What To Do When You're Told to Self-Isolate

What To Do When You're Told to Self-Isolate

Image Source: UNICEF/ALBANIA/2019

In pandemic outbreaks, you’re told to stay home, avoid contact with others, and self-isolate. But what does that actually mean? Self-isolation means staying at home, keeping your activities confined to your house or another private space. You don’t go out in public or meet with people in small groups (5 people). You don’t attend public events or gatherings. And you make sure that friends and family understand why you can’t see them or meet with them at this time. You might be scared if someone gives you this advice because it feels like being locked up forever. But the goal of self-isolation isn’t to punish you – it’s to keep you safe and make sure the outbreak doesn't spread any further.

Why Self-Isolation Is Important

The main goal of self-isolation is to keep you safe. If you have a pandemic, you might be contagious for weeks or even months. That means you could infect others. You could pass the disease to your loved ones or co-workers and create a public health risk. And you could put first responders at risk if they’re treating patients who have a pandemic. You might have to stay home from work and avoid public places like the grocery store. If you’re sick and contagious, you don’t want to create a risk others. That’s why isolation is important. You’re keeping yourself away from others so you don’t risk spreading the pandemic any further.

How You Stay Safe During Self-Isolation

If you have a pandemic and are self-isolating, you need to be careful about how you stay safe. You want to prevent any health concerns from getting worse. And you want to avoid infecting others. Here are a few ways you can stay safe during self-isolation.

  • Wash Your Hands Regularly – You can’t get better if you don’t wash your hands regularly. If you’re sick and not feeling well, you’re not going to want to do this. But washing your hands regularly is the best way to avoid infecting others. It’s also the best way to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses.
  • Stay Away from Others – You don’t want to go out in public or visit friends and family. If you’re self-isolating because of a pandemic, you need to avoid others at all costs. This means staying in your home and not going anywhere until the pandemic is over.
  • Create a Safe Zone – By safe zone, we mean a room where you can keep pandemic precautions in place. You want to reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses as much as you can. You can do this by reducing humidities in the air and removing dust and other particles. You should also make sure your room is well-ventilated. Make sure everyone in the house knows which room is the safe zone. And they know they need to keep to that room.

Make Food and Water Available

You may be worried about getting enough food and water while self-isolating. But that’s one of the main reasons you isolate yourself – so that you don’t infect others and they don’t infect you. During a pandemic, you don’t want to go out to the store and risk infecting others. It’s best to stay home and have food and water delivered. Some pandemic outbreaks may require you to avoid eating out or drinking bottled water. During these outbreaks, you should eat at home and drink water from the faucet. And you should only use your dishwasher for dishes that you’ve thoroughly cleaned.

Stay in Dark Rooms

When you’re self-isolating because of a pandemic, you want to stay in a dark room. You want to keep the lights low because bright lights and sunlight can make viruses and bacteria stronger. You want to avoid direct sunlight as much as possible. And you want to avoid bringing bacteria into your room. You should cover any windows in your room and keep curtains closed. You also want to stay warm when you’re in your room. Make sure you have a blanket and extra warm clothing. If you have a pandemic, you’re going to be in your room for weeks or even months. Make sure you have enough food, water, and supplies to last that long.

Important Warnings

There are a few important warnings to keep in mind when you’re self-isolating. You want to make sure you have enough supplies and food. You don’t want to run out early because you didn’t plan for as long as you’ll be in your room. The pandemic could last for several weeks or even months. And you want to make sure you practice good hygiene. That means keeping your hands clean and sanitized. You may also want to sanitize your room. You can do this by regularly spraying your room with disinfectant and wiping down surfaces.

Finally, you want to make sure you stay in good mental and emotional health. Self-isolating can be stressful and exhausting. You don’t want to get sick from exhaustion or stress. Make sure you get enough rest and exercise while you’re in your room.

Conclusion

You may have to self-isolate during a pandemic outbreak if you get sick. You could pass the disease to others and create a public health risk. Self-isolation is the best way to protect others and yourself.

Thankfully, you don’t have to sit in a dark room with the lights off and avoid showering. You can still do normal activities like watching TV, reading, and listening to music as long as you do it in a dimly lit room and use a mask.

With the right precautions, you can stay safe and healthy while self-isolating. You want to avoid direct sunlight, keep your hands clean and sanitized, and practice good hygiene. You also want to make sure you get enough rest and exercise.



DISCLAIMER

All the content on this blog, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, are solely to provide information only. Any information/statements on this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and should NOT be a substitute for health and medical advice that can be provided by your own physician/medical doctor.  We at Nano Singapore Shop, encourage you to consult a doctor before making any health or diet changes, especially any changes related to a specific diagnosis or condition.