Seems like we have seen it all and for the first quarter of the XXI century, humanity should`ve been ready for any scenario. Global economic crisis, natural disasters, revolutions, and social unrest – bring it on, we have knowledge, experience, and resources to overcome anything. But not when all those events happen simultaneously and all over the world. And not when they are accompanied (and mostly – caused) by such a seemingly long-forgotten thing like a global Pandemic.
When talking about an outbreak of a deadly disease, an average modern person imagined morbid pictures from the history textbooks about Medieval Europe. Ok, maybe some more aware civilians could also mention sporadic cases of Ebola or Plague that still happen in the 3rd world countries. But who would imagine that Italian healthcare will collapse under the pressure of another Pandemic 400 years after the famous Black Plaque outbreak? By the way, this exact period has granted us the term Quarantine.
What would you say just a year ago if someone said that one you won`t be able to grab a cup of coffee on the way to your office, anticipating at least an hour in a traffic jam or staffed underground, simply because all parts of this equation disappear at once? No cafes, no habitual workplaces, and empty post-apocalyptical streets of what ones used to be overcrowded megapolis.
Of course, now most of the quarantine restrictions are being lifted and the situation was not the same all over the world, but for some people, those blood-chilling images were pretty real.
The real and present danger of highly contagious and deadly disease has become our everyday routine wherever we go now. And because world governments are too concerned about the political effect of the vaccine invention than the healthcare of civilians, we should not expect that the situation would change soon. All we are left with nowadays is to do our best and try to protect others and ourselves from being infected.
What can we do?
Here are 7 most-recommended and effective ways to CORONAVIRUS-proof your lifestyle.
Social distancing.
Yes, it has become a meme already and you might have been pretty tired from hearing about it from every hole. But as far as the virus spreads from one person to another, keeping away from crowded places is still the best way to protect you. However, it is important to find a balance between slamming on rock concerts and barricading yourself at home. Social distancing may easily fit into almost every lifestyle
· Get out of home and accept visitors only if you have to
· Observe physical distance! Modern technology allows keeping in touch with friends and family and even holding business meetings online.
· Consider the possibility of working from home as much as possible
· Wear a face mask every time you go out for your safety and to stall the spread of disease. COVID-19 spreads through droplets that fly around every time a sick person sneezes or caught. Even if you don`t care that much about protecting others, remember about the boomerang effect – the person who got infected because you neglected precautions can pass the disease to someone you do care about.
Self-hygiene
It might sound ridiculous that in XXI century someone has to be reminded about self-hygiene, but unfortunately, unwashed hands are the main reason why COVID-19 spreads so fast.
· Wash your hands after every leaving the house
· Put in your bag at least 60% alcohol sanitizer and use it during the day
· Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or any other mucosa places with dirty hands. Those are open doors through which the virus enters your body.
Take care of your pets
There have been no fatal COVID-19 cases among dogs or cats, but doctors claim that they can easily become hosts and transfer the virus to people
· When you walk your dog, avoid crowded parks and keep it on the leash
· If your pet is a freedom-loving adventurer, make sure to arrange him a house arrest in a meantime.
Avoid any medical institutions unless it is an emergency
Let`s face it, 2020 has turned us into ultimate hypochondriacs. Most of us are ready to run and drag our family members to a hospital after every sneeze. Please don`t. First of all, you increase the burden on the healthcare system in general. Secondly, even if you didn`t have the Virus before, you have pretty good chances to get infected in the hospital. It is extremely important to explain this measure for the elderly. Most of them are used to seeing medical centers as social clubs, while people over 60 yo. are the most vulnerable now.
Go online!
Anyway, Humanity has been moving towards digital consuming slowly but surely. Enjoy all the benefits of limitless choice, lack of queues, and comfort of your couch while online shopping, studying, or working. You can visit any museum or concert online now, get a degree, find a job, buy anything, and have it delivered right at your door.
Educate your children
So, you might know and comprehend all the precautions, but they are whittled as soon as your kid went to the nearest playground or took candy from the sweet old lady next door. Make sure that all your family members are aware of the antivirus measure and observe them. It does not mean that you should scare your child or lock him at home. Calm and informative talk works much better than any prosecutions.
Stay informed
Coronavirus is new and still not fully studied. This is one of the reasons why it has managed to spread so easily. Nowadays millions of scientists work hard on learning as much as possible about its nature, abilities, and behavior. At the same time, the virus is an entity that tends to mutate. Therefore the precautions that you already know about might become irrelevant in a couple of months. And vice versa – new recommendations are released almost every day.
And the last, but not the least, do your best to stay positive and find inner peace. After all, psychological and physical health and wellbeing are tightly interrelated.