Tag: coronavirus

What are you doing TODAY to help prevent getting infected by COVID-19? Check out these two things that we are doing. Maybe you can find them useful, too.

(I apologize to new readers for jumping right into action here, but there doesn’t seem to be time for a gentle introduction! I’ll be working on more “conversational” blogs in the coming days!)

Masks reduce the chance of getting infected and of infecting others.

We live in a retirement community – which puts all our neighbors, by definition, at a higher risk of carrying and getting seriously ill from the coronavirus. The good news is we have developed a Neighborhood Emergency Response Group that stays in touch (with regular walkie-talkie drills! and now, with zoom calls or telephone conference calls) and tends to be proactive instead of reactive.

Our neighborhood group is sewing and delivering masks.

For instance, this morning I picked up two sets of hand-made masks from one of my group members. The masks were stitched, disinfected and packed carefully in clean plastic baggies. With ever more urgent information coming out about wearing masks all the time in public – and maybe even in the house if you have someone who is ill – this is the second wave of protection that we’ll be offering to all our neighbors. (We have already been practicing distancing and sheltering-in-place for weeks.)

So the question – where are you getting masks for yourself and your family? To avoid depleting the commercial supply for health care workers, you can make them yourself. Here is an article with links to several different models and patterns, plus a video showing a simple mask made with just a handkerchief and rubber hair bands, no sewing at all!  However you make or buy masks, it’s clear that the more layers of cloth, and the closer the fit (without gaps), the more effective the mask.

(If I were going to buy the hair bands as shown in the video, I’d look for some like these shown below. Click the link and you can see what prices are for these and similar bands at Amazon. Full disclosure — we are Associates at Amazon and can get a small commission if you buy through this link. It doesn’t affect your price, of course.)

Improve your lungs even before you get infected by COVID-19.

True story. Last November friends of EmergencyPlanGuide were alerted to my partner Joe’s life-threatening anaphylactic response to the contrast dye associated with a CT scan. This had nothing to do with COVID-19, of course. And I am happy to report that he is not only back to normal but even BETTER than he was before this all happened!

During the episode, though, doctors were concerned that his lungs had been damaged. And they kept testing and testing. One of the tests is what I want to mention today. It seems as though there could be a use for it as more and more people are threatened with respiratory distress associated with being infected or even having survived COVID-19.

Joe was using only half his lung function.

After those days in the ICU, Joe couldn’t exercise. He was lying down much of the time. He was breathing very shallowly.

To get Joe to exercise his lungs, doctors told him to use what’s called an incentive spirometer. Put simply, you breathe in through the spirometer tube and it measures how well your lungs are working. Because it measures, you get a baseline and as you practice, you can see your lung capacity improve.  The spirometer allows you to keep your lungs active even without exercise.

Here’s a video that shows how the spirometer works. 

And here’s a link to Amazon, where you can purchase a spirometer.

Now I’m not a doctor and I’m not giving you medical advice. We are using each of these two items and I don’t think either one has a downside. So I pass them along for you to consider as you do your best to be proactive in this difficult situation.

And tomorrow, I’ll come back with more info about who I am and how Joe is better than before it all happened . . .!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

The need for being prepared doesn’t go down because we’re stuck at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, your summer preparedness plans may need to change right now — and that includes the contents of your Go-Bag.

Consider some of what’s happening right now. . .

Hurricanes are hitting! When will the next hurricane hit your neighborhood?

When Hurricane Hanna made landfall last week in Texas, city leaders reported having to borrow to stock up on personal protective equipment for personnel and for residents. Tropical Storm Isaias is on its way to South Florida. If a hurricane forces you out of your home or causes you to interact with First Responders, you’ll want to have more than just a couple of masks on hand.

Wildfire season is well underway. Will you have to evacuate?

