What to do if you suspect you have COVID-19

If you are sick with COVID-19 or suspect you have been infected with the virus, here are some steps to follow to help prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home and community.

Be sure of your symptoms

When news about the COVID-19 is all you hear everywhere, it is easy to get paranoid or concerned by the slightest symptom. However, it is important that you be sure of your symptoms so that you do not add to the overburdening of the healthcare system. That way, the most amount of care can go to the people who really need it. Remember, the symptoms of COVID-19 are:

Call ahead before visiting your doctor

If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you may have COVID-19. If you do not have an appointment, you can book one with the MyHelium Patient Portal App. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

Contact The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) or get your healthcare provider to contact them.

You can contact the NCDC through:

–           Toll-Free Number: 0800 9700 0010.

–          Whatsapp: +234 708 711 0839.

–          SMS Number: +234 809 955 5577.

–          Phone Number: +234 703 670 8970

If you have been instructed to self-quarantine, here is what you should do:

1. Stay away from others: It is advisable that, you stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available. Also, stay away from any pets or animals that you may have at home. While there has been no reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, scientists still do not fully understand this disease and it is best to stay on the cautious side.
2. Cover your coughs and sneezes: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze then dispose of the tissue immediately after. You should also sneeze directly into your elbow and wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you don’t have access to soap and water, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
3. Avoid sharing personal household items: Avoid sharing dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets while you are under self-quarantine. These items should also be thoroughly washed with soap and water.
4. Clean all high contact surfaces every day: Practice routine deep cleaning of high contact surfaces around your home such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.
5. Stay at home and isolated until you have been given the all-clear signal by your healthcare provider or the requisite healthcare agency.

Source: World Health Organization (WHO).