>U Mom Knows Best: How I Am Preparing For The Respiratory Virus Epidemic

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

How I Am Preparing For The Respiratory Virus Epidemic

Things are getting crazy here so I am starting to prepare for the respiratory virus


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  Every day I am being reminded about the respiratory virus. It seems that more cases of the virus are being announced every day and the world is freaking out. I am trying to just go on with daily life but it can be hard when all I see and hear on the news is related to a virus that is shaking up the world. Unless you live under a rock, I bet you are watching the news and have taken steps to prepare for this disease that is affecting almost everyone's lives. In my opinion, I think that people have gone mad and the media is doing an amazing job in helping people go into panic mode. So while I never thought that I would be someone who would be preparing for this coronavirus crisis, I have started taking some steps to be prepared for an attack of a virus named corona. So take a deep breath and learn how how to prepare and not panic.

Information about the respiratory disease of 2019

 There is so much information about the lung virus on the internet and some of it may be false. People are so worried and confused about the 2019 virus state of emergency and they may not have their facts straight. The CDC has a website where you can learn about the virus. This link has answers to many common questions about the respiratory virus. So check it out.

Washing our hands



  The virus paranoia really has not been that big of a deal for me and I have not really done that much in the way of freaking out. I do admit that I am reading the major news stories. I have not changed my family's schedules nor have I changed any of my habits like cleaning or handwashing. Before this mass coronavirus epidemic started my family already knew the importance of washing their hands. So we just continued to follow the best handwashing routine that my family practices year-round. My boys have been trained since they were babies that we wash our hands when we enter the house. So hopefully our handwashing will help keep us safe from the 2019 viruses. Handwashing is always a good practice for any type of virus outbreak. The soap that I am using is a natural concentrated soap. The best part of Dr. Bonner's soap is one bottle lasts a long time as you use 4 parts water to one part soap. It comes in many natural scents and Amazon has plenty in stock.



  I am not stocking up on toilet paper

 I am not really sure why people are freaking out and buying massive amounts of toilet paper. I am not worried about not having toilet paper if I have to be quarantined. I don't really use toilet paper so that is not an issue to me. I gave up toilet paper 2 years ago when I bought a bidet. See my review of my bidet here. So I would be fine if I ran out of toilet paper. My husband does use toilet paper as he doesn't how wonderful the bidet is so I did buy my normal supply of TP last week after I saw on Facebook that people were clearing the toilet paper from store shelves. I just hope that no one beats anyone up over toilet paper. This mania got me thinking that maybe now would be a good time to donate some TP to food pantries. If your town has a coronavirus outbreak, poor people may not be able to stock up on necessities.




Taking off our shoes

  I have a rule about no shoes in the house. Shoes contain dirt, germs, chemicals, and pesticides, so my family takes off their shoes in the house. The main reason I started this shoe rule was to keep my carpet clean. My carpet lasted 22 years and we recently replaced the carpet with tile. You can see the unique tile that we used that looks like wood Here. Now that we have ceramic tile, I am more relaxed about the no-shoe rule and I just wash the floors weekly. I am not worried about the germs on the floor because, for the most part, my hands are not touching the floors, nor are we eating off the floor. We don't follow the 2-second rule here and dropped food goes into the trash.

Taking several supplements

 My supplement routine has stayed the same. When it is cold and flu season, I stock up on many natural supplements that do a great job of keeping my family healthy. So these Natural Products That You Need For Cold & Flu Season are already in my cabinets. They have helped me avoid the flu when my family was sick. The natural wellness products also helped my kids recover from the flu quicker than their friends. I am also drinking this amazing Cold & Flu Honey Lemon Ginger Tea.


Not using hand sanitizer

  I have not bought one bottle of hand sanitizer and I will not be using it during the coronavirus scare. This may shock some people or make people angry but I don't like hand sanitizer. The chemicals in hand sanitizer gives me an asthma attack and cause my skin to develop a rash. I was just at my kid's school and I was having trouble breathing as so many people were using hand sanitizer. The real reason I tell my kids to not use hand sanitizer is for the reason that it kills the good bacteria on your hands and gives a false sense of safety. Hand washing is always better and does a better job of killing germs so my family will stick to washing our hands.

Not using cleaning products

  I also have not bought any harsh cleaning products nor have I used any in my house. I think my hand washing routine is keeping things clean. I will continue to clean my house with water, e-Cloths and the occasional baking soda and vinegar. I am not going to let a virus turn my non-toxic home into a toxic chemical place that will harm my body. My lungs are already sensitive to cleaning chemicals and chemical fragrances and they trigger my asthma. So during this coronavirus attack, I will be avoiding public places not because I am worried about the germs but because of all the excess chemical cleaning that is happening at the public places. I am able to manage my asthma symptoms naturally as long as I avoid my triggers like chemicals in cleaning products.