The National Interagency Fire Center reports as of today: “More than 8,100 wildland firefighter and support personnel continue to work on 43 large fires . . . in 11 states!”  If a fire threatens you, how will your evacuation plans need to change because of the virus? You can’t expect to crowd unprotected into a high school gym somewhere and stay safe from the virus! What do you have in your go-bag now to protect yourself from others in that shelter?

Day after day of over-90-degree heat has overwhelmed East Coast cities and is forecast for the Southwest this coming week.

People without air conditioning risk illness and even death. How will you manage in a heat wave if the power goes out? Municipal “Cooling stations” may be a life-saver – but they will not welcome people without masks!

Something new to add to every Go-Bag in the Time of COVID – Face Masks

Every one of these scenarios makes it clear that your personal Go-Bag needs to include something it may not have included in years past – a supply of masks and nitrile gloves.

Different types of mask offer different levels of protection. You don’t need N95 respirators. Yes, they offer the most protection for you and for others, but their supply is limited. Let health workers have them. The best masks for home use are  reusable, multi-layer, and well- fitting. I’m sure you have a supply already.

But you won’t be able to wash and reuse masks if you have to evacuate!

So for your Go-Bag, consider disposable masks.

You can buy them in packs of 50 at reasonable prices and tuck a dozen or more into each family member’s kit. Of course, they need to fit well.

These masks from Amazon, where I’m an Associate, are similar to others with one important feature: adjustable ear elastic.

50pcs Disposable Face Mask, Facial Masks, Mouth Masks 3-Ply with Elastic Earloops, Breathable Non-woven Mouth Filter Covers for Home, Office, Outdoor – Blue

Today, just as I was working on this Advisory, Dr. Birx recommended that people consider clear face shields in addition to masks.  We recommended shields several months ago, and bought a couple for ourselves. Here’s what I have discovered – when you get the shield, be sure to peel off the very thin plastic covering so you can actually see clearly through it! (You may not even realize that protective covering is there.)  Also, the elastic head band can feel tight. That’s why I’d suggest you consider the shield model below, which attaches to glasses. Shields would not lend themselves to being packed into a Go-Bag, but for daily use they are something to consider.

Safety Face Shield, 2 Pack Reusable Goggle Shield Face Visor Transparent Anti-Fog Layer Protect Eyes from Splash

You’ll want nitrile gloves, too.

The news about surfaces remaining contaminated has died down considerably. Joe and I certainly don’t use gloves at home. But in an emergency . . .

If the family needs to move to another location, you will be touching all kinds of things that may be dangerous: door knobs and push bars,  gas pump nozzles, ATM keyboards, toilet flush handles, water faucets, TV remotes, etc., etc.!

Nitrile gloves are cheap, easy to pack, remind you not to touch your face – and can be easily discarded.  Get a package or two (different sizes?) and pack a baggie full of the right size for each family member’s Go-Bag.

Wostar Nitrile Disposable Gloves 2.5 Mil Pack of 100, Latex Free Safety Working Gloves for Food Handle or Industrial Use

You’ll want to be sure to have your favorite hand-sanitizer packets in each Go-Bag, too.

It’s summer – so protect against dehydration.

With temperatures so high, we all need to watch out for the dangers of dehydration, overheating and even heat stroke.

I personally experienced heat exhaustion one summer a few years ago. I was helping staff a service club “Summer Festival” fund raiser. You know the kind of event: food booths, baseball dunk tank, fire engine for kids to climb on, BBQ contest. I was chasing the baseballs for the dunk tank when I started to feel “disconnected,” clammy and faint. I thought I might throw up.

Fortunately, I had my walkie-talkie and called Joe. He found me a bench in the shade and I lay down with a bottle of water. Within about a half-hour I was feeling well enough to go home – but not to go back to chasing balls!

So that was heat exhaustion. Heat stroke is a lot worse, and a lot more serious, with seizures and even unconsciousness. But both of these can very likely be avoided as long as you don’t get dehydrated!

Hydrating drinks

In hot weather make sure to have “hydration” drinks available: water, fruit-infused water, coconut water. More important, have an added source of electrolytes like you find in sports drinks (Gatorade).

