Japan urges family members to stay apart in possible infection case

March 2, 2020

Tokyo--Japan's health ministry has requested those taking care of family members who are possibly infected with the novel coronavirus at their homes to stay in different rooms from the suspected patients, including when they have meals and go to sleep.

Hoping to prevent a further spread of the virus, the ministry also advised such caregivers to disinfect communal spaces, such as bathrooms, in their houses.

The ministry urged people to separate a room with curtains or other items or stay at least 2 meters away from the possibly infected family members if their houses do not have many rooms.

According to the ministry, the risk of infections can increase if caregivers sleep face-to-face with suspected patients.

The ministry called on households with suspected patients to clean door handles and bed fences with chlorine bleach and then wipe them with water as the virus survives for a while after becoming attached to objects.

It recommended people to frequently clean washbasins and toilets with disinfectants for household use and wash clothes and dishes in a normal way.

Meanwhile, the ministry said that gloves and face masks should be worn when washing clothes used by suspected patients.

Group infections occurred in crowded rooms with poor ventilation and places that drew an unspecified large number of people, the ministry said, citing as examples fitness clubs, buffet meal venues, mahjong parlors and guesthouses in ski resorts. Jiji Press