Staying well while staying at home – Caregiving during COVID-19

Being a caregiver to my father as he navigated lung cancer was one of the most stressful times in my life. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to care for someone with cancer during a global pandemic; that’s stress on a whole new level!

But it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends talking with your doctor before delaying any treatments, and calling them before an appointment to see if there are any special precautions you should take. Read on to arm yourself with facts that will help you and your loved one during this challenging time.

Anyone caring for a person receiving chemotherapy knows that it not only kills cancer cells, but it can also weaken your immune system. For this reason, chemo can put people at an increased risk of getting an infection, and getting an infection when someone has a weakened immune system can be serious. It can affect whether your loved one is healthy enough to continue to get their chemotherapy treatments, put them in the hospital, and even be life-threatening. Having a weakened immune system also puts them at a higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19.

For the past decade, CDC has been sharing advice on how to lower the risk of infection during chemo as part of its Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program, available in both English and Spanish language – vital for those, like my dad, who needed information in their native tongue.

In some ways, the advice that the rest of the world is now following - clean your hands often, watch out for a fever and other symptoms of infection - is the advice that people with cancer and their families are all too familiar with. Remember, if you become infected with COVID-19, you risk infecting your loved one with cancer as well. Therefore, in order to minimize the risk of either you or your loved one becoming infected, you should observe the precautions recommended for people with cancer as much as possible:

• Watch out for symptoms of infection: fever of 100.4ºF (38ºC) or higher, cough, or shortness of breath.
• Clean your hands often.
• Avoid other people as much as possible (social distancing). Avoid leaving home as much as possible. Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet (2m) between you and non-household members. If you must leave home, avoid places where people congregate. Have supplies and food delivered to your home.

And, what should you do if you become ill? Immediately separate yourself from your loved one and all family members. If you must remain in the same household, isolate yourself in a separate room, if possible, with a separate bathroom. Make arrangements for someone else to care for your loved one.

It’s easy to become anxious during this difficult time but take comfort in the fact you are doing everything you can to protect yourself and your loved one. We are going to get through this.