I am not stocking up on emergency supplies

 Many people are stocking up on emergency supplies and I have not done this. My state does not even have any cases of the coronavirus and people here are clearing the shelves of stores. I have a good supply of items like food, shampoo, soap, and detergent as I am a stock-piler by nature. I tend to keep 2 months' worth of items in my house as it makes shopping easier. I did recently buy 30 rolls of toilet paper as we were down to three rolls and I saw on Facebook that people in other states were clearing the shelves of toilet paper. I also bought 2 big containers of Dr. Bonner's natural soap as it was a better deal to buy that quantity. I am glad that I don't use regular hand soap, my son and I have skin issues, as the stores around me have none. I told my family if we have to be quarantined, we will have plenty of food to hold us over. I have two deep freezers and a pantry filled with food so I will have enough to share with my neighbors.

Update: When I wrote this article there were not any confirmed cases of the virus in my state and now there are three.

I am not freaking out 

 Every day the news and social media come out with new information about the coronavirus. I am not really sure what is true and what is the media giving false information. So while I am keeping up with the coronavirus information, I am not freaking out. I am being calm about the whole situation as I am seeing the numbers. I am reminding myself that I survived the flu, y2k, ebola, norovirus, wildfires, and many more catastrophes. I am putting all this in God's hands and instead, I am being prepared. I am glad that I work from home and my husband would get paid leave. I could occupy myself just fine at home and if my husband got bored, I would have him do some projects around the house. Last year my husband had 6 weeks of paid leave and we took the opportunity to install tile and paint the walls.

I am hugging people

 The media is telling us not to shake hands and I am fine with that. I already do not shake hands because of my sensitive skin. The media also said not to hug people but I am ignoring that one. I will continue to hug my friends and people in my church. People need hugs during a time that might seem crazy to them.



My husband is helping me with reality

 My husband is a health inspector so he knows a thing or two about viruses and germs. My husband has dealt with the norovirus and did not catch that one. I remember my husband coming home and talking about how he had to inspect facilities that had the norovirus. My husband had to suit up for those inspections. 

 
My husband says the human respiratory viruses have been around for a while. These viruses are similar to flu viruses. There are 7 known coronaviruses that can infect people. People around the world commonly get infected with 4 of the human coronaviruses but the other three strains that include the 2019-nCoV were not that common up until now. The truth is the CDC is still learning about how the virus 2019-nCoV spreads. For most people, they will die not from this virus but we need to prevent the germs from spreading so the immune-compromised do not get sick and die. This link has answers to many common questions about the lung virus. So check it out.



Practicing good habits 

 Prevention is of spreading germs is always a good practice. So I am just doing what I am already doing. I am washing my hands after I use the bathroom and before I eat. I will cough and sneeze into my arm. I already keep my kids home if they have a fever or stomach troubles. Thankfully my husband has sick time at his job so he stays home when he is sick. I am eating healthy food and exercising, as both with help my body will help my body fight germs better. I am eating foods that are known to boost the immunity system like oranges, onions, garlic, and seaweed. I am trying to get plenty of sleep and these sleep tips are helping me. I am drinking elderberry syrup to boost my immunity. Get my recipe for homemade elderberry syrup here. I am taking a gut-friendly daily probiotic supplement along with other superfoods.

 Right now, my main message for the coronavirus is prevention. These steps will also prevent the spread of colds and the flu. I know this can be a scary time, especially for people who have many coronavirus cases near them or know someone who may be affected by the virus. Stressing out and panicking will not do us any good. The added stress may harm us as stress weakens the immune system. So when you feel overwhelmed by all of this, so something that will help you relax like praying, online yoga, exercising, or calling a friend. If you do have to be quarantined, make the best of your time and declutter your house or simply enjoy the time doing nothing.

What are you doing to keep your family safe from this virus?



23 comments:

Jessica said...

The best thing you can do is not freak out about it.Don't give it that importance that it doesn't have. I believe that we have to get our bodies prepare for this coronavirus.I don't use hand sanitizer either I think that washing my hands and using pure alcohol is better.

Cristina Petrini said...


I am living in full all this living in Milan and I must say that saying and repeating these things is fundamental. The more you do, the more you don't risk making mistakes!

Why Girls Are Weird said...

The media is just out of control and so are people that are spreading hysteria. I'm just being cautious and going about my life. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!

GiGi Eats said...

I am no freaking out. AT. ALL. I am just living my life over here doing exactly what I was doing because... I was living a healthy life. I will say my husband and I are bathing our son a bit more and paying attention to washing his hands more... But otherwise, we are just... Living!

AiringMyLaundry said...

Yup, I do this too. I don't freak out. I think the media is making it seem worse than it is. I just continue to wash my hands like before!

Margaret | Live Like No On Else said...

I am light you. We are doing the same things. I'm not freaking out. My mother in law was freaking out when I told her that some friends and I are going on a road trip two states away. I did actually buy a little extra toilet paper because my kids go through tons and I didn't want to be left without it. I went to the store the other day and almost an entire aisle was empty of it. I just want to have my toilet paper!! LOL

Jaredamy said...

I think it is important for people to realize this is an airborne virus. Hand sanitizer can only go so far, and for us it is a waste too. It does more harm than good.

Chad said...

The coronavirus is getting out of hand! I am so anxious and I need to do something about it. Thank you so much for the tips, they're great.

Marie at Complete Literature said...

I am not letting it get to me. But the media is getting