COVID-19: What to do if you or someone in your home is sick
On this page
- Stay at home when you're sick
- Reducing the risk of spread in the household
- Providing care
- Monitoring symptoms and seeking medical care
- Supplies
Stay at home when you're sick
Stay home and limit your contact with others when you're sick or experiencing any COVID-like symptoms, even if mild. This will help prevent others in your community from getting sick.
Isolation
Isolation is used to prevent the spread from people who are sick (with or without symptoms) to others.
It's important that you continue to follow the advice of your local public health authority regarding isolation, including:
- the recommended length of time
- public health measures you should continue using in the days after isolating, such as:
- staying home if you're still experiencing symptoms
- wearing a well-fitting respirator (like an N95 or KN95) or mask in public indoor settings
- avoiding group living settings or those where people at risk of more severe disease or outcomes live
Learn more about:
- COVID-19 symptoms
- COVID-19: Contact your local public health authority
- COVID-19: Where to get tested and how to get rapid tests
- Respiratory infectious diseases: Mask use for reducing the spread
Reducing risk of spread in your household
Recommended public health measures to follow
When you're at home sick or in isolation, you should:
- follow the instructions from your local public health authority
- avoid or limit time spent in shared spaces with others
- keep your space well ventilated
- wear the best quality and best fitting respirator or mask available when recommended
- maximize physical distance from other household members
- frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces and objects in your home
- wash your hands regularly with soap and water
- take precautions with your pets
Wear a respirator
If you're at home sick or in isolation, wear the best quality and best fitting respirator (like an N95 or KN95) or mask available when you:
- have to leave your home or co-living setting (for example, to seek medical attention)
- are in a shared indoor space by yourself or with others, like a:
- hallway
- kitchen
- washroom
- aren't able to maximize your distance with others in a shared outdoor space, like a:
- balcony
- backyard
- are receiving care (either direct physical care or close-range interactions)
Example of types of respirators
Do not wear a respirator or mask if you have trouble breathing while wearing it.
Your caregiver and household members should also wear the best quality and best fitting respirator or mask available to them when:
- providing care to you
- in a shared space with you
This is especially important for those who:
- are at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19
- live in an overcrowded setting
If a respirator isn't available in these situations, wear a well-fitting medical mask. If neither are available, properly wear a well-constructed and well-fitting non-medical mask.
Learn more about:
Children
Children under the age of 2 years should not wear masks. Children 2 to 5 years old may be able to wear a mask if they:
- are supervised
- can tolerate it
- know how to put it on and take it off themselves
Children older than 5 years should wear a mask in the same situations or settings as adults.
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Actions to avoid
If you're at home sick or in isolation, you should avoid or limit:
- in-person interactions with household members, including being in the same room
- leaving your home or co-living setting unless you need medical care
- going to public spaces or visiting with others in-person
- sharing a washroom with household members, but if this isn't possible:
- follow public health measures when in a shared space, such as:
- wearing a well-fitting respirator or mask
- opening a window
- practising hand hygiene
- cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects
- put the toilet lid down before flushing to limit spread
- follow public health measures when in a shared space, such as:
- sleeping in the same room with household members, but if this isn't possible:
- make sure the space is well ventilated
- maximize physical distancing (for example, sleep in separate beds positioned head to toe)
- sharing personal items (for example, masks, utensils, food and drink, electronic devices)
- in-person contact with people who are at risk of more severe disease or outcomes
Learn more about:
Providing care
Ideally, only one person should provide care to someone who is at home sick or in isolation. This will help reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading to others in the household. If possible, the caregiver shouldn't be at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19.
If you're caring for someone, protect yourself by following prevention measures when in direct physical contact or during close interactions, such as:
- limiting the amount of time spent in a shared space together
- wearing the best quality and best fitting respirator or mask available
- wearing eye protection like face shields, safety glasses or safety goggles
- this keeps splashes or sprays of body fluids out of your eyes, like respiratory droplets
- keeping the space you're providing care in well ventilated
- washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds:
- before and especially after providing care
- before and after putting on and taking off respirators or masks and eye protection
Learn more about:
- People who are at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19
- Respiratory infectious diseases: Mask use for reducing the spread
- Infographic: Reduce the spread of infectious diseases: How to properly wash your hands
Eye protection
Eye protection should not replace the use of a respirator or mask. Wear it over prescription eyeglasses and put it on after putting on a respirator or mask.
