The key facts

  • Doctor Ulyana Makhova listed six rules to protect household members from ARVI, including isolating the patient and wearing masks
  • It is recommended to ventilate the patient's room every two hours and disinfect surfaces twice a day
  • Emergency chemoprophylaxis of flu (oseltamivir or zanamivir) is possible only as prescribed by the attending physician

Six rules for families with a sick member

If someone in the family falls ill with an acute respiratory viral infection, the risk of infecting the others can be reduced by following six rules, Ulyana Makhova, an assistant at the Department of Outpatient Therapy of the Institute of Clinical Medicine at Pirogov University, told Gazeta.Ru.

Isolation, care and masks

The first rule is to give the sick person a separate room. If the apartment layout does not allow this, the doctor advises keeping a distance of at least one meter from the patient and limiting their movement around shared spaces as much as possible. The second is organizing care: it is better for one person, 'the strongest one, vaccinated against flu,' to look after the patient. The third is masks and hand hygiene: during any contact with the patient or while staying in the same room, the caregiver should use a medical mask and disposable gloves, and the sick person should wear a mask when leaving their room.

Ventilation, dishes and medications

The fourth rule is ventilation and disinfection: the room where the patient is staying should be aired out as often as possible, ideally every two hours, and door handles, light switches and bedside tables should be wiped with household disinfectants at least twice a day. The fifth is separate dishes for eating and drinking, which should be washed thoroughly after use; according to the doctor, from a hygiene standpoint, every family member should have their own dishes.

Medication prevention — only with a doctor

The sixth rule concerns the patient's surroundings. According to the clinical guidelines of the Russian Ministry of Health, after contact with a sick person, emergency flu prevention may involve chemoprophylaxis with neuraminidase inhibitors — oseltamivir or zanamivir. Taking these drugs according to a regimen significantly reduces the likelihood of illness among contacts, but only the attending physician should prescribe them, select the dosage and determine the course duration, the specialist emphasized.