Home quarantine and isolation: how to prepare and what to do
⏱ 2 min read
Isolating a sick person or the whole family. Below: what to do right away, what next, when to call 112 and what to avoid. The same instructions are in the free SurvivalZone.app and work without internet.
First, right now
- Follow the instructions of public health authorities or your doctor. Quarantine and isolation orders are legally binding in many countries.
- Give the sick person a separate room and, if possible, a separate bathroom.
- Air your home several times a day and wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.
Then
- When in contact with the sick person, both of you wear well-fitting masks.
- No visitors. Ask for shopping and medicines to be left at the door.
- Clean door handles, switches, phones and worktops often.
- Check temperature and write down symptoms. Contact your doctor by phone or video.
- Keep food, water and medicines for at least several days.
- Stay in touch with family and friends by phone and keep a daily routine. Isolation is hard on mental health too.
When to call 112
Shortness of breath, chest pain, blue lips, confusion or a very high fever that won't come down. Tell the dispatcher you are in quarantine.
What not to do
- Don't go out unless you must, even if you feel well.
- Don't take antibiotics without a prescription.
- Don't share towels, cutlery or bedding with the sick person.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare for quarantine at home?
Keep food, water and medicines for several days, a thermometer, masks and cleaning products. Arrange who will shop and leave it at the door.
How do I care for a sick person without catching it?
Separate room, masks when in contact, frequent airing and handwashing, and separate towels and dishes.
When should I call 112 during quarantine?
If there is shortness of breath, chest pain, blue lips or confusion. Say that you are in quarantine.
Related topics
- 🦠 Epidemic, pandemic, dangerous disease
- 🧫 Suspicious package or white powder
- 🥫 Emergency Food Supply
- 🧼 Hygiene Without Water
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Other scenarios
- ⚡ Power cut
- 🥶 Cold, no heating
- 🚱 No water or unsafe tap water
- 🌊 Flood, water coming in
- 🎒 Evacuation in 10 minutes
- 🔥 Fire in the building
- 🌡️ Heatwave
- ⛈️ Storm, strong wind
- 🚀 Air attack: missiles, drones, bombs
- 📢 Sirens, alarm, air contamination
- 📵 No signal, no internet
- ❤️ Someone is unconscious
- 🌍 Earthquake
- ⛵ Storm at sea, no internet
- 🚗 Road accident
- ☠️ Carbon monoxide or gas leak
- ❄️ Stuck in a car in a snowstorm
- 🌩️ Thunderstorm outdoors
- 🫀 Heart attack or stroke
- 🏊 Someone is drowning
- 🌲 Forest or grass fire
- 💳 Cards and cash machines not working
- 🦠 Epidemic, pandemic, dangerous disease
- 🧒 A child is missing
- 🫁 Choking
- 🩸 Severe bleeding
- 🔥 Burns and scalds
- 😷 Smog and poor air quality
- 🐻 Bear on the trail
- 🐗 Wild boar encounter
- 🏢 Fire at work: evacuation
- 🌪️ Tornado
- 🌧️ Flash flooding
- ☣️ Chemical incident
- 🛡️ Cyberattack
- 🔌 No power in your home
- 💨 You smell gas
- 😵💫 Someone faints
- 🏫 Alarm or evacuation at your child's school
- 🏜️ Drought and water restrictions
- 🌋 Volcanic eruption and ashfall
- 🛴 E-scooter accident
- 🛑 Attacker at school or in a building
- 🔔 An alarm goes off: home, flats, work
- ☢️ Nuclear attack and radioactive contamination
- 🧫 Suspicious package, powder, biological threat
- 💣 Bomb threat, suspicious item, explosion
- 💰 Robbery: shop, bank, street
- 💚 Suicidal thoughts: how to help yourself or someone else
- 🌲 Lost in the forest: how to survive
Sources
- ECDC: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (Poland)
- Robert Koch Institute (Germany): infectious diseases
Scientific literature and guidelines
- Cochrane review (Jefferson et al., 2023): physical interventions to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses
- Cochrane review (Ejemot-Nwadiaro et al., 2021): hand-washing promotion for preventing diarrhoea
- WHO: Guidelines on hand hygiene in health care
Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-11-04.
General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.