Preparing For The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) At Home

For centuries now, the human race has been exposed to various new illnesses caused by different viruses. Let’s just say just like the inventions that the human race is applauded for, the mankind has also been discovering and combating various deadly viruses. Every single time that there was an outbreak of a deadly virus, the world population has been hit by a significant percentage of the wipeout. When most of us were ringing in this New Year in our own signature styles, we did it because it was a very fancy sounding year, 2020, and it was called as the twin year by many. While celebrating the knocking of this new year into our lives, seldom did we even think or imagine that this very celebrated new year would turn into a year of utter devastation and distress amongst everybody worldwide. Yes, by now you all would have guessed what we are talking about—we’re talking about the novel coronavirus aka COVID-19 which has bought the world to a standstill. It’s weird, isn’t it? Our life seems to be moving forward in a world that stands still! Let’s read a little about it.

About The CoronaVirus (COVID-19)

It’s been months since this virus has started spreading across the globe. Everybody, from a small daily wage laborer to a politician seems to be panicking about the spread of the virus simply because not everything about it has been known yet. And most importantly, not a single successful attempt has been made to find a cure or a vaccine for it. The best of the health experts and researchers are fully submerged to find out more details that will help curb the spread of coronavirus further. So far, all that they’ve tried to establish is that social distancing and maintaining personal hygiene is what it takes to break the chain of its spread. This has forced all nations worldwide to initiate a complete lockdown in their countries and turn a blind eye to the economy of their country. The coronavirus cases have reached a whopping 2,083,304 and the death toll has reached 510,350. And you continue to read the article these numbers must have already changed.

Of all the questions, still, the most important question that lies in everybody’s mind which still doesn’t hold a full-proof answer is as to where did the virus originate or what led to its development. Well, in the minds of the public one story has been fixed—that the virus originated from the seafood market called Huanan in the Wuhan province of China. It is said that someone contracted it from an animal over there and the rest of the story has been changed and made in what we like to call a creative storyline, for everybody has their own versions of this story.

The Lockdown Approach

The COVID-19 is capable of surviving on surfaces for hours, this makes it capable enough for anybody to get infected upon contact. The uncertainty about its medium of spread and the impossibility to keep a tab on who all the infected or positive tested COVID-19 person must have come in contact with has forced most nations worldwide to observe a lockdown from anywhere between 14days to months! Even the biggest democracy like India has been under lockdown for 20 plus days right now to curb and break the chain of coronavirus spread in their country. Only the essential services are working. Even the biggest of the hotspots for devotion have been shut to avoid the spread of coronavirus furthermore.

How To Prepare For The Novel COVID-19 At Home?

Every family out there needs to carve out a plan and take decisions that will protect their families from this pandemic situation that the world is in. Here are a few things you can do to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

Buying Essentials And Soaps And Disinfectants

• The health experts from the WHO (World Health Organization) have also mentioned that frequent washing of hands for at least twenty seconds is vital to keep yourself safe from the virus. Therefore, ensure that you have a good stock of soaps, disinfectants, sanitizers at your home.
• Buy your basic medicines and prepare your home for any illness that could be treated at home itself. Because making a visit to a hospital for a meagre issue is the last thing that you would want to do.
• While N-95 is the mask in which the health experts claim to be fighting the virus while you are exposed. We recommend opting for OxyBreath Pro mask as it has multiple filters that will protect you from the virus as well as other harmful pollutants in the atmosphere. We understand that there is a shortage for the same. Therefore, if you cannot find those masks, make your own! There are several YouTube tutorials regarding the same.

Stay Informed About Everything

• Make sure you are receiving all the up-to-date and latest information from your local public health officials.
• You can always call up your neighbors and ask for tips in case you feel like you don’t know how to handle the panic in your home.
• Make a list of phone numbers and organizations that are volunteering to help in case you need emergency help.

Make An Everyday Preventive Chart

• Make a chart and put it up wherever or everywhere in your house so that your folks never fail to follow them. Let the chart include the following:
• Wash hands regularly.
• Avoid touching face, eyes, and nose.
• If you are sick stay at home or in your room.
• When you cough or sneeze, use a tissue or a cloth to cover your face and dispose the same in a dustbin that has a lid.
• Disinfect and clean the objects that have been touched frequently by everybody at home. For example, the door knobs, the staircase, etc.

Always Keep A Watch For Symptoms

For now, the symptoms of coronavirus revolve around three of them, they are:

1. Fever or
2. Shortness of breath or
3. Cough

There are a few emergency signs of warnings as well that you should be looking out for, they include:

1. Bluish tint on face or lips
2. Pressure or any persistent pain felt in the chest
3. Having trouble to breath normally

• Make sure that you make all of your family members understand these symptoms and emergency warnings.

List Of Do’s And Don’ts

• Do consider taking extra precautions if you have to travel to public areas in case of an emergency.
• Don’t make any travel plans at all. This is because, the tickets and stay accommodation prices will be skyrocketing. Also, they might cancel all of your bookings as well. And we know that a world of refund never exists. On a serious note, every country has many areas that are marked as hotspots for COVID-19 spread, therefore, steer clear form the though of travelling alone or with family.
• Do get mentally and physically prepared to hunker down for days or ever months. Because after the WHO declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic, the lockdown or self-quarantine time might be continued for weeks or even months until the spread of the COVID-19 is completely eradicated (1).
• Don’t panic—this is very important! We know that in an uncertain situation like this, it is common to panic as you might feel like your normal world has just come to an end and that you’re confinement within the walls of your home makes you feel like your family and you are prisoned. Don’t panic people, you need to stay together, stronger as a family and be prepared in all ways to fight this pandemic situation.
• Do practice social distancing, i.e. stay at least three to six feet apart from people, especially when you find them sneezing or coughing.
• Don’t self-medicate and head for antibiotics if you feel that you have the symptoms of coronavirus. It might only worsen your condition. In such times, call emergency care and inform them.

Yes, it’s a tough and difficult situation to be in. However, staying strong, acting wise, following the health guidelines is what will take for this pandemic situation to end. Until then, let’s follow the rules of our respective lands, help those in need by contributing to the relief funds, and just stay home and stay safe. And let’s just have faith that this time too shall pass!