You could even offer watermelon, like in the image above! It’s about 92% water and it’s easy to keep down.

Hydration powder

Of course, packing extra hydration drinks (not to mention watermelon!) into a Go-Bag is challenging, so you might consider packets of “hydration powder” that can be added to a glass of regular water for extra hydration efficacy.

Emergen-C has packets of different flavored powder, easy to pack and have at the ready. (Be sure to keep them dry.)

Emergen-C Hydration+ Sports Drink Mix with Vitamin C (18 Count, Orange Spritz Flavor with Glucosamine), Electrolyte Replenishment, 0.34 Ounce Powder Packets

Don’t overlook these hot weather items for your Go-Bag.

Depending on where you live and your own preferences, don’t forget to check for these important additions to your summer go-bag:

• Sunglasses (wrap-around)
• Sunscreen (for lips, too)
• A sun hat (wide brim or added neck flap) that fits! The hat below adjusts to your head size.

EINSKEY Men’s Waterproof Sun Hat, Outdoor Sun Protection Bucket Safari Cap For Safari Fishing Hunting Dark Gray One Size

I am sure you unpack and repack your Go-Bag from time to time.

This may be one of those times. After all, if you are stuck at home . . .

Just be sure you add extra protection against infection from the Coronavirus.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. This Advisory assumes you have a Go-Bag for every member of your household. If you don’t, may I suggest you consider getting your hands on our Mini-Guide: Custom Go-Bags. We’ve updated and improved this booklet, which was one of our very first! Here’s the link to the ebook at Amazon.

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If you are a regular blogger or copywriter, poet or essayist, educator or consultant – you probably find yourself, like me, writing all the time. Projects. Lists. Instructions. Presentations. Speeches. Lately, though you may be experiencing a new sense of urgency.

For me, nothing much changes when I “work at home.” I may use a different chair or a different desk but that computer screen is right there, poised to welcome my every key stroke!

I’m finding it tough to break away from the computer, actually.

The virus has given me a new sense of urgency.

Oh yes, I take a few minutes to move wet laundry into the dryer. I clean off the counter in the bathroom, with special attention to the faucet handles. After that, though, it’s back to my desk – to answer a few emails from friends, or draft a message to the volunteers of our Neighborhood Emergency Response Group who are making daily check-in calls.

And without a pause I find myself again adding to one of my current manuscripts. Even though . . .

I have already published another book on Amazon, just this week!

It’s the next title in our mini-series – a collection of short books, fast reads in question-and-answer format, each focused on just one aspect of emergency preparedness.

We began the series early this year, before the Coronavirus really got started. As it turns out, this simplified Q&A format fits perfectly with the way my brain is working lately – slightly disjointed, moving from one topic to another.

At any rate, may I introduce to you . . .
(drum roll)

Latest in the Emergency Preparedness Q&A Mini-Series!

Our goal with this series is to make it easier for people to think – and take action – to improve their preparedness for emergencies. Surely, this COVID-19 disaster has shown us how ill-prepared the country as a whole was for something so dramatic and wide-spread. We are still struggling to find a cohesive, concerted plan to combat it.

The virus has made individuals rethink their own personal situation, too, with what I hope is a new sense of urgency.

Whether it’s supplies of grocery staples, or the basic painkillers or cold remedies we always want to have available, or a desperate worry about running out of toilet paper, the order to stay-at-home has pressed some sort of “reset” button.

I’d like to think that we’ll remember this, and take action now so we will be less desperate because we are more prepared next time an emergency hits.

Now, you probably still have running water, and all the conveniences of electricity, cell-phone communications, and of course whatever you use for writing. So you probably aren’t really concerned today about safely managing human waste — Pee ‘n Poop.

But if an earthquake hits, or a tornado threatens, or a hurricane begins to form . . . Will you know what to do if you can’t use the toilet?

What else do you want to become more expert at?

