Get your family ready with a COVID-19 family plan

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - Community spread of the coronavirus in Wichita Falls is prompting medical professionals to urge everyone to come up with a household plan.

Shannon Coppage is now working from home.

Her husband and kids are also home, so she knows first-hand how hard it is to social distance while living under the same roof.

"It's just like if somebody is positive, but the rest of the family isn't you kind of have to are supposed to self-quarantine in that space, which can be so difficult," said Coppage.

That's when she got the idea to use the Airbnb property she owns as a self-quarantine space.

“I’ve got a lot of friends, it’s a family and I’ve had some very close friends, but they had to self-quarantine because they came in contact with somebody that was positive working with them,” said Coppage.

For those that test positive and have to stay home, Community Healthcare MD Daniela Johnson said there are a few things to remember.

“First of all, everyone in the house or anybody that’s had close contact with the patient should self-quarantine as well for about 14-days after the last known contact," said Dr. Johnson.

Households should also choose one family member as a caretaker for that patient and she recommends that no one leave the house for anything; symptoms or not.

“The problem is that with Coronavirus is you can have Coronavirus and not have any symptoms and be contagious," said Dr. Johnson. “That’s why the whole family has to self-quarantine for the full 14 days because we want to minimize that person going to Walmart to get the groceries and you give it to all the people that are at Walmart.”

She also says if one family member has it -- chances are the whole family has been exposed and they have to wait the full amount of time for symptoms to subside.

“Patients that are quarantined, they should stay on quarantine for at least until their test is negative twice if they’ve had a positive test, or if they have had no fever for 72 hours," said Dr. Johnson. “If you don’t retest them, ideally, they should stay self-quarantined until they’re symptom-free for two weeks.”

Having heard this information and talking to friends, Coppage is happy to assist others with her Airbnb.

“It’s been a home away from home for people before, so this would be a good time," said Coppage. “It would be comforting to me to know that I had someplace to go so right.”

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