How can senior citizens avoid infection if their family members are infected with COVID-19? Older adults living with their families should reduce contact with family members infected with COVID, keep the house clean and deal with symptoms in a timely manner, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported, quoting advice from health experts.
If possible, the infected person can be transferred to another residence or undergo quarantine in a separate room, health experts suggested.
Both family members and the elderly need to pay attention to hand hygiene. The infected person must have separate meals with family members and disinfect their tableware. If family members and the infected person must have contact, it is recommended that both parties wear an N95 mask.
It is also very important to keep the house clean. Experts remind citizens to clean and disinfect the shared spaces, especially the toilet and the surfaces of frequently touched objects, such as door handles and faucets.
According to health experts, people over 60, especially those over 80, with chronic diseases are prone to severe or even critical illness after being infected with COVID-19. Therefore, these people benefit most from getting vaccinations. The elderly are encouraged to get vaccinated.
Senior citizens must avoid going out, especially to crowded places. When going out, one must to wear a mask, pay attention to hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with external environmental objects and wash hands frequently. At home, rooms must be well-ventilated.
Older adults with chronic diseases are also advised to take medicines regularly to keep them under control.
In another development, Shenzhen People’s Hospital recently received a critically ill patient with a drug allergy caused by mixing seven cold medicines, according to Shenzhen Economic Daily.
The citizen, surnamed Zhou, was reported to have taken seven cold and cough medicines due to symptoms of fever, sore throat and cough. After a day, hives appeared on Zhou’s face, which was red and swollen. On the second day, the symptoms worsened, and she had a fever of 39 degrees Celsius.
The hospital’s doctor reminded that in terms of COVID prevention, citizens should store up medicines reasonably, take medicines according to instructions, and avoid taking them indiscriminately or mixing multiple medicines.