Check out all the booklets we’ve completed so far, here at our website: https://emergencyplanguide.org/books I am confident you will find some of what you need to answer that question in the gold box!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. I say “we.” That refers to me and my partner Joe. He tends to have the ideas and the questions for these current materials. I tend to do the research and the writing. It works pretty well!

P.P.S. Oh, and if there is a title you’re really like to see on the list, but it isn’t there yet, let me know! We have 15 total on the drawing board – yours may be coming soon, or we could add a new one, just for you!

April — Month of Action

This has been a dramatic week, with my emotions ranging from confusion and concern to frustration and shake-your-head disbelief as we figure out how to manage as we head into our second week of “stay home.”

You may be coming under that order too, if you haven’t already. So, some input to consider while you figure out how to change your habits.

“Stay Home” has generated some interesting and varied calls and emails from family and colleagues, telling me what THEY are doing. Sharing some of the highlights might make interesting even if disconnected reading.

Besides, I know you are probably home looking for things to do!

So here goes.

Seven Stay Home Questions and Answers — one of my favorite formats.

Q1. (This is for the kids.) Why is soap called the virus ANNIHILATOR?

A. Because  .. well, because oil doesn’t mix with water! Wait a minute. What’s the whole story?

Q2. Where does the word “Quarantine” come from?

Direct quote from the CDC website:

The practice of quarantine, as we know it, began during the 14th century in an effort to protect coastal cities from plague epidemics. Ships arriving in Venice from infected ports were required to sit at anchor for 40 days before landing. This practice, called quarantine, was derived from the Italian words quaranta giorni which mean 40 days.

(The picture below is NOT from the CDC. I found it myself. I think it’s a pretty good image that suggests a 14^th century Carrack.)

Q3. How can I entertain my kids and myself while we are stuck at home?

A. So many good ideas out there, and they are multiplying rapidly! Here are just two that I’ve seen (and I’m not looking hard because I don’t have kids at home!):

• Take a virtual tour of a world famous museum https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours?
• Make hardtack, traditional survival food for sailors and soldiers – food that lasts for years and is perfect as emergency supplies in Go-Bags. https://urbansurvivalsite.com/make-your-own-hardtack/

Q4. Entertainment doesn’t work for me. I need to make some money. Any ideas?

A. Maybe now’s the time to consider an at-home job. Here are some online jobs that might be worth following up. Before you do, though, click to get a copy of “Do you have what it takes?”, an entrepreneur’s checklist from our company, The Marketing Machine®. Spend some serious time assessing your strengths and weaknesses, your accomplishments and failures. Any new business takes guts, organizing ability and follow-through.

• Podcast transcriber
• Website builder (Be sure you set the terms and scope so you don’t get pulled into a job you’re not able to manage.)
• Graphic designer (Same comment as above.)
• Editor/proofreader (Check Carol Tice’s various courses and blogs.)
• Online tutor or coach (Maybe YouTube video lessons on how to play guitar?)
• PowerPoint designer
• Consulting on something you are an expert on
• Affiliate marketer (Have to figure out how to promote product and how to collect money.)
• Data entry (I have a friend who does data entry for medical practices. Boring but lucrative.)
• Grant writer (If you are talented.)
• Renter – rent out an extra bedroom

Q5. I really would like to do something for others, but being stuck at home makes that difficult. What are other people doing?

A. As everything shuts down tighter and tighter, options become limited. But here are a few suggestions.

• Make a commitment to phone a family member a day. Use WhatsApp
  (video) for a better experience. (My grandkids live in Germany and I have received pictures and videos from their dad via WhatsApp every single day since they were born!)
• Handwrite some long-overdue personal notes. Just thank people for what they have meant to you. A chance to practice your cursive.
• Can you widen your social circle via phone? Reach out to members of your church. Have your kids call members of their scout troop or sports teams.
• Start a community outreach project. Here we have just set up a Good Neighbor Check-In program – essentially a phone tree using volunteers to reach out to everyone in our senior community. The flyer just went out to our neighborhood yesterday. (I am working on a project write-up and will share all the details soon.)
• Give blood. It’s safe. It’s life-confirming. Call your local blood bank to get details.

Q6. If we’re going to stay home for weeks, how can we use this extended time most effectively?

A. For sure, don’t fall into the habit (that I am already tempted by) of staying up late and sleeping late!  Use a white board to set up a family calendar and block out times to work on specific projects. Here are a couple of projects to keep you engaged and also improve your overall level of preparedness.

• Document your personal property for insurance. I’m talking photos and videos of every room, every drawer, and every box in the closet. Figure out how to label your records so they can be retrieved. If you are considering this project, start here for a good overview: https://home.howstuffworks.com/real-estate/buying-home/create-household-inventory-for-insurance1.htm
• Straighten and refresh all your emergency kits. Our latest books in the Q&A Mini-Series would be perfect guides for this project: Custom Go-Bags and Car Emergency Kit. If you have teenagers in the house, eager to get behind the wheel, the Car Emergency Kit questions and answers will open their eyes to things that I can guarantee they have never thought about!
• Start writing your OWN book! Now you have time to plan and really get started. (Set aside at least 2 hours a day of uninterrupted time to work on it. Once you are “in the groove,” writing comes more easily. But it’s impossible to make progress if you stop and start.)

Q7. I haven’t changed my emergency supplies inventory. Are there any new items we ought to consider given the coronavirus?

A. I’ve seen two that I would recommend. One is cheap and the other expensive.

First, a plastic face shield to protect against splashes and sprays. Some models are disposable and others reusable or replaceable. Here’s the link to a reasonably-priced visor that flips up for convenience. Link takes you to Amazon (where we are affiliates, as you know).

Second, when a neighbor traded us 1 bottle of her mayonnaise for 2 rolls of our toilet paper, I was reminded of the wonder of bidets. My experience has been with European models (a separate bathroom fixture that probably costs upwards of $700) but there are also electrical bidet toilet seats and quite inexpensive mechanical toilet bidet attachments. Really, having a clean stream of warm water to clean your bottom sounds a lot better than scratchy toilet paper!

OK, enough of this miscellany. I hope you’ve found something of interest. Let us know what discoveries YOU are making as we work through this new experience . . .

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. I have been working on a business series on “how to work remotely,” with input in particular from HR and business manager contacts. It’s been tough to focus on just one thing while we are ordered to stay home. I’ll start publishing that series here next week.

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional so my comments are based on info from sources I believe to be reliable. Consequently, please check with your own sources and try to stay up to date with this rapidly developing emergency.

What’s the latest on the coronavirus?

As I write this on January 30, 2020, China has placed 50 million of its citizens under quarantine because of coronavirus. Facebook and Google are restricting employee travel to China (and Hong Kong). Foreign governments are airlifting their citizens out of Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, and, in the case of the U.S., flying them to Alaska and to the mainland U.S..

Two days ago the World Health Organization changed its earlier assessment and now labels the virus a Global Health Emergency.

Meanwhile, here in my California neighborhood, two elementary school children crossed my street wearing white surgical masks.

Should your kids be wearing masks?

Should you?

As the coronavirus spreads, what should we do at home?

First, try to be realistic about this virus. Even though it is a new one and spreading rapidly, it does seem (so far) to be like other viruses. That is, a lot of people get sick, but it doesn’t mean they all will die.

(The most recent statistic I’ve seen is a mortality rate among people with severe cases of 2-3%. Compare that with Ebola, with a death rate of 90%. Another disclaimer – statistics like these can be misleading because it’s never quite clear which strain of the disease is being tracked. Similarly, it’s never clear exactly what the definition of “severe” is. Still, you can get an idea of the relative danger.)

Keep up with the news so you’ll know when to take action as a result of the coronavirus.

I have several sources that I turn to: broadcast news, online news, and my LinkedIn Emergency Management group. I recommend you also take a look at the regularly updated pages at the Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

In the meanwhile, follow these basic sensible steps.

