Quarantine is one of the public health measures that can be taken during an epidemic or pandemic, and aims to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, especially when they are caused by a virus, as transmission of such microorganisms occurs more quickly.
In quarantine situations, it is recommended that people stay at home for as long as possible, avoiding contact with others and avoiding frequent indoor environments with low air circulation, such as shopping malls, shops, gyms or public transport, for example. Thus, it is possible to control the contagion and reduce the transmission of the infectious agent, facilitating the fight against the disease.
- Quarantine time varies depending on the disease being treated.
- And is determined by the incubation time of the infectious agent responsible for the disease.
- This means that quarantine must be maintained as long as necessary for the first symptoms to appear after the microorganism enters the body.
- For example.
- If a disease has an incubation period of 5 to 14 days.
- The quarantine time is set to 14 days.
- As this is the maximum time it takes for the first symptoms to appear.
The quarantine period begins on the date of the person’s last contact with a suspicious or confirmed case, or on the date of the person’s departure from the place where many cases of the disease have been identified. If during the quarantine period the development of signs and symptoms related to the infectious disease in question is observed, it is important to contact the health system to follow the necessary recommendations, including guidelines on the need to go to the hospital to make the diagnosis. .
Quarantine should be done at home and it is recommended to avoid contact with others as much as possible, which means not going to other enclosed environments, such as shopping malls and public transport, for example, to reduce the risk of transmission and contagion between people. People.
This precautionary measure should be taken by healthy people who do not have signs or symptoms of the disease, but who are located in a place where cases of the disease have already been identified and/or who have been in contact with suspected or confirmed cases of infection. . This makes it a little easier to control the disease.
As it is recommended that people stay at home for a specific period of time, it is recommended that they have a “survival equipment”, i.e. a sufficient amount of supplies for the quarantine period. Therefore, it is recommended that people have at least 1 bottle of water at home per person per day to drink and practice hygiene, feeding, masks, gloves and first aid kit, for example.
During the quarantine period, it is normal for the person who is locked in their home to experience multiple emotions at the same time, especially negative emotions, such as insecurity, feelings of isolation, anxiety, frustration or fear, that may end up harming mental health. Bless you.
Therefore, it is very important to take certain steps that help keep mental health up to date, such as:
It is also important to try to maintain a positive attitude and know that there are no good or bad emotions, so talking about emotions with others is an equally fundamental step.
If you’re quarantined with children, it’s also very important to include them in these measures and participate in activities that are preferred by the little ones. Some ideas include painting, playing board games, playing hide-and-seek or even watching children’s movies, for example. Learn about other habits that can help keep your mental health quarantined.
During quarantine, being outdoors is an activity that can contribute a lot to mental health and therefore can continue to do so, as most diseases do not spread easily in the air. Therefore, it is very important to know how each disease is transmitted.
For example, in the most recent case of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was recommended that people avoid only indoor spaces and crowds, as transmission occurs through contact with saliva droplets and respiratory secretions. Therefore, in these situations, it is possible to go abroad, simply careful not to be in direct contact with other people.
In any case, it is always advisable to wash your hands before and after leaving home, as the chances of touching an outdoor surface are high.
Watch the video below and find out what to do when you leave your home:
Body care is another critical task for those who are quarantined. To do this, it is important to maintain the same hygiene routine as before, although it is not necessary to be in contact with other people, because hygiene not only helps to keep the skin free of dirt and unpleasant odors, but also eliminates a good part. microorganisms that can cause infections, such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria.
In addition, it is always very important to maintain regular physical activity, as this is the best way to maintain cardiovascular health. To do this, there are some workouts that can be done at home:
For older people, there are also exercises that can be performed to maintain joint mobility and prevent muscle degradation, such as doing squats or going up and down stairs. Below are some examples of exercises that can be performed in this situation.
Watch the video below as well and find out what it takes not to gain weight during the 40s:
During the 40s, it is also very important to try to maintain a healthy and varied diet. Therefore, before going on the market, it is recommended to check what you have at home, and then make a list of all the products you need for quarantine. It is very important to avoid buying excess products, not only to ensure that everyone can buy food, but to avoid wasting food.
Ideally, preference should be given to foods that are not easily spoiled or have a long shelf life, such as:
In the case of having older people, babies or a pregnant woman at home, it is also important to remember that it may be necessary to buy nutritional supplements or milk powder formulas, for example.
In addition, a minimum of 1 liter of water per person per day should be calculated. If drinking water is difficult to find, it is possible to purify and disinfect water using techniques such as the use of filters or bleach (sodium hypochlorite). See more details on how to purify water at home for drinking.
Yes, some foods can be frozen to increase shelf life. Examples include yogurt, meats, bread, vegetables, vegetables, fruits, cheeses and ham, for example.
To properly freeze food, it is important to place it in portions in a plastic freezer bag or container, putting out the product name as well as the date it froze. Here’s how to freeze food well.
Hygiene during cooking is another very important task during quarantine periods, as it eliminates microorganisms that may eventually be ingested. The most essential step is to wash your hands with soap and water before handling any type of food or product, however, it is also recommended to cook all foods well, especially meats, fish and seafood.
Foods that can be consumed raw and unpackaged, such as fruits and vegetables, should be washed thoroughly in peels or soaked for 15 minutes in a 1 liter mixture of water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda or bleach (sodium hypochlorite), which should then be washed with clean water.
While healthy people take quarantine measures, isolation involves people who have already been confirmed with the disease. Therefore, isolation is designed to prevent the person with the disease from transmitting the infectious agent to others, thus preventing the spread of the disease.
Isolation can occur both in the hospital and at home and begins as soon as the infection is confirmed by specific tests.