone living in the same household with the sick person could get infected — a real concern, since research so far suggests household transmission is one of the main ways the coronavirus spreads. If you live in a place with more than one room, identify a room or area – like a bedroom – where the sick person can be isolated from the rest of the household, including pets. (The CDC says that while there’s no evidence that pets can transmit the virus to humans, there have been reports of pets becoming infected after close contact with people who have COVID-19.)That means you should quarantine yourselves at home, too, she says, and ask a friend or neighbor to help with essential errands like grocery shopping — so you don’t run the risk of exposing other people in the store.”The important consideration is that the entire house should be considered potentially infected for up to two weeks after people who are ill stop having symptoms,” Bender Ignacio says. If feeling well enough, experts say, the person who tested positive for the virus should disinfect the bathroom before exiting, paying close attention to surfaces like door knobs, faucet handles, toilet, countertops, light switches and any other surfaces they touched. The whole goal of isolating a sick person is to minimize the areas they might be contaminating, so having them cook their own food in a shared kitchen should be considered a no-no, Adalja and Bender Ignacio agree.”I think that it’s probably unfeasible to mask a sick child in their own home,” says Bender Ignacio, adding, “If the child is the one who’s sick, they need physical contact. And don’t let the sick person’s clothes linger on the floor, says Bender Ignacio. “Make sure that laundry takes the shortest line between the hamper and the washing machine.” Consider putting soiled clothes directly in the washer.