To remove eye protection:
- wash your hands
- remove eye protection by handling:
- the arms of the safety glasses or goggles or
- sides or back of a face shield
The front of your protective items are contaminated, so don't touch them.
To discard eye protection:
- if disposable: place into a plastic-lined waste container
- if reusable: clean it with soap and water and then disinfect it with approved hard-surface disinfectants
- if unavailable, use a diluted bleach solution
- wash your hands
Learn more about:
Disposable gloves
You do not have to wear disposable single-use gloves if you're providing care at home. It's better to regularly wash or sanitize your hands.
If you choose to wear disposable gloves, clean your hands before and after using them when touching:
- the person you're caring for
- things the person you're caring for has touched
If your gloves become soiled or torn during care, remove them, clean your hands and put on a new pair.
To remove gloves safely:
- pull off the first glove from the fingertips using your opposite hand
- as you're pulling, form the glove into a ball within the palm of your gloved hand
- slide your ungloved hand in under the wrist of your second glove and gently roll it inside out, and away from your body
- avoid touching the outside of the gloves with your bare hands
- discard the gloves in a plastic-lined waste container and clean your hands
Monitoring symptoms and seeking medical care
Everyone in the household, including caregivers who may have come from outside of the household, should watch for new or worsening symptoms.
Call 911 or your local emergency number if you or others develop severe symptoms, such as:
- trouble breathing or severe shortness of breath
- persistent pressure or pain in the chest
- new onset of confusion
- difficulty waking up or staying awake
- pale, grey or blue-coloured skin, lips or nail beds
If someone in your household requires emergency medical care:
- notify medical staff that they have or may have COVID-19
- follow any directions provided
This includes if you:
- call an ambulance
- take a private vehicle to the hospital
While travelling in a private vehicle, follow strict individual public health measures to reduce the risk of spread and:
- wear a respirator (if unavailable, wear a well-fitting medical mask) unless experiencing difficulty breathing
- all other passengers should also wear a respirator
- minimize the number of passengers in the vehicle
- maximize the physical distance between the driver and the person who is ill
- keep all of your vehicle windows fully open to improve ventilation if possible and safe to do so
Public transportation should not be used to seek medical care. If no other option is available, wear the best quality and best fitting respirator (like an N95 or KN95) or mask available.
Learn more about:
- COVID-19: If you develop severe symptoms
- Respiratory infectious diseases: Mask use for reducing the spread
- COVID-19: Individual public health measures
Supplies
Supplies needed if you or someone in your household is sick or isolating at home include:
- a thermometer
- respirators (or if unavailable, well-fitting medical masks)
- if neither are available, use well-constructed, well-fitting non-medical masks
- eye protection, like a face shield, safety glasses or goggles
- no-touch waste container with a plastic liner, like a garbage bin
Recommended hygiene products include:
- tissues and disposable paper towels
- hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol
- dish soap, hand soap and regular laundry soap
- household cleaning products
- a hard surface disinfectant that has a drug identification number (DIN)
- if unavailable, use a diluted bleach solution
- alcohol prep wipes or cleaning products made for electronics
Read and follow manufacturer's instructions for safe use of cleaning and disinfection products.
Stock your home with supplies in advance in case you or someone in your household needs to stay at home sick or isolate. Reach out to family, friends or neighbours for help if you can't get these supplies yourself. When reaching out, do so in a safe manner by avoiding contact if you can, such as a porch pickup. You can also contact your local public health authority or a community organization for advice, support and resources.
Wherever possible, stay at a place that has access to running water. This will make it easier to practise hand washing, cleaning and disinfecting, and laundering.
Learn more about:
- Respiratory infectious diseases: Mask use for reducing the spread
- COVID-19: Hard-surface disinfectants and hand sanitizers
- COVID-19: Cleaning products and bleach
- COVID-19: Contact your provincial or territorial public health authority
- COVID-19 and Indigenous communities: Protect your health