Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has reiterated the importance of creating a 'safe zone' in the house to protect elderly family members and those with chronic conditions from Covid-19.
Through an infographic on social media on Monday, HMC explained how to have a 'safe zone' at home and the relevant dos and don'ts for people living there.
* The 'safe zone' will be a designated area of the house for these at-risk people.
* Anyone who enters this zone must wash his/her hands, wear a mask and maintain physical distancing.
* Thoroughly sanitise the 'safe zone' and keep it as clean as possible.
* Keep the number of people who visit and interact with elderly relatives and those with chronic conditions to a minimum.
* This small group of people should ensure that they follow preventive advice at all times to minimise their risk of contracting the virus and passing it on to the vulnerable family member.
* At the first sign of any symptoms, these people should isolate themselves and get a test.
Dr Hamad al-Romaihi, director of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control at the Public Health Department and co-chair of the National Pandemic Preparation Committee, had stressed the need to create a ‘safe zone’ in the house for elderly relatives while addressing a press conference last week.
“We expect to be living with Covid-19 to some degree for some time to come," he said. “Only when a reliable vaccine becomes available can we confidently believe the threat of Covid-19 is passed.
“If people adhere to preventive measures, we can expect to keep the virus under control but total eradication is unlikely in the near future — therefore, we must learn to live with the virus and find ways to protect our most at-risk groups.
“Creating a ‘safe zone’ in the house for elderly relatives is an important action that you can take."