Every news site, TV program, twitter account, and water cooler conversation is now about Coronoavirus (COVID-19). So since everyone is talking about it, and oh by the way is directly related to what we do here, I guess I’ll add my two cents. What can you do about the coronavirus (covid-19)? I will not be downplaying it as some people I have seen out there, nor will I sensationalize it for click bait. I want to give you the resources to check facts and ideas on how you can keep your family prepared for any disaster.
So what should you do about the coronavirus to protect your family? Here are my thoughts on what you should, and shouldn’t do to protect your family going forward.
Don’t Panic
As we at Saveyourace.com have been preaching for years now, preparation is KEY. We can’t see what’s coming, and we don’t know when something life-altering will happen. Case in point, the coronavirus. This virus didn’t hit overnight, it has been going on in China for months. But the panic did hit the US practically overnight. There was a run on personal protective equipment (masks), hand sanitizer, and anti-bacterial wipes. On the West Coast of the US, in some places it is hard to find water and other supplies at the store.
Preparation is the key to getting through a panic like this. If you have followed our advise, and slowly built a store of food and water over the past few years, stores being empty should not hurt much, if at all.
Along with preparation, knowledge is essential. Not just CNN or Fox News or Twitter “knowledge”. You need the facts, not sensationalism. Go directly to CDC.gov, and WHO.int. There you will find the most up to date and most factual information regarding this virus, along with ways to keep your family safe.
Panic will NOT help your kids deal with the situation. They need you to be a calm force, not a source for more anxiety. It’s ok to admit that you are afraid or anxious, but it’s not ok for you to let that fear and anxiety control you and how you act. Spreading chaos is how things really get out of hand.
If you aren’t prepared, now is the time
Don’t, I repeat, DO NOT go on a panic buying spree and buy out the supermarket. Panic buying is what leaves shelves bare in hours, and is completely unnecessary. Panic buying without a plan wastes money and effort.
But with only small amounts of cases in pockets of the US, there is still time to make a plan and buy supplies to get your family ready for Coronavirus or any other disaster that might be on the horizon. Here are some good resources to consider while making your plan: Ready.gov; and some SaveYourAce posts here and here to get your started. For the rest of our posts, click here.
While in all likelihood this blows over in a month or two, it is good to highlight where we are lacking in our preparations, and to fill those holes. Every disaster scare can be a great OPPORTUNITY to highlight where we can do better in our preparations.
If you haven’t prepared at all for something like this, now is the time to start.
But what should I do about the Coronavirus specifically?
Most likely you won’t have to do anything. To me, the spread seems pretty well contained, and the hyper-awareness of everyone about it will only help stop the spread. But there are somethings you can do to lessen your likelihood of contracting the virus, including increasing your “germ awareness”.
Increased germ awareness will not only help protect you from the coronavirus, but also help protect you from things more likely to hurt your family, namely the flu. Teaching good coughing technique (into your elbow or a tissue and discarding right away), and increasing hand washing frequency will be the most beneficial, and might even save you a bout with the flu this year.
However, if, and it’s a big if, the corona virus spreads to every state and comes to your city (or is already there), more drastic measures may have to be taken. You MIGHT have to do a whole house quarantine. This is where your preparations will come into effect. No going out for groceries, gas, school, work, or anything. This is the nuclear option. This is not a drill, this is what we prepare for. You should have everything you need so you don’t have to go out. It is described in a really good post over at the organic prepper.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Keep your eyes and ears open. If this all turns out to be nothing, it will at least have been a good opportunity to buy stocks on sale and see if you have any holes in your preparations. If in the unlikely event this turns out to be a world-wide pandemic killing hundreds of thousands or millions of people, I hope you have used the information we have provided here to keep your family safe.
Take the time now, before things are too crazy, to prepare. Don’t wait to get a plan together. As I said during the California fires, you have been warned, this is your final warning!
Good luck and stay safe!
