Pack This COVID-Ready Hospital Bag. NOW.
A List from a Health Care Provider.
Whether you have an underlying illness, or not, we have all seen that people can get very, very sick with the COVID. This is what you should prepare if you’re afraid of being very sick with COVID-like symptoms — just in case things get south and you end up in your nearby ER.
Prep ahead. Pack when you’re healthy and well. Take a small bag, preferably a bright colored washable bag, and use a sharpie to clearly write your name on it.
Make a poster that says in big letters, “If you are taking me to the hospital, please bring along the red bag by the door” (or whatever colored bag you have!) . You can prepare the posters, and post them if you start to get sick, to notify EMT or family members who will be assisting you if such time comes.
Now, here are the contents of the bag.
- Your phone charger
For COVID patients, visitors are NOT allowed. That means, your phone will be your lifeline to be connected to your loved ones. If your phone runs out of juice, that’s it for texting and facetime, and no, they won’t be letting you use one of the other chargers, because of contamination risks. Because the health care workers are so overworked and busy right now, it is unlikely that they can help you use their phone for you. Buy an extra phone charger, attach a large clear label with your name on it, and keep it in your ER bag.
2. Your documents.
Different counties/towns have regulations on where your ambulance can take you. Even if you’re used to going to hospital A, if your condition is considered life-threatening, they may have an obligation to take you to hospital B, who may not have your medical records. Also, if you’ve already been tested positive for COVID, that may potentially change which hospital you will get brought to, depending on their capacities.
So, in case you end up somewhere unfamiliar and their digital medical records are not being shared, have the following list with you, each page labeled with your name AND your date of birth:
- Your medications
- Your allergies, especially medications
- Your major health issues and date of each occurrence
- Your health care provider’s names and phone numbers
- Your emergency contacts names and phone numbers
A sample list can be found at the end of this article — written from me, a health care provider’s perspective of what’s easy to read and what’s important.
If you’re not sure, the easiest way is to ask your primary care provider to print one out for you. Due to billing regulations, your primary care provider will absolutely have these (the first three items above!) handy, usually digitally. Call your provider, ask them to print one out and mail it to you, or better yet, email it to you so you can print it out. (If your provider mailed you a hard copy, I would quarantine it and keep it in a plastic bag and won’t open it for at least 14 days — the risk of transmission by mail is low, but who knows if a staff member licked the envelope for you? Unlikely, but I wouldn’t want you to take risks.)
3. Glasses & hearing aids
Don’t forget these — without them, you can get not just uncomfortable but also may have difficulty understanding your provider!! Pack extra batteries if you have hearing aids. Probably glasses are better than contact lenses if you have both. If you don’t have spare glasses, add to the poster above (by your door and your bedroom): PLEASE MAKE SURE I BRING MY GLASSES WITH ME to warn your EMT people (or family members) who will be taking you to the hospital.
4. Other Essential Medical Items
I was on a conference call with an endocrinologist in a prominent New York City hospital last week. She noted that, because of the isolation protocols related to COVID, it is helpful to have individual glucometer (blood sugar check machine) in each patient’s room, instead of sharing one for multiple patients and wipe them down like they normally do. It is just less wipes (which they don’t have enough of) used, and of course, safer for everyone as fewer things go in and out of the rooms.
Whether it is is a glucometer (with your extra blood sugar testing strips!), or other small medical devices that is essential to your help, if you have a spare or can buy an extra one, consider packing them in your bag.
However, note that if your item is not standard (example: you have a home blood pressure monitor that is not calibrated, unlike the hospital ones which must get calibrated regularly) — they will likely not be utilized.
5. Photos / Comfort Item
If you have a photo of your family, your puppy, etc. you may want to put one in there. You want to limit the number to two or three max, and keep it simple (just a photo, not with some fancy photo stand!) as likely the nurses will ask you to keep leave all non-essential items behind or away. Sure, theoretically you can scroll through your phone for photos, but there is a real value in just turning your head and seeing your family smiling back at you at your bedside, at all times, especially when you are sick and holding a phone is a chore.
If your loved one has dementia also, something like a stuffed animal may greatly help in providing comfort.
6. A Mask (for the transfer)
This should be easily accessible at the top of your bag. If you’re ill and your family member, neighbor, or a friend is taking you to the hospital, they will be exposing themselves to great risk (yes, they should also wear a mask, keep windows down for ventilation, and immediately shower and wash clothes in hot water after giving you a ride). You should put this mask on as you are whisked out of the door to decrease contagious risks on these brave helpers. Same thing if you’re going to the hospital with an ambulance, they may provider you with a mask, but in case there is a shortage, you can provide one on your own.
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I hope you will never have to use this bag, but there is a comfort in being well-prepared. Please share this with loves ones in your life, especially those with chronic underlying illnesses, so they can also prep ahead.
Stay safe and healthy!
SAMPLE DOCUMENT:
John Doe, 57 yr Male, Date of Birth 1/1/1963
Medication List:
- Losartan 100mg once daily in the morning
- Metformin 1000mg twice daily
- Glipizide 5mg twice daily before meals
- Atorvastatin 40mg once daily at bedtime
Allergies:
- Lisinopril — lip swelling
- Penicillin — rash
Problem List:
- Diabetes, type 2, since 2016, A1C tend to run in high 7’s — low 8’s recently
- High blood pressure, since ?2014? — usually well controlled recently
- Basal cell carcinoma, removed in 2008 (forehead)
Health Care Providers:
- Primary Care Provider: Dr. A, Phone XXX-XXXX
- Dermatologist: Dr. B, Phone XXX-XXXX
Emergency Contact:
- Wife, Mary Doe, Phone XXX-XXXX (CALL FIRST!)
- Son, Johnny Doe, Phone XXX-XXXX (lives out of state)
- Neighbor, Joe Smith, Phone XXX-XXXX (if you cannot get in touch with the above two)
