Check Out These Tips On How You Can Prepare At Home & Work To Prevent the Coronavirus
The CDC or Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States are currently letting everyone know that they need to be prepared in the event that the Coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreaks in their state or town.
However, exactly how should you prepare? It is essential that you don’t panic, but make sure that you do take certain steps to get ready to deal with a possible outbreak.
This essentially means that you should do some contingency planning for your entire. Experts recommend that you prepare for potential outbreaks in ways similar to how you would prepare for a natural disaster such as a hurricane.
With that said, we have compiled a list on things that you should do in order to prepare for a potential outbreak near your home.
Is It Important To Buy Extra Medications And Food?
Yes, if your community is at risk of an outbreak, you should stock up on extra food and medications so that you can avoid the rush and shortages if an outbreak occurs. It is also necessary that you can practice social distancing where you avoid major crowds in order to avoid getting the Coronavirus or other illness. Essentially, if there are already Coronavirus cases in your community, you definitely don’t want to be among crowds or lots of people such as the grocery store, pharmacy etc.
If you typically take certain medicines on a daily basis such as blood pressure medications, then you should definitely stock up on those pills so that you have enough for at least a couple of weeks. Be sure to talk to your insurance provider so that you an get approved for the extended supply.
Additionally, you should also think about purchasing stocks of ibuprofen or acetaminophen which helps to lower fevers.
In the event of an outbreak, you should consider buying additional non-perishable food and pack them in your pantry. You should purchase enough so that you have enough food to last a few weeks or even a month or two.
Also, you should have foods that you usually prefer to eat while sick such as crackers, vegetable soup and broth, chicken etc. You should also stock up on particular drinks such as Pedialyte if you have kids as well as Gatorade. This is important because if you do happen to get sick, then you want to make sure that you’re well prepared to handle it at home. The majority of the Coronavirus cases, up to 80%, are actually relatively mild and are not much different from the typical cold or flu.
Do you need specific cleaning supplies?
Currently, we don’t know the length of time in which the Coronavirus/COVID-19 survives on various surfaces. However, what we do know is that many typical household cleaners such as rubbing alcohol and even bleach can effectively kill it.
As a result, you should definitely wipe down all of the surfaces in your home with soap and water and that should be sufficient in order to kill it. According to Stephen Morse, who is an Epidemiology professor at the Columbia University Medical Center, the virus has a lipid envelop all around it. This envelop keeps the RNA inside and something as simple as soap and water can actually break it down. It works in the same way that you use soap and water in order to clean the grease off of your plates and other dishes.
Once there is someone sick in your home, then the COVID-19 will begin to potentially spread throughout your community. As a result, it is essential that you clean your home thoroughly on a regular basis, especially areas that people use frequently such as the faucets, kitchen counter, drawer handles etc. It has actually been shown in various studies that by cleaning your home and environment regularly, it will actually reduce the presence of the virus in your home quite significantly.
Should you use face masks?
There are actually mixed results on whether face masks are of any help when it comes to preventing the spread of the Coronavirus. This is because it depends heavily on the type of mask that you’re using as well as if you’re using it as you should.
There are a couple of infectious disease experts who don’t really recommend the use of these masks in order to prevent getting the illness as it can actually be ineffective and fool the person into thinking they are safe.
However, other experts do indicate that using a face mask is a good idea, especially if you are currently ill. The mask can help prevent you from spreading your illness to other people such as your family or even people that you meet in public. According to some experts, you should definitely wear a face mask if you live with elderly persons or persons who have weaker immune systems. Unfortunately, according to the data, most adults that are over 60 are more vulnerable to the Coronavirus.
There is research which shows that the mask can help you to protect yourself if you’re taking care of ill people or ill family members. However, you need to make sure that you wear it constantly while around them and you should not touch the mask since your fingers may have the virus and pathogens on them.
What bout telecommuting for work?
If the COVID-19 is present in your community or town, then you should speak to your boss about working at home. Now, if you are already ill, then you should definitely stay at home. Once there is an outbreak locally, there is a high chance that you will get infected.
If you are able to stay at home during an outbreak, that is the best course of action. This is especially true if you live in an area with a large concentration of people such as New York where lots of people use public transportation.
What should you do if you become ill?
If you start to feel sick and have symptoms such as a dry cough and fever, then you should call your personal doctor. Only visit the emergency room if your symptoms include having issues with breathing or you’re dehydrated. You should not go to a hospital’s emergency room unless your symptoms warrant since there is the high chance that you will spread your infection to many other people.
What can be done to stay healthy?
The best habit that you can adopt is to wash your hands as soon as you reach home. The best way to prevent getting the Coronavirus or even the typical flu is to make sure and wash your hands regularly and practice good hygiene. While washing your hands regularly is important, you should also stop touching your nose, face and eyes. This will go a long way in preventing any respiratory infections.
You can reduce your chances of getting this virus and many other viruses by as much as 30 – 50% by washing your hands. You can use good old fashioned soap and water as well as hand gels that contain alcohol. You can use any regular type of soap as antibacterial soap isn’t necessary. However, you should make sure that you wash and scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Additionally, if you need to cough, then you should cough into the crook of your elbow so that the virus particles are not sprayed into the air. Once you do cough, make sure and wash your hands thoroughly as well as properly dispose of any tissues you may have used.
Once you follow these guidelines, they will go a long way in reducing the exposure of this virus to others.
