Covid-19 home recovery: Need to share a bathroom? Don't know what to prep? Here's how to stay safe

With the number of new cases in the thousands each day, chances are you'll have to deal with a Covid-positive case in your household sooner or later.

Not sure what exactly the Home Recovery Programme (HRP) — the default arrangement for most positive cases since last October — entails? Or simply worried about the virus spreading at home? You're not alone.

Here are some common issues many face during HRP and what the experts say about them.

Bathroom arrangements

Under the Ministry of Health's guidelines, those under HRP should isolate themselves from the other members of their household in a separate room for 72 hours, preferably with an attached bathroom.

However, that's not always possible. Only about a quarter of patients under HRP isolate in rooms with an attached bathroom, Dr Rachel Teoh, co-founder of telemedicine provider MaNaDr, said in CNA's Talking Point.

Nevertheless, Covid-19 positive patients can still share a bathroom with their family members safely if they abide by these precautions, she says:

• Wipe the toilet down after each use
• Ventilate the bathroom for 30 minutes after use
• Close the toilet lid before you flush

Keeping clean during isolation

According to the National University Health System (NUHS), those who are Covid-positive should double-bag their rubbish securely before they place it at their door for their family members to dispose of.

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To be safe, the rubbish should be thrown into the rubbish chute immediately.

As for laundry, there's no need to separate it from the rest of the household's. But NUHS advise that you should empty the laundry directly into your washing machine and avoid using your bare hands.

According to Dr Teoh, it's also best to avoid tossing or throwing in the laundry.

"If you actually toss or throw your laundry into the washing machine, that may disperse the virus into the environment."

Deep cleaning after recovery

Once the infected person has recovered, you should also give the isolation room a good cleaning.

According to Johnson Zhuo, the founder and managing director of cleaning company Dream Sparkle, here's what you should do:

• Air the room out for three hours beforehand
• Protect yourself with gloves and a surgical mask
• Mop the floor inside and around the isolation room
• Wipe down frequently-touched surfaces such as switches, door handles, cabinet handles and remote controls
• Soak bed linen in disinfectant or detergent, then wash in the washing machine
• Wipe down the bathroom used by the patient
• Pour bleach into the bathroom's floor trap and toilet, then flush
• Double-bag all rubbish

Items to prepare

Here's what you should have on hand for your isolation period: 

• Enough ART kits to last seven days, in case you are still positive after the first 72 hours
• An oximeter to monitor your oxygen levels
• Any medication you might need
• Your own toiletries
• Disposable utensils and cutlery (or a dedicated set)
• Fan for ventilation
• Rubbish bags (do prep enough for all the double-bagging you'll need to do)

kimberlylim@asiaone.com