Are you under Self-Quarantine or Isolation? How to Cope with both?

We are almost at the end of the 21-days nationwide lockdown that was initiated for the purpose of expelling the coronavirus pandemic. Despite minor hiccups, the lockdown has been successful so far in most areas. Which areas do you reside in? Are you living in major afflicted regions or somewhat safer zones? Those who are inhabiting the most affected regions must be having a bit more restricted lifestyle than the others. Although the rule applies equally to every state or union territory of India, but there are differentiation in how people are managing their lives in their respective areas.

Let me rephrase my questions- are you under self-quarantine or isolation? Those who already belong to these categories must be aware of the coping mechanism and government protocol to follow under these situations. Those who are simply aware of the terms but don’t have the exact understanding of these protocols, please read on to know how to cope with them.

If you will be able to get the definition and differences between the lockdown terms, you can easily understand how to be prepared for any possible risks. The so called lockdown terms are social distancing, quarantine and self-isolation. Each is different than the other in terms of social interaction and levels of restrictions. No matter the difference, each one of them comprises of the public health practices that are crucial for public protection by deterring exposure to the infected or people who may have CoV-2.

Let’s check them out:

PROTOCOLS	APPLICATION	IDEAL CANDIDATES	NOT RECOMMENDED FOR
Social distancing	It is applied to limit close social interactions. Any sort of gathering or assembly that involves physical participation is barred. The national lockdown has made this protocol enforceable by law.	Every human being of sound mind and health.	Members of the same household. Provided that none of them is showing any symptoms.
Quarantine	It is used to monitor a person who might have contracted the infection or is more susceptible to it. People under quarantine are separated from others and restricted to leave their house premises.	People who were traced for their travelling history or possible contact with the infected. Despite being asymptomatic, they have to be monitored.	People who are showing presumptive symptoms of infection. Such a lot is lead straight to isolation.
Self-isolation	This is used to prevent further spread of infection by drastically limiting movements of the infected. The infected stays in a separate area whatsoever. Only the infected are kept under isolation. Self-isolation at house is permitted if the symptoms are manageable, otherwise the patient has to be isolated in a hospital ward.	People who have mild symptoms, are usually under the age of 40 and do not have any underlying health conditions.	People above the age of 65, pregnant and immunocompromised. In these cases isolation is implemented under the care of a healthcare provider.

On the whole, social distancing is the practice that has to be adopted by everyone whether in quarantine or isolation. You could say that social distancing is the parameter that has different ranges for quarantine and isolation.

Now the most prevalent question that arises is- How to live under any of the protocol?

So far it is evidently known that COVID-19 is contagious but not air-borne. For a healthy person it means that you won’t get the infection simply by walking outside your balcony.  Apart from excluding your normal daily schedules that involved schooling, working or shopping out, you don’t have to undergo more drastic changes. We are supposed to stall the time by being patient and maintaining the anti-COVID protocols with suitable coping mechanism.

This is our major concern here. Being in quarantine doesn’t mean that you cannot go out at all. Moreover this all have been strictly implicating towards implementation of social-distancing which is the ultimate motive of quarantine. As the virus is zoonotic, which means it is transmitted from animals to animals, we humans one of its primary hosts are its potential carriers. Hence, social distancing is the best preventive measure against infection spread until a cure is found.

Let’s talk about this topic first-

How to cope with social distancing?

Maintain a distance of 2 metres from your neighbours which is fairly possible as they will be quarantined in their respective homes as well. The distance factor here is important as it is has been validated that the viral particles that could come out of an infected person’s mouth via sneeze or cough can remain suspended in the area for quite some time. The liquid droplets can travel up to 2 meters from their source. Therefore the particular distance has been marked as safe zone.

I am again emphasizing on the fact that social-distancing or quarantine is not isolation. As I have already explained before what does isolation means, this is certainly not that. Isolation is implemented on infected beings so that the virus cannot be spread out through them. People are put under self-quarantine to be monitored for any appearance of the signs and symptoms of the infection. Recently, people have raised appeals not to make quarantined house’s information public. This is because due to lack of awareness, other members of their neighbourhood started discriminating and declaring them as already infected. Hence, those who are quarantined are living under situation same as social boycott. This needs to be stopped! Quarantine is for public safety not for intimidation or spreading terror. You won’t get infected simply by talking to the quarantined house members. Social distancing is imperative but it should not turn into social discrimination.

