Final answer:
To prevent the spread of pertussis, a close contact should get vaccinated, practice good hand hygiene, cover coughs and sneezes, and maintain a clean environment. Isolation and antibiotics may also be necessary depending on the situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a person is a close contact of a patient with pertussis (whooping cough), there are measures and actions they can take to prevent the spread of the disease and ensure appropriate management. These include:
- Vaccination: Getting the recommended pertussis vaccine, such as the DTaP or Tdap, can help prevent the disease or reduce its severity if infection occurs.
- Isolation: The infected person should be isolated and avoid close contact with others, especially infants and young children who are at higher risk of severe illness.
- Antibiotics: If the close contact is not vaccinated or has a weakened immune system, they may be prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection or reduce the severity of symptoms if infection occurs. Close contacts should complete the full course of antibiotics as prescribed.
- Hand Hygiene: Practicing good hand hygiene by washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, can help prevent the spread of the bacteria.
- Covering Coughs and Sneezes: Close contacts should cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or their elbow when coughing or sneezing to prevent the release of respiratory droplets that may contain the bacteria.
- Clean Environment: Surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with respiratory droplets should be regularly cleaned and disinfected.