This is how an at-home coronavirus quarantine works
The Health Ministry has announced that anyone returning from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore or Thailand should remain quarantined at home for 14 days. What would such a quarantine be like?
By IDAN ZONSHINEAn employee at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer testing the special area where the Israelis who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship will be kept in quarantine(photo credit: SHAUL GOLAN)
As the Wuhan coronavirus continues spreading throughout the world, and in the absence of a vaccine or cure, the only known way to eradicate the virus is to isolate the infected individuals and whomever comes in contact with them.Health Ministry announced on Sunday that anyone returning from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore or Thailand, even those who do not exhibit symptoms of the disease, should remain quarantined in solitary confinement at home for 14 days.On Thursday morning, the ministry issued the official guidelines of behavior for those who need to be quarantined.The quarantined individual must stay in a separate, well-ventilated room with a closed door and separate toilet if possible. They will only be allowed to leave the room for brief and necessary actions, while making sure to cover their mouth and nose.Those in quarantine must wash their hands with soap or disinfect them with alcohol both before and after food preparation or use of the toilet, and must also be careful to cover their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, preferably doing so into the elbow.If there are several people quarantined in the same household, they are allowed to stay together in the same room. In the event that all household members need to stay in quarantine, there are no special restrictions within the home.If fever or respiratory symptoms appear, or for any other medical problems, quarantined individuals must first call their healthcare provider, clinic or emergency room doctor and notify them in advance if they have stayed in China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore or Macau sometime during the past two weeks.In any case of contact with a medical center or provider, those in quarantine must cover their mouths and noses with a surgical mask or other available cloth, and avoid traveling by public transport.As far as uninfected household members are concerned, the most important thing for them to remember is washing hands as frequently as possible and minimizing the number of people entering the quarantined room.Disposable gloves and tissues should be used in all contact with quarantined individuals and any part of the quarantined room. The nose and mouth should be covered any time someone enters the room and the uninfected people must wash their hands with soap or alcoholic disinfectant after every contact with the person or room currently in quarantine.
The surfaces and furniture in the room must be cleaned and disinfected every day, and disposable items such as handkerchiefs, masks, and other debris must be disposed of in a dedicated bag, which must be sealed well before being taken out to a trash can.Also on Friday an IDF soldier was lightly injured after a rock was thrown towards troops by Palestinian rioters in the village of Nabi Saleh near Ramallah. The soldier was transferred to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer for medical treatment.