Having that cleared out, let’s get back to the topic. You can still carry on with your social lives without having to shun everybody out.  

• Remain connected to your friends and peers through social media channels. There are already virtual AI programs out there that have multi-participation features. Go ahead and meet your friends online.
• If you are residing in a neighbourhood where everyone lives in a close proximity, set up those balcony chairs and socialize right from there! I am pretty sure many are already used to that sort of interaction.
• Quarantine is the safest option but also very boring. For extroverts and social butterflies, these days are the toughest than everyone else. If online meeting or telecommunication is not working for you then try to make yourself understand that it is a temporary situation and will not last if we all cooperate. Staying safe is far more better than overcoming boredom.  
• You could indulge yourself in many fun activities such as art and craft, gardening, home decor, etc. I will be covering this topic in another blog in detail.

These were the few coping mechanisms that I could think of at the moment. Now let’s talk about-

How to cope with quarantine and self-isolation?

When you are under quarantine or self-isolation, you have to take care of some measures which are easily applicable and hopefully not much of a big deal. If you suspect that you’ve contracted CoV-2, go to your nearby testing centre. There you will be asked to provide your upper or lower respiratory tract specimen in the form of throat swab or sputum. Based on the results of your test you will be asked to follow some measures that will either include your stay at the medical facility for some time or self-isolation at your own home until you recover.

The test results take time somewhere between 1 day or 4 days, depending upon the nature of the reports. Until then you will be advised to stay at home and follow some measures to avoid further spread of the virus:

• To prevent further spread of the virus, it is highly advised to stay at home and if possible, not go to the office or work from home. Most of the public schools and colleges have been closed for a certain period for similar reasons.
• Do not go to any public places such as public parks, markets or shopping complexes. These places are crowded with people and will augment the risks of infection spread. Do not take pubic transport either. Bottom line is to limit your outings as much as possible until you fully recover.
• As harsh as it sounds, isolating yourself from the other members of your family is the right thing to do if you are infected with the novel Coronavirus. The initial onset of the infection is mild enough for an average person with no underlying health issues. You should be able to take care of yourself in such circumstances. 
• Needless to say, use a separate bathroom if available. Stay in a room separate from the other members of your family. If you have to use the kitchen, completely cover your mouth with a protective mask.
• Although it will be wise for you not to use the kitchen at all. You can ask your family members for taking supplies from the kitchen. 
• Avoid sharing personal household items such as utensils, towels, bedsheets with your family members. Wash the used items with detergent and keep your area clean. 
• If you are in dire need for someone else taking care of you, then you should ensure the safety of your caretaker. Make them wear protective attire especially designed for this purpose. Properly dispose of the gear after use. 
• Pay attention to the safety of your pets. Have your friends to take away your pets until you recover or let your family members take care of them. 
• If you must keep your pets with you, in case you live alone, avoid petting for a longer time, snuggling with them while in bed or let them touch your face. Wear masks all the time and wash your hands thoroughly with a strong cleansing agent before and after your interaction with them. 
• Keep your house clean and sterilized. It goes without saying that cleaning your house regularly lessens the chances of infection. Disinfect all the surfaces or objects that are frequently touched. Areas such as doorknobs, kitchen counters, refrigerator doors, bathroom mirrors, toilets should be your highest priority. 
• Your electronic devices, phones, tablets, computer keyboards should be properly wiped with a suitable cleaner. 

