Swine Flu Plan H1N1

Caring for a Sick Person at Home with the Swine Flu

If you are taking care of someone at home who has novel H1N1 flu, you should protect yourself and other people in thehousehold.

• Avoid being face-to-face with the sick person. When holding small children who are sick, place their chin on your shoulder so that they will not cough in your face.
• If close contact with a sick individual is unavoidable, consider wearing a facemask or respirator, if available and tolerable. For more information, see Facemasks and Respirators .
• Ask the person’s health care provider about any special care that might be needed, especially if the person is pregnant or has a health condition such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or emphysema.
• Ask the patient’s health care provider whether the patient or you, as the caregiver, should take antiviral medications.
• Keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible, especially others who are at high risk of complications from influenza.
• Make sure everyone in the household cleans 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—should take antiviral medications such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) or zanamivir (Relenza®) to prevent getting the flu.
• Get medical care right away if the patient
  • Has difficult breathing or chest pain
  • Has purple or blue discoloration of the lips
  • Is vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
  • Shows signs of dehydration, such as feeling dizzy when standing, being unable to urinate, or (in infants) crying without shedding tears
  • Has seizures (for example, uncontrolled convulsions), or
  • Is less responsive than normal or becomes confused.