Health Watch: My family has COVID-19

If one member of the family has COVID-19 symptoms or tests positive, it's almost guaranteed to spread to the rest of the family at home, right?

Some of the country's top docs say not necessarily - if family members take preventive measures.

Neha Vyas, MD, a family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic, told Ivanhoe, "If they are testing positive for coronavirus, then you're going to want to make sure your utensils aren't shared, your clothes, your towels. Certainly, personal hygiene items need to be kept separate."

Dr. Vyas also recommends family members who test positive eat meals away from others in the home, and also if possible, use a separate bathroom. Doctors say it's critical right now that everyone use good hand hygiene. But especially if one family member is sick, it's important to be extra vigilant.

Dr. Vyas said if everyone in the household has the same symptoms, then it's likely the infection has already spread, and isolating family members won't help.

Contributors: Cyndy McGrath, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.