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Covid-19 patients who are low-risk or asymptomatic now have to quarantine at home if possible, as our public health facilities run out of space. Naturally, this also means that the responsibility of being the primary caregiver falls onto their family members.

While most of the conversation has always focused on the difficulties faced by Covid-19 patients, primary caregivers carry a burden not talked about often enough.

For Miro, she had to battle anxiety and doubt everyday trying to nurse her entire family, turning to every possible solution on the small chance that it might work.

Some of these are old wives’ tales, but when you’re desperate, you’ll try anything.
(Credit: Freepik)

A Family Of Patients

Miro took on full responsibility of her family overnight as both her parents tested positive for Covid-19. Four days later, so did her sister.

As her anxiety built up, so did her willingness to try any possible remedy to may help alleviate her family of the virus.

As I am not a doctor, I had very limited knowledge on what worked best.

Miro to TRP

She sought advice from doctor friends and turned to the internet in an effort to relieve her family of their suffering.

Our public healthcare system is already overwhelmed by more serious cases of Covid-19.
(Credit: Yusof Mat Isa/Malay Mail)

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

Many at-home caregivers shoulder the responsibility out of neccessity, but the job is made harder by the lack of accurate and helpful information provided to caregivers.

What are the Do’s and Don’t’s of Covid-19 AFTER they get infected? We do know the ways to prevent it, as it has been shared with our community since the very beginning, but information on home quarantine care-giving could be improved on.

Miro to TRP

She only found useful information after days of looking online, such as ‘never let Covid-19 patients sleep on their back‘, or a list of foods that boost immunity, in addition to anything else that claims to help.

She tried everything she could, including praying that guavas would help hasten her family’s recovery because the fruit has vitamin C.

Does vitamin C work? Maybe.
(Credit: Freepik)

Where Do At-Home Caregivers Even Begin?

The fact of the matter is that more and more Malaysians will have to be caregivers for patients that are quarantined at home, but there isn’t much information from official sources on how to actually provide proper care for Covid-19 patients.

I know other individuals who are being quarantined at home as well, and we are all unsure of what is right and wrong?

Miro to TRP

She wishes that there were more online materials on caregiving for Covid-19 patients so that caregivers won’t have to flounder on their own in uncertainty.

Ultimately, she did her best to care for her family while trying to avoid being infected herself. She separated utensils; cooked fresh meals everyday and left it outside their doors; fed them plenty of fruits, vitamin C, warm water, and honey lemon juice; and even taught them breathing exercised to improve lung capacity.

Miro had to juggle caring for her family while making sure that she herself would not get infected.
(Credit: Freepik)

Thankfully, her parents are on their way to a recovery. Miro isn’t sure which, if any, of the methods she employed helped aid in their recovery, but she’s just grateful that they did.

It does sound like a lot of work for 10 days, but it will all be worth it, when you do it for your loved ones.

Miro to TRP

See her full thread here:

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