-----
We are in the midst of unprecedented times right now. There is so much fear in our community. No one knows how this viral pandemic will turn out. Community leaders are making decisions based on CDC recommendations and WHO recommendations. The most immediate concern is the transmission of this disease in such a rapid manner that it overloads our health care system and harms our most vulnerable population.
On my blog (this blog where you found this article), I try to help others to prepare for emergencies. I posted another post HERE about my immediate thoughts on Coronavirus and what I did to prepare along with everyone else in my community at the same time.
We didn't see this pandemic coming. We didn't expect it to be uncontrolled as other viruses, MERS, SARS, Ebola, similar to Coronavirus (COVID-19), had been quickly controlled and we were unaffected. We expected this virus to be similar to the other viruses. So now we find ourselves rushing to prepare for something unknown.
What we don't know:
We don't know how this will play out.
We don't know if this virus will infiltrate our bodies or our family.
We don't know how the virus will present itself in our bodies. Will we have mild symptoms? Will we be asymptomatic and not even know we have it? Will we become severely ill?
We don't know how long we will have to remain socially secluded. Will life go back to normal quickly? Will we all be on "lock down" for a period of time and how long?
We don't know if we will feel comfortable enough to go out to the grocery store when we need more supplies or if people will be able to bring us supplies if we can't go out. Will deliveries stop? Will Amazon be able to deliver my packages?
What we do know:
We know that the virus is spreading quickly.
We know that it will eventually get into our communities.
We know, sadly, that we will know someone who gets it.
We also know that kids rarely are showing symptoms of this virus.
We also know that most healthy adults are showing minor difficulties getting over this virus.
We know that elderly and those with health conditions will have the most difficulty with this virus.
We know that we all need to help prevent the spread of this disease so that those most susceptible don't get it until a vaccine is made available to them.
We know that this too shall pass and life as we know it will go back to "normal" again.
A
My husband and I hopped on the "prepping" bandwagon about 15 years ago. There wasn't anything in particular that sparked us but we developed a plan and began
How do we prepare?
When preparing for this kind of emergency here are some things to think about while preparing your list of items you should have on hand.
1. Food/Drinks:
I would think that at least a month's worth of food. 21 days has become a popular number floating around in other articles for preparing for an event of this magnitude. This isn't just a 3 day snow storm! We may need to be quarantined for up to 14 days and if we get sick, we could be home for a month! When making your list, think about foods that will stay fresh for a month or freeze well. Also begin to menu plan. Make a menu for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Create a 7 or 14 day rotation so you don't get bored. With a 7 day menu, multiply all the ingredients by 4. For a 14 day menu, multiply by 2.
Sample menu:
Day 1:
- Breakfast: Instant Oatmeal w/ dried fruit. Orange Juice/Milk
- Lunch: Sandwich w/Deli Meat, fresh carrot sticks, Ranch dressing
- Dinner: Grilled Chicken Breast, Broccoli, Rice
Day 2:
- Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, Toast
- Lunch: Canned Soup, crackers
- Dinner: Hamburgers, Fries, Fresh or Frozen Veggie
Day 3:
- Breakfast: Frozen breakfast sandwich or make your own.
- Lunch: tuna sandwiches, chips
- Dinner: Spaghetti with marinara sauce, garlic bread.
Keep in mind that fresh items will go bad so use them first. Back fill fresh items with frozen items. Frozen vegetables are great for steaming or boiling. Frozen fruit is a good substitute for fresh fruit. Dried fruit lasts the longest. If you get grapes for your menu, think about raisins for the menu later in the month.
Don't forget to put snack items on the list.
Luckily with this event, we most likely will have heat, A/C, and electricity. This will make preparing foods and meals much more easily.
2. Medications/Medical Supplies
Keep the standard over the counter medicines on hand. Advil, Tylenol, cold meds, allergy meds, etc. Also make sure that your prescription meds are up to date and filled. Locate a pharmacy where you can access a delivery method if you need to have your meds delivered to you in a quarantine situation.
In addition to medications, you will want to have a good thermometer, cold/warm packs, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial soaps, and a good first aid kit. Add any other medical items that you may need.
3. Cleaning products
Make sure you have enough laundry detergent, your regular cleaning products, a gallon of bleach (always good to have around), a gallon of vinegar (great natural item that kills germs), soaps, paper towels, etc.
4. Personal Items
These might include feminine care products (I always have at least a couple months' worth), toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and shaving items, shower items, shampoos, conditioners, etc.
5. Kids
Make sure that you have activities and school supplies at home for when the kids are home from school. Outside activities are being cancelled left and right currently and many public schools are closing for extended periods of time. You will need some activities to keep the kids busy while you are hanging out at home. Going to friends' houses may not be possible so think of some activities, board games, scavenger hunts in the yard, etc. Keep a couple ideas in your pocket for when the kids are really getting bored and beginning to drive you crazy. Don't give all your ideas away right away. You will be glad you held something back!
Kids may have schoolwork to do during this time. Take it from a homeschooling mom that a schedule will be your friend. Make a schedule and stick to it. Get the kids up at a certain time, breakfast, schoolwork, break, lunch, schoolwork or quiet reading time, play time, dinner, evening activity, bath and bed. Make your schedule work for you. We could be in this mess for a while so plan now and begin a schedule right away. Make adjustments to your schedule as you need to. However, I would like to add that I STRONGLY suggest that you schedule some 'apart' time where everyone is in their rooms or apart from each other and quiet. Some days this might just be your saving grace!
How Can We Help Others?
Some of our neighbors may need help during this time. How can we help them?
The best way to help others is to check in with your neighbors and friends. This can be done by phone, visiting while standing well away from each other, Facetime, Skype, etc. Check in with them and see how they are doing and if they need anything.
Our elderly or immune compromised may become too scared to go out and run errands and may need things. If you are feeling up to it or can pick up items from the grocery store, Target, Walmart, for them, it can be helpful.
Parents who work full time or part time may need babysitting. You could offer a couple hours or a couple days of babysitting if your schedule allows.
Some communities are putting together sign up sheets online to gather lists of volunteers for babysitting, respite care (an hour or two) for parents to unwind, snacks and treats (neighbors baking bread or cookies to share with others), meals for elderly and match them to neighbors who need those services. Think outside the box as we move through this crisis.
This crisis will bring out the best and worst in everyone. Through all this we will all find ourselves stressed, tired, and frustrated at times. Please remember that how we treat others will rub off. We need to remember that others may be struggling. Kindness and patience will go a long way even when we have nothing else to give! Smile and know that we are all in this together. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment