The novel virus has reached over 200 territories around the world. This means that it has affected every single household and has changed our daily habits. The 21st century has witnessed significant technological change as standards of living continue rising. This said, the world still needs to move on amid the coronavirus epidemic as kids study and adults are forced to work under the comfort of their homes.
COVID-19 has made most of us remain nostalgic of the time when hugging your best friend didn’t feel like a luxury. However, the efforts and measures taken by health institutions in recommending social distancing is important in reducing the spread of the virus. Though many people may feel irritable and impatient by the change of lifestyle, there are several things you could do during this critical time to ensure that you are safe and updated.
Sanitize surfaces around your house
Health organizations have emphasized hygiene as a method of preventing the spread of Sars-cov-19. As we continue washing hands and sanitizing, it is also important to ensure that every surface around your house is clean and disinfected. Surfaces like cardboard, plastic and stainless steel among others are reportedly confirmed to harbor the virus for several hours and even days. To limit the spread of the virus, you should disinfect high traffic areas like doorknobs and hand-railings more frequently.
Prevent inhaling the virus
As much as we are required to stay indoors during the covid-19 outbreak, some people may need to go out from time to time. It is, therefore, essential for everyone to wear face masks when in public. Surgical masks are used to prevent doctors from spreading pathogens to patients during operations. Most of these masks are not used to prevent the inhalation of bacteria or viruses. Make sure you purchase an N95 or N99 mask as recommended by the CDC to offer protection against the airborne virus.
Get accurate updates from trusted sources
Mental wellness is vital during social distancing. Keeping your brain healthy by focusing on important things will help you cope with the fear and anxiety that surrounds the novel virus. Medical experts advice on avoiding information from unreliable sources like social media and even the news. You should limit the amount of time you use on coronavirus content and use only trusted sources like the World Health Organization and the CDC.
Keep in touch with your friends and family
We need each other in times like this. Not many people are strong mentally and emotionally. This said, you should reach out to the people you trust for moral support if you feel like panicking. On the other hand, you should reach out, through virtual mediums, to your loved ones and even other people to offer them your support and encouragement.
Work from home
The fast-paced modern world, under the coronavirus circumstances, requires everyone to adjust to a ‘new normal’ to ensure that our lives are not adversely affected. This includes working from home. It ensures that the time used during social distancing is well spent. You could achieve this by preparing a working space at home and setting clear working times. Additionally, you could continue working with your colleagues virtually through video chats.
One of the significant ways of making yourself stick to a routine is by planning. You should draw a plan on what you’ll be doing every day and stick to it. You could include work, physical exercises and hygiene tasks among others. This will not only make you busy during this time but also improve your overall well-being. It is an important way to improve both your physical and mental wellness.
Have an emergency contingency plan
Currently, no one knows how vast the COVID-19 outbreak will be. Many reports claim that the outbreak is yet to reach its peak in the middle of the year as doctors work on prevention and treatment options. Nonetheless, even these situations require everyone to have a long-term plan of isolating and social distancing since the disease will have a significant effect on workforce availability across all industries, distribution chains, consumer confidence, etc.
As medical professionals continue working hard to find a vaccine and cure, we should be vigilant in ensuring we follow regulations and reach out to those in need. Using these prevention tips will help you stay calm. At times like these, the best thing to do is to support each other through virtual channels and mobilize more support. Life may seem difficult now but everything will get better.