When providing care to a household member who is sick with influenza, the most important ways to protect yourself and others who are not sick are to:
Placement of the sick person
• Keep the sick person in a room separate from the common areas of the house. (For example, a spare bedroom with its own bathroom, if that’s possible.) Keep the sickroom door closed.
• Unless necessary for medical care, persons with the flu should not leave the home when they have a fever or during the time that they are most likely to spread their infection to others up to 7 days after they get sick.
• If persons with the flu need to leave the home (for example, for medical care), they should cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and wear a loose-fitting (surgical) mask if available.
• Have the sick person wear a surgical mask if they need to be in a common area of the house near other persons.
• If possible, sick persons should use a separate bathroom. This bathroom should be cleaned daily with household disinfectant.
• Remind the sick person to cover their coughs, and clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub often, especially after coughing and/or sneezing.
• Have everyone in the household clean their hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub
• Ask your healthcare provider if household contacts of the sick person—particularly those contacts who may have chronic health conditions.
