By Samantha Rupp
If you were caught off guard by the COVID-19 pandemic, you certainly weren’t the only one. Amid local governments putting lockdowns and quarantine measures into place, individuals and families across the country found themselves unprepared to deal with a pandemic and, in many cases, they panicked. Local grocery stores ran short on canned food and other non-perishables, in addition to personal hygiene items like toilet paper, disinfecting wipes, and face masks.
However, the more serious shortages occurred in hospitals nationwide. Medical facilities struggled to find enough hospital beds and PPE to deal with the influx of patients. The overwhelming demand placed on the medical system had deadly consequences.
So, with all of this in mind, how can you as an individual prepare yourself and your family in case of another pandemic? The suggestions offered in this guide can help ensure that you have everything in order for when the next health crisis strikes.
Contents
Come up with an emergency plan
An emergency plan will outline the actions that you and those around you should take in case of a pandemic.
Consider what you will do if someone falls sick and has to self-isolate or be hospitalized. Will your kids stay at home? Who will take care of them? Or, if you have pets, who will look after them in the event that you’re unable to?
You should also put together an emergency supply kit geared toward a pandemic that will allow you and your family to survive without leaving the house for three to seven days. Some of the items you should add to this kit include:
- Plenty of bottled water
- A stock of non-perishable foods
- PPE and cleaning supplies like tissues, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, etc
- First-aid kit, medications, and prescriptions
- Water filtration tools, such as a camping filter, iodine tablets, or an ultraviolet purifier
- Personal hygiene items, such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products
- Durable shoes, heavy gloves, warm clothes, waterproof jackets, and a space blanket
- A fire extinguisher
- Any other necessary supplies or tools, especially items that seniors, infants, or individuals with special needs in the household may need
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Review your insurance policies
Individuals who were hospitalized for COVID-19 but ended up surviving faced a physical toll, and may have to deal with the lasting effects of the virus. But, in many cases, these survivors had to deal with financial strain after being discharged as well. If you’ve been hospitalized before, then you probably know how much it can cost — the final bill can potentially end up being tens of thousands of dollars.
To get a full understanding of the potential costs you may face in case you fall seriously ill, take a close look at your health insurance policy. See what kinds of services and procedures your insurance will cover, and the deductible you will be financially responsible for. For example, does your insurance cover telemedicine options that would allow you to see a doctor or therapist from the comfort of your own home? This may come in handy if a pandemic strikes and you don’t want to leave your home, but still want treatment options.
In addition to reviewing your medical insurance, take a look at your life insurance policy if you have one. If you don’t have a life insurance policy already, then you might consider taking one out. Even though it may seem grim, it’s always a good idea to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Going over the details of things like your life insurance policy and estate plan are especially important if you have a family or people who financially depend on you. If you were to die as a result of any future disaster — including another global health pandemic — having a life insurance policy and an estate plan in place would give your loved ones a financial lifeline during a time of crisis.
Educate yourself
Learning about how diseases are spread and how to minimize the spread can potentially help you protect yourself from infection. One of the reasons the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the early stages, was so confusing was because there was conflicting information about the best practices for staying safe and containing the spread. Most people only understand how a virus is spread from person-to-person on a very basic level. Thus, many people underestimated the importance of wearing face masks and using PPE.
While you certainly don’t have to get a virology degree to understand how a virus moves from one person to another, it might be helpful to do some research and clear up any misconceptions you may have about the spread of viruses. Knowing the facts can help you stay safe and protected from infection in the future.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Those with poor health can be more prone to experiencing complications after contracting the COVID-19 virus or other similar viruses. By staying in shape and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you can keep your immune system strong. Keeping up a strong immune system can help minimize the symptoms of various illnesses, prevent complications, and help your body recover faster.
The two main factors that affect your physical health are diet and exercise. Try to eat a healthy, balanced diet that consists of plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and seafood.
Additionally, make an effort to exercise on a regular basis. Make it a goal to do at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. While joining a gym is a convenient way for many people to exercise, you don’t necessarily have to purchase a gym membership in order to get the exercise you need. Some of the following activities can also keep you in good shape:
- Walking or jogging around your neighborhood
- Going on long bike rides
- Doing body weight exercises at home
- Hiking with your pet
- Participating in recreational sports
If these past few months have taught us anything, it’s that the world can change in an instant. After the COVID-19 pandemic was first identified, it spread rapidly across the globe, leaving sickness, death, and economic devastation in its wake. Many people were unprepared to deal with the virus, and this led to widespread panic and uncertainty.
