Page 6 - April-May 2020 Neat

6 COVID-19 - The Government of Canada

COVID-19

The Government of
Canada

www.canada.ca

Continued from Page 5

It is also a good idea to have extra stores of:

• pet food
• toilet paper
• facial tissue
• feminine hygiene products
• diapers (if you have children who use them)

The reason for stocking up on these items is not
necessarily because you will need to self-isolate.
Having these supplies on hand will ensure you
do not need to leave your home at the peak of the
outbreak or if you become ill.
you feel anxious, take a break from it. • the general population
How To Care For Those Who Are Ill
Communicate With Famnily, Friends, Avoiding Crowds
If you or a member of your family become ill and Neighbours
with COVID-19, there are precautions that Respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 spread
should be taken in the home. Your health care Let your family, friends and neighbours know quickly in crowded spaces. Avoiding crowds can
provider will advise you if hospital care is more that you are making plans to prepare for reduce the spread of infection. This type of
appropriate. COVID-19. Share your plan with them, as this precaution could have a significant impact on
might motivate them to make their own. how a community functions.
Children who have mild COVID-19 symptoms
are able to stay at home with a caregiver Talk to them about a buddy system in which you Communities should plan ahead and consider:
throughout their recovery without needing agree to check in on each other and run essential
hospitalization. If you are caring for a child who errands if you become sick. • whether to shut down public transit
has suspected or probable COVID-19, it is - if public transit is shut down, ensure
important to follow the advice for caregivers. Think about the type of care you would want if transportation remains available for:
This advice will help you protect yourself, you became seriously ill, and talk to family, - critical infrastructure workers
others in your home, as well as others in the health care providers or others who would be - emergency medical services or
community. making decisions about your care if you were treatments like dialysis and
not able to do so. These discussions can help chemotherapy
To prepare for these potential situations, you caregivers feel more comfortable and confident • working with employers and businesses to
should have on hand: in making decisions aligned with your wishes. put into effect staggered work hours
- this reduces crowding on public transit
• soap It’s not always easy; some need help to begin during peak commuting hours and in
• facial tissue these difficult conversations. Visit advance care large workplaces during normal workday
• paper towels planning for information, tools, and prompts to hours
• alcohol-based hand sanitizer help with starting these conversations. • voluntary quarantine of a community based
• household cleaning products on a risk assessment
• regular detergents for washing dishes and FOR COMMUNITIES: • whether to ask individuals, organizations
doing laundry and businesses to cancel or postpone mass
• fever-reducing medications, such as Physical distancing measures are a way to gatherings, such as:
acetaminophen or ibuprofen - funerals
reduce COVID-19 transmission in the
• Note: this includes products for children if community by minimizing close contact with - weddings
you are a parent or caregiver) others, especially people who are at high risk for - religious services
• plastic garbage bags for containing soiled - concerts, conferences, sporting events
severe illness during the peak of the outbreak.
tissues and other waste and other forms of entertainment
• diluted bleach, prepared according to the • requiring people to stay home from school,
Some of the physical distancing measures need
instructions on the label, or in a ratio of extensive preparation. Community planners work or other community settings, such as
teaspoon (5 mL) per cup (250 mL) should prepare for: shopping centres and movie theatres.
• Note: this assumes bleach is 5% sodium
hypochlorite, to give a 0.1% sodium • interruptions in social supports (Continued on Page 8)
hypochlorite solution
• reduction in public services like transit and
access to community centres
Get Reliable Information • financial consequences from the reduction of
services or cancelled events
Make sure that you get high-quality information
about COVID-19 from reliable sources. The Planners, administrators and employers must
Public Health Agency of Canada is a reliable work together to put into effect community-
source of information, as are provincial and based measures to protect:
territorial public health authorities.
• groups
If you are finding that the news media is making • employees