If a housemate has a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) or is showing symptoms, your living situation can get serious and stressful quickly. The virus spreads most easily in shared spaces, so it's important to be vigilant and take the right precautions to protect yourself while you care for your housemate.
The Centers For Disease Control recommends the following measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within homes:
Here's the full list of CDC guidelines on taking care of a housemate with the coronavirus, and the currently approved ways to treat the coronavirus.
When you live in a small apartment, things can be more difficult. You may be sharing a bedroom, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and other close spaces with one or multiple housemates. The closer you are together, the harder it can be to keep away from each other and stop the virus from spreading. But according to Aruna Subramanian, MD, an infectious disease doctor and clinical medical professor at Stanford University, there are still steps you can and should take to protect yourself in a small apartment.
POPSUGAR aims to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information about the coronavirus, but details and recommendations about this pandemic may have changed since publication. For the latest information on COVID-19, please check out resources from the WHO, CDC, and local public health departments.