Imagine: you are confined with your family, with your spouse and your children. But here you are diagnosed “positive” for Covid-19, the disease caused by the Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus … What are the risks that your spouse or your children have been infected by the virus?
This is the question to which researchers from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (in China) tried to answer. They studied medical data concerning 105 adult patients diagnosed “positive” for Covid-19 following a PCR test, as well as their 392 family contacts – spouses and children.
Results ? Chinese researchers found that the rate of contamination among household contacts was around 16.3%, which means that a person with Covid-19 will have around 1 in 6 chance of transmitting the Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus to family members.
It should be noted that the contamination rate was higher with the spouses of the sick – it was around 27.8%. In contrast, the rate of infection in children was lower – around 4%.
How to protect your family when you are suffering from Covid-19?
If you have been diagnosed positive for Covid-19, wear a protective coronavirus mask at all times (even at night) to prevent transmission of the virus in the family.
Wash your hands frequently (with soap and water), avoid using the same objects as other family members (glasses, towels, cutlery …) and try to isolate yourself as much as possible ( eat solo, work in a separate room …). Keep your distance from family members – to protect them.
Family members should be very attentive to their symptoms (fever, cough, abnormal fatigue, etc.), frequently clean shared surfaces at home (for example: door handles) and take their temperature regularly to monitor them. possible signs of Covid-19.
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