• Don’t plan travel to Wuhan, China or anywhere in China, for that matter.
• Wash your hands often, with soap and water.
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with dirty hands.
• If you cough or sneeze, smother it with a tissue and throw the tissue away.
• Clean often-used objects and surfaces with disinfectant.  (Phone? Computer keyboard? Kitchen counter? Bathroom faucets?)
• If you do get sick, stay home. If persistent high fever or trouble breathing, contact your doctor. (Do NOT walk in without instructions.)

If you are working and traveling, do you need to be ready to be quarantined because of coronavirus?

Today I read that a planeload of Americans scheduled to land in Ontario, CA had been diverted to a nearby military base where they are being kept quarantined for 14 days. (They will get to watch the Super Bowl in their quarantine setting.)

Your plane or even your office could be caught up in quarantine, too.  So it’s good to understand what “quarantine” really means, and to distinguish it from “isolation.”

Important definitions: quarantine vs. isolation.

• According to Health and Human Services, “Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill.” That explains why the planeload of people watching the Super Bowl won’t be locked into some sort of hospital. Rather, they’ll be observed for several days.

• Isolation is different.  Per the HHS, “Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy.”  You may remember the dramatic cases of Ebola victims being isolated during and after transport to the U.S.

Isolation and quarantine are authorized by the Federal Government for a number of communicable diseases including Cholera, Diphtheria, Infectious tuberculosis, Smallpox, etc. Today’s news reports that the governments of both the U.K. and Australia have authorized quarantine for up to 14 days for people returning from Wuhan.

How to prepare to be quarantined.

You can consider the preparations for quarantine to be the same as for sheltering in place.

So, right now, before anything more happens, ask yourself these questions:

Do we have supplies to carry EVERYONE through a 14-day quarantine? 

At home you are likely to have to make no extreme emergency preparations. And since you will have running water and utilities as usual, life won’t be onerous. Make a list today and get extra dog food, toilet paper, aspirin, etc. immediately.

Think of a few projects you can engage in with other family members. Just remember, once the quarantine starts, there will be no running to the grocery store or to the hardware store.

At work it could be a whole different story. Do you have food and water for everyone in the workplace? Where will people sleep, and with what blankets and/or pillows? What about hygiene?  What to do about people who refuse to stay quarantined?

Preparing to be quarantined at work because of the coronavirus could take several days and cost a fair amount. 

Find out what your legal responsibilities are in this situation.

On the road you may find yourself quarantined without any notice. If you travel, be sure you have basic emergencies items in the car or in your carry-on bag. In particular, have a few snacks, a warm jacket, a supply of your prescription drugs and your list of emergency contact names. Carry batteries and a portable battery so your devices won’t run out of power.

What’s your plan for letting people know you’ve been quarantined because of coronavirus?

Family members may be concerned is they hear about you being quarantined. Be sure you keep them up to date. Don’t forget to cancel and/or reschedule appointments, etc.

Use your crisis communications procedures at work to let employees, suppliers and customers know that activity at your business has been temporarily interrupted (and to what extent). Prepare draft messages NOW so they are ready to be finalized and sent out at a moment’s notice.

Operate from knowledge and caution and not from fear.

The more you know about how the virus is developing and the steps the various governments and/or medical authorities are taking, the easier it will be for you to anticipate any changes you should be making in your personal or work life.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. And to answer that question about face masks? It seems to me that since the virus is transmitted when people sneeze or cough, the people who really should be wearing the masks are not well people (after all, the mask doesn’t protect your eyes) but rather people who themselves have flu symptoms! (The problem is that multi-day incubation period . . .)

Sure, wearing a surgical mask keeps large particles of smoke/soot from your mouth and nose, and keeps you from touching your nose or mouth with dirty fingers. But it doesn’t block airborne viruses.

Still, wearing a mask probably can’t hurt.  Read more about masks here.

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