If a person has COVID-19 and they’re cared for at home, what treatment do they receive? Should they eat or drink any specific foods that assist in healing? Is lemon and water helpful or just a myth? – Sarah Stein
Most people who become sick with COVID-19 experience mild illness and can recover at home.
Symptoms might last a few days, and most patients feel better within a week. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms and includes rest, fluid intake and pain relievers. There are no specific foods which have been linked to treating COVID-19. Emergency signs to alert the doctor include difficulty in breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, confusion, bluish lips or face.
It is important to take measures to prevent spread to others in the house while self-isolating.
Self-isolation means that the patient must remain strictly within your household separated from the rest of the household members where possible.
Stay away from others.
As much as possible stay within a specific ‘sick room’ using a separate bathroom and toilet. The ‘sick room’ should always be adequately ventilated. Open any windows as much as possible. You should eat meals within this same ‘sick room’.
If it is not possible to use a separate toilet, use the toilet after the other household members and use your own separate toiletries. This should be then well ventilated with fresh air for a minimum of one hour, and thereafter carefully cleaned with a detergent, followed by decontamination of surfaces using a disinfectant effective against viruses.
You should wear a face mask within the home if you cannot be isolated from other members of the household.
No visitors are allowed into your home.
With everyone trying to find alternative ways to keep themselves busy and entertained while maintaining social distancing, many have turned to puzzles and board games to pass the time. Is this a safe hobby? Should we be playing board games that use dice with friends? – Stephan Borg
The virus is transmitted from one person in close contact with another or who has been for more than two hours in the same room. Therefore, keeping to your usual family and social bubbles is very important. If one is inviting friends over to the home, then the risk will be increased especially if it is indoors.
One needs also to remember that one can catch the virus if you touch a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touches the mouth, nose, or eyes. The virus survives for around 24 hours on cardboard.
If there is a person with COVID-19 wearing a mask, is it still dangerous to contract the virus from him/her if one touches the same things as he/she had touched, like a trolley in a supermarket or a door handle or a push-button in a lift. – John Zammit
Current information suggests that the two main routes of transmission of the COVID-19 virus are respiratory droplets and physical contact with contaminated surfaces. Respiratory droplets are generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and possibly also through breathing and speaking. The use of face masks helps reduce the spread of infection in the community by limiting the spread of infection from infected individuals who may not know they are infected, who have not yet developed symptoms or who remain asymptomatic. The wearing of masks will therefore enhance the effects of physical distancing.
It is important to note that face covers are not meant to be a replacement for physical distancing; observing cough and sneeze etiquette; maintaining meticulous hand hygiene and avoiding touching one’s face.
Can you get COVID-19 while swimming in the sea? – Freddie Micallef
There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in the sea, pools, hot tubs, spas or water play areas. However, when at the beach or at a lido, keep a safe distance from other persons. Standards for pools have limited the capacity to 50 per cent of the maximum bathing load as stipulated in Schedule IV of LN129 of 2005.
Umbrellas, sunbeds, chairs and other equipment are disinfected after every visitor leaves. In addition, a two-metre distance in every direction between each one umbrella/two sunbed unit in open area around pools has been introduced. Only one person per sunbed is allowed.
From September 1, glass bins shall be taken out and then, possibly after having been exposed to COVID-19 and/or other contagious diseases, be collected by residents. The bins may also have been soiled by urinating animals. With the exception of healthy people with access to a garage and so on, elderly and vulnerable people will be especially at risk if they retrieve their glass bins and return them to their homes. I suppose that in most other EU countries this would be unacceptable. What is your view? – Jack Olin
COVID-19 survives for two to three days on plastic and five days on glass and hence it is important that the glass bins or any other items left outside are washed with disinfectant which has sodium hypochlorite concentration of five to six per cent to limit any possible contamination.
Wear reusable or disposable gloves for routine cleaning and disinfection.
Have any questions to ask the superintendent? Send an e-mail to askcharmaine@timesofmalta.com.