The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused quite a scare around the world in the last couple of months. First originating in Wuhan, China, this viral infection causes respiratory illness and can spread rather quickly among human contact.
On January 21st 2020, the first COVID-19 case was reported in the US and that number continued to rise over the next few weeks.
Despite the health risks associated with viral infection, the vast majority of Americans didn’t really take the infection too seriously at first. Online Coronavirus memes and jokes continued to be circulated about the infection, significantly downplaying its seriousness.
I proudly took part in this because we can all use some humor during down times like this!
Coronavirus numbers continue to rise
The number of Americans being diagnosed (some fatally), continued to increase leading to cancellations of large events such as conferences, general air-travel, even sports events such as the NBA season.
In response, The President of the United States officially declared a national emergency On March 13th 2020.
The situation went from a minor inconvenience to an all-out frenzy in what seemed like just a couple of short days.
With talks about a national 2-week+ quarantine looming over us, the American people responded in panic, hoarding things like food, toilet paper, and other sanitary products to prepare for complete isolation from the rest of the world.
Definitely thankful for my health
As I sit here and write this, I’m fully aware of how lucky I am to be healthy and with my family during this very strange yet eye-opening time in history.
Despite the madness that has ensued, there have been some VERY important lessons I’ve learned during this time that otherwise would have been overlooked.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far in the midst of the chaos:
1.Keep a large supply of non-perishable foods stored away for emergencies.
As rumors of a 2-week quarantine began to circulate, Americans across the nation began heading to their grocery store to buy food and supplies. The panic which caused many families to over-purchase, lead to massive shortages of things like toilet paper, disinfecting products, even certain foods.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to always keep a stash of non-perishable food items such as dried goods and canned foods nearby.
As someone who’s suffered with an anxiety and panic disorder in the past, a frenzied supermarket filled with panicked people and long lines is definitely NOT good for my mental health.
Having these foods at home for times like these can provide you with the peace of mind that if and when emergencies like this ensue, you won’t have to struggle standing in line for hours and dealing with these additional stressors.
2.There IS a “right” way to wash your hands.
Despite all the jokes we were making about how everyone began to wash their hands “all of a sudden”, I think we all needed the reminder that simply running your hands under water with a little soap for a few minutes wasn’t enough.
Taken directly from the CDC website, these instructions how to properly wash your hands illustrate that we truly need to be counting 20-seconds while scrubbing hands together in order to clean them effectively and stop the spread of germs.
How to wash your hands:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
3.ALWAYS get travel protection when booking flights.
This is a new non-negotiable for me. As someone who was supposed to be speaking at a conference in Atlanta at the end of March, you can imagine how devastated I was when just 3 weeks prior, the conference was cancelled in light of the Coronavirus scare.
I had already booked my flight and luckily, had in fact purchased a travel protection plan just in case I needed to cancel last minute.
Getting the travel insurance/protection meant that I was able to file a claim to get my money back for the trip. This is something I plan on always getting especially moving forward.
4.Diversify your work
As the coronavirus alarm began to sound, investors quickly began to pull their shares from the stock-market. Also, many Businesses (such as Disneyland) were forced to close their doors to prevent the spread of the illness.
These events of course, coupled with rumors about a looming recession, have caused many businesses to panic about what was next for them.
Being an online business owner in the digital marketing space, I do admit that I did feel some of that fear at first. However, I’ve realized more than ever how important it is diversify my pool of clients and even how I earn my income.
Getting a side hustle or investing is crucial especially in times like this. When one business isn’t doing too well, you can count on a second even third or fourth source of income to hold you over during the crash.
5.Don’t take anyone for granted
Seeing the coronavirus numbers increase before our eyes, it became even more evident to me how finite our lives truly are.
Regardless of who or where this virus came from (lots of conspiracies circulating around the internet), one thing I do know, I would be absolutely devastated if someone I knew had gotten diagnosed with this (or any other) illness.
Frequent calls, texts, and check-ins with my family and friends have become the norm for me now–something I hope to keep up even after this virus has hopefully settled down and disappeared.
6.Everything can change pretty quickly
We went from making jokes about the situation to needing to change our entire lives around,within a matter of days (don’t get me wrong, I’m ALL about a good healthy laugh and sharing memes like these).
With gyms, schools, and other government run establishments closing down, we’ve needed to switch our schedules and adjust our flexibility.
For those who are uncomfortable with change, events like this can cause a lot of stress. That’s why It’s important to always be ready in case a situation like this arises–We can be prepared mentally by becoming adaptable to the things life throws our way–these tips can help.
Regardless of what’s going on, It’s important to remember that even the most grim of situations holds a spark of hope and It’s own opportunities and blessings.
We must not live our lives in fear, but instead, be proactive and ready to deal with whatever life throws our way, even if it is a world-wide pandemic.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html
https://www.insider.com/coronavirus-memes-people-joking-about-covid-19-to-reduce-stress-2020-3#some-people-are-fighting-feelings-of-isolation-with-work-from-home-memes-1
