Taking care of someone ill with COVID-19 while preventing yourself and others from coming down with the same disease is a monumental task. Not only are you preparing meals and making sure the patient has what they need, but you also have to do the diarrhea and vomit cleanup, symptoms that sometimes occur in people who are COVID-19 positive.
Diarrhea and vomit can be some of the first symptoms of COVID-19
While coughing and a fever are the more common first symptoms of COVID-19, diarrhea and vomit can also be the first to appear. If someone has thrown up or experienced diarrhea anywhere on your property, the body fluids need to be treated as infectious substances, even if the person has not tested positive for COVID-19.
If someone does test positive for COVID-19, they should be quarantined by themselves to prevent anyone else in the household from becoming ill, including the use of their own bathroom if possible. However, sometimes it isn’t possible for someone to be alone while sick due to their age or their inability to take care of themselves while ill.
COVID-19 is found in both diarrhea and vomit
A person with COVID-19 will have both their diarrhea and vomit infected with the virus. If the person cleaning up the fluids for the patient comes into direct contact with the substance, they, too, can also become infected. It is for this reason that anyone cleaning up the body fluids of someone sick with COVID-19 needs to take stringent precautions to protect their own health.
- Wear rubber gloves
- Use a face mask
- Wear a plastic apron if possible
Clean up diarrhea and vomit as soon as possible
Any vomit or diarrhea needs to be cleaned up as soon as possible to limit the damage. After putting on personal protective equipment and gathering needed supplies, including a strong disinfectant, follow these steps.
- Keep other people and animals far away from the area
- Cover any fluids with paper towels to soak up excess liquid
- Remove all fluids and solids with a paper towel and throw away all trash in a sealed plastic bag
- Starting from the least soiled toward the dirtiest areas, clean all surfaces with detergent and hot water so they appear clean
- Following the product instructions, apply a strong disinfectant or a bleach mixture on all affected surfaces to kill all viruses and bacteria
- Make sure you’ve cleaned all places where the liquid may have splattered
- Wash any soiled objects with strong disinfectant
- Wash any soiled fabric in the hottest water setting available on your washer
- Throw away any disposable personal protective equipment such as disposable gloves or masks
- Wash your hands directly after completing the task
If someone has used the toilet to vomit or go to the bathroom, go through the steps above to clean and decontaminate both the toilet and any surface the person touched including the toilet handle, faucets, soap dispenser, light switch, and doorknobs.
Since a person with COVID-19 is likely to experience these symptoms of diarrhea and vomit multiple times, you’ll want to keep supplies close at hand.
For further instructions on a mixing a bleach solution or cleaning an area infected with the coronavirus, check the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Georgia Clean is here to help
If you do not want to take on the risk of cleaning up vomit and/or diarrhea that resulted from a Covid-19 illness, we are here to help. We have the proper equipment and disinfectants to ensure that the impacted area is thoroughly cleaned of the infectious disease.
Additionally, our staff at Georgia Clean are always here if you have any questions about COVID-19 decontamination or if you need us to decontaminate your property after an infection. Available 24/7, our professional crew quickly handles all cleaning and decontamination so you can know your property is truly safe, clean, and permanently free of all lingering odor. Give us a call at 770-766-9457.
