Risks for Household Members of COVID-19 Positive Individuals

29 OCT 2021

[Updated on 3 March 2022]

Risks of (1) being a household member of a COVID-19 positive individual who is unable to self-isolate at home; (2) being a vulnerable household member of a COVID-19 positive individual; (3) being the caregiver of a COVID-19 positive individual; and/or (4) receiving care from a COVID-19 positive individual

  1. If a COVID-19 positive individual is unable to isolate himself/herself in a room away from his/her household member(s), the household member(s) risks being infected with COVID-19 due to the inherent risks of being in close proximity with a COVID-19 positive individual. If the household member(s) is infected with COVID-19, he/she may suffer from symptoms of, but not limited to, upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, clotting abnormalities, multi-organ dysfunction, and death in severe cases.

  2. If the household member(s) of a COVID-19 positive individual is vulnerable (such as those aged 80 and above, non-fully vaccinated), he/she risks developing more severe symptoms should he/she become infected with COVID-19, which may result in increased morbidity and/or death. Due to the consequential severity of vulnerable household members contracting COVID-19, the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to such persons is considered especially high, even if the probability of transmission is lowered by the COVID-19 positive individual’s self-isolation.