It’s true: the coronavirus is now a public health crisis.

We need to take immediate, drastic measures to make sure we’re not seeing the worst-case scenario. The good news? There’s still time.

In today’s article, I am going to give you a few tips to put the odds in your favor of getting through this disease.

It’s Time to Change Our Behavior

This virus spreads incredibly quickly. So much so that we have limited options to protect ourselves. Washing your hands is a simple weapon against the virus. But, believe it or not, there’s a right way and wrong way to do it. The wrong way is to splash soap on your hands and briefly wash it off. Instead, you should vigorously cover your hands with soap. Make sure to get your thumbs, in-between fingers, and the front and back of your home. Then, use the water to wash your hands vigorously for 20 seconds. It’s more thorough than you’re probably used to. But it’s the best way to keep yourself safe.

 However, there’s evidence the virus spreads through the air. If this is the case, we really only have ONE effective measure… avoid crowds.

Yes, it’s difficult. However, if you’re able to stay indoors much more than usual, you drop your odds of picking up the virus. Soon, of those who DO get the virus, many will recover. They will then see an immunity which will help stop the spread of the virus further.

Protect Vulnerable People

This virus CLEARLY affects older people more than young. Although young aren’t invulnerable, they seem to get over it quickly. And for many it’s like a basic cold more than anything. For this reason, if you are over the age of 60… or have family members who are over the age of 60… PLEASE impress on them the importance of avoiding crowds.

I don’t want to cause panic, but this could literally be life or death. This is not the time we can be casual. It’s an inconvenience. But we NEED to change. Now.

Emergency Prep Best Practices

The best way to get through an emergency is to be prepared. Although there is some good news with the virus, we still need to be prepared for the worse. It’s never a bad idea to have 2 weeks of spare food on hand. This can help buy time in the event of a worst case scenario.

Practice Meticulous Hygiene

It goes without saying that washing your hands is important. ANYTIME you leave the house, be sure you DO NOT touch your face until you’ve washed your hands thoroughly. Leave shoes in the entryway. If possible, immediately change into clean clothes and put dirty clothes into a trash bag for washing.

I know… it’s inconvenient. But the unfortunate reality is this is VERY serious. We will be inconvenienced. If you don’t want to experience that, I feel for you… but you are putting yourself and others at MAJOR risk.

Other Helpful Items

Soap and hand sanitizer is a must for killing the virus (generally speaking, you don’t need both). And there are some other items that can help protect you too. N95 masks have proven to be effective against the virus. However, those will likely be in short supply as we need those for healthcare workers first. Also, latex gloves will help protect the virus from getting in through devices everyone touches, like phones, atms, self-checkout, etc.

Medicine/Vaccine Development

We have scientists working around the clock right now trying to figure out how to fight this thing. The only problem is, even in the best case scenario, these medicines take time to roll out. If we rush it, we risk giving the public something that actually harms them more than the virus! Can you imagine if we vaccinated millions of people and it turned out to be worse? We can’t take that chance. For this reason, even with the fastest technology and most expedited process, we will not see a vaccine for at least a year.

Yes, it’s sobering… yet here’s the better news.

Right now, we have several anti-viral medications in clinical trials. We don’t know if these will work or not. Yet we do have some that have worked with other coronaviruses in the past. We will know in 30 days whether or not this medicine is effective. If it is, we can mass produce it and we could severely reduce how dangerous this virus is.

In Conclusion

I won’t lie to you… these are scary times. However, the fact is, it could be worse. Most people who get the virus recover from it. Please make sure to stock up on food and other necessary supplies while you can. Prepare for the worst… hope for the best.