You need to take care of some additional points especially if you have been put under self-isolation:

• Wear masks all the time! There are special face masks designed specifically for infected individuals. Difficulty in breathing is one of the symptoms of Coronavirus which can get elevated if the worn mask is improper. Get yourself the correct face masks and keep them on all the time while you are outside. Masks will prevent you to further spread the infection when you are around people. 
• Keep a sanitized tissue with you. Cover your mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing. Carefully discard the used tissue into a lined trash can. Wash your hands immediately with strong cleansing soap or sanitize your hands with 95% Ethanol-based sanitizer. 
• Frequently wash your hands. After every bathroom visit and before cooking or eating, make sure that your hands are clean. Though the given scenarios are awkwardly mentioned together, these are the two that needs the most attention. Follow the washing routine for 20 seconds and keep your hands dry. 
• Keep an account of your symptoms. Keep in constant touch with your healthcare provider. Your symptoms will subside in a few weeks as per your condition. If you develop any adverse symptom such as severe shortness of breath or persistent pain in the chest, contact your doctor immediately.
• The duration of your stay depends on your reports and your doctor’s analysis. You will be discharged as soon as the local health authorities clear you off of any possible secondary transmission. 

How to prepare yourself for the lockdown?

Lockdown in India was implemented on 25^th march, 2020 for supposedly three weeks. The lockdown was kind of a sudden decision that threw public rationality out of the window! Some people took it too far and started hoarding on necessary supplies, despite the fact that it was clearly implied by prime minister Narendra Modi that there won’t be any shortage of food or medical supplies throughout the lockdown.

We are almost half way through it, but there have been some speculations about the extension of the lockdown. Until further notice from the ultimate genuine source, the Prime Minister himself, we should not lose our senses.

However, we can-not deny the possibility of an extension as new budding reports of confirmed cases keep coming from various parts of the country. Whatever the future holds, we should be prepared for it. key is not to lose your sanity in the process.   

Stock up but don’t hoard! 

Since you are already aware of the public circus that happened at the beginning of lockdown, you should refrain yourself from repeating all that chaos. You can prepare your list of necessities for a week in advance. Even though we are allowed to go out for groceries and medical supplies, let’s not misuse this liberty and make some set rules for yourself.

You can shop for following items that could last for more than a week. This way you will be needed to go out on weekly basis instead of daily.

Get these items in an appropriate quantity. The list below comprises of the general items that are essential for the common crowd. Feel free to modify the list as per your personal requirement. Just remember only one shopping per week.

Medicine and grocery items

• Make sure to buy a good thermometer if you don’t have one already. Just to be sure to regularly check your body temperature. It should be 37 degrees Celcius. If any higher, be attentive.
• Your daily prescriptions. Your doctor will suggest you the required dosage and amount of medication supply.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers, antibiotics, cold medicines, electrolytes, digestive liquids (for overcoming indigestion caused by lack of movement! Just kidding, buy one of those just in case and exercise regularly. You will be alright).
• Grains, rice, wheat, pulses, dried beans, oatmeal
• Canned food items, soup and stews
• Oil, salt, food additives, pepper, masalas 
• Health supplements, vitamins, Coffee and tea
• Snacks for occasional munching. There won’t be any guests coming over any time soon but they are enough to satiate your appetite.
• Meat, fish and poultry items. It is recommended to get the sealed and frozen ones that have more shelf life.
• Vegetables and fruits that will last for a week or so. No need to stock up your refrigerator with veggies that will eventually go bad after a while when unused.
• Pet food, necessary supplements. You should take care of your little buddies as well.
• kitchen cleaning spray with 100% efficacy.
• Dish soap, sponges, paper towels, tissue papers 

Hygiene and sanitation

• Toilet paper for you will be more at home now. Don’t over buy though! There will be always more where it came from!
• Hygiene products for females
• Hand sanitizer, soaps, laundry detergents.
• Items for babies. Diapers, formula, baby wipes.
• Body wash, soap, shampoo, conditioner and skincare products. If you have enough stock don’t buy anymore.
• Hand wash, house cleaning supplies, appliance cleaner.

By now I assume you know the difference between the lockdown protocols and are aware of the coping mechanisms. Taking current circumstances under consideration, if all of us maintain the decorum and follow the protocol with complete sincerity, this pandemic will be eradicated once and for all!

Stay home, Stay safe, Stay sane!