Although we’re beginning to take control of the COVID-19 epidemic, the reality is that the next virus could pop up at any time. To minimize the impact it has on your life, you need to be prepared for it. By following the suggestions in this guide and listening to medical experts, you can prepare for another pandemic and potentially keep yourself and those around you protected from harm.
What do you think the COVID-19 pandemic should have taught us?
If we get anything in the future similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, what would you do? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Samantha Rupp holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is the managing editor for 365 Business Tips as well as runs a personal blog, Mixed Bits Media. She lives in San Diego, California and enjoys spending time on the beach, reading up on current industry trends, and traveling.
- Samantha Rupphttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/samantha-rupp/
- Samantha Rupphttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/samantha-rupp/
These are great tips. I think this taught us to be prepared for the unknown. So many of us didn’t have cushion savings for emergencies like this. Hoping this doesn’t happen again but it’s good to know how to prepare.
well, the only thing I care about is having a healthy lifestyle. Some emergency kit might help, but never insurance.
Thank you for sharing this, Pandemic has taught us a lot of things. We had learned a lot!
thanks for this great summary. all these things happening to us are teaching us lessons, some learn the hard way. it’s not too late for us to be really mindful and extra careful. it’s always best to be prepared all the time!
I think being ready is a must. I actually revisited my insurance plan. I also did more sustainable ways to procure food items and started planting herbs. It’s more practical. I have saved up potable water too.
It’s definitely a great article that everybody must read and consider. As we’re not yet done with the pandemic, we must always be prepared in body and spirit. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Now in hindsight when we look back at our preparedness to face the pandemic, talking about here in India we as a country have done a fabulous job. With such a large population it is really commendable how as a nation we have coped up with limited resources. Add to that the following of suggested regulations by most people has helped less loss of life and less people being infected with the virus. Some great takeaways for everyone in a difficult situation.
Thank you for sharing this information, it’s definitely something that’s been interesting to read! The more you know, the better.
This is such an important post. Although things aren’t destroyed around us, this pandemic has really been a national disaster. It’s been hard to go out and get things, and it’s usually better to stay in for as long as possible.
Those are some great tips to keep in mind and thanks for the share. It’s always good to be prepared than not.
This was reminiscent when we first heard our city will be on lockdown. People panicked and flocked to the grocery to buy provision. Thus these tips and suggestions is absolutely essential.
I agree: I have taught a lot about my own life and now I know I do need to be better prepared for things like that
These are great tips. I think it’s important to always have some savings.
These are all really great tips. This pandemic has definitely taught my family and I to be prepared, have a plan and an emergency kit always on hand.
These are wonderful ways for being prepared with a covid-19 pandemic lesson. I’m focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It’s helped me have a little bit of control ina situation where I have felt zero control in. If that makes any sense.
Great advice! I have only ever been “glamping” and even that was rough for me. Its always important to be prepared for anything for sure!
Awesome blog post! having a contingency plan is one of the most important things I’ve learned in adulthood. We live in Florida so it’s even more important due to natural disasters and the craziness we experience on top of COVID.
These are great tips. This pandemic has been one huge natural disaster, at least in the way that you have to be prepared for it, anyway.
These are excellent tips. I love that you talked about living a healthy lifestyle. The healthier we are, the easier it is for our bodies to fight off diseases.
Good emergency preparedness ideas!
I think it’s definitely smart to prep a plan in case your household gets sick and for sure have ideas about how you might handle something like this that pops up in the future. I’m just grateful that we’re able to find toilet paper and meat at the stores now!! And I hope it taught us to enjoy the small things and get back to the basics.
Yes always be prepared and have an emergency bag/supplies packed and ready.
We have been working on getting things in better order, from our home, to our long-term plans. These are all good points to consider in such a changing world.
such a great preparedness list for just about anything.. i recall with the fires last year here in the bay area i had to wonder what we could get together at the last minute in case we needed to have emergency supplies..
Hopefully we can all be a little more prepared should this happen again but hopefully it doesn’t!!
This is a wonderful post and absolutely amazing tips. I wish I had read this earlier, would have made my life easier during the pandemic.
Love this post! So important to be as prepared as you can for anything!
Great tips that we should all look apply covid or not, thanks for the reminder!
These are great tips! It’s heartbreaking that people in the US also need to worry about the financial implications of being hospitalized. I really hope that changes someday ♡
This is a great preparedness list!! Good for everyone to keep in mind.
The main one here for me is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I can’t tell you how many hikes I went on last year lol.
I pray nothing like this happens again but if it does I want to be prepared! Health is key!