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true

Quarantining With Others? Here's What Your Next Roommate Meeting Should Be About

By Emma Atkinson

Posted April 15, 2020

singlefamilyhousing

(Alex Eady, WFIU/WTIU News)

When the coronavirus pandemic began getting serious in Indiana, people realized they would have to sequester themselves at home.

For many college students and young people, that meant quarantining with roommates. Government officials across the state have discouraged non-essential travel. Plane tickets have been canceled. People are stuck inside with their roommates.

So how do you practice social distancing when living in a multi-person household full of people you’re not related to?

Shandy Dearth is the director of the undergraduate epidemiology program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She says there are several things you can do to stay safe in a shared living space.

Given that Hoosiers have been living under a stay-at-home order for more than three weeks, Dearth says she hopes most people have at least discussed some best pandemic practices with their roommates.

If you haven’t done that yet – do it. And soon.

“So sit down with your roommates and have an open, honest calm conversation about what everyone's expectations are,” Dearth says. “Be polite – remember that they're still going to have to live with each other for long after the pandemic, possibly, depending on what kind of lease they’re in”

Dearth says there are concrete things you should discuss, including:

  • If someone is still leaving the house to go to work, designate a place for them near the home’s entrance to leave their shoes and jackets.
  • Shared spaces should be sanitized regularly. Things such as cabinet handles, counter tops, stove knobs, the fridge door and any remote controls or shared gaming controllers can be wiped down.
  • Designate separate bathrooms – and don’t share hand towels!
  • Consider consolidating grocery runs and sharing food at home. “The more you limit exposure to the outside world, the better,” Dearth says.

Dearth also stresses the importance of having a plan should someone in the household become ill.

“If someone gets sick and they’re not so sick they have to go to the hospital, who can help take care of that person? Who will bring food into that room?” she says.

Dearth says any sick roommates should be isolated in a room by themselves, and you should potentially prepare a list of emergency contacts for each roommate in case of a medical emergency.

The individual designated as the sick roommate’s caretaker should step up daily handwashing and be knowledgeable about any medications the sick person is taking.

Unsure if your sick roommate is sick enough to need medical attention? Pay attention to the severity of their symptoms.

Dearth says the moment someone begins to have difficulty breathing is when you should call 911 or take them to a hospital.

For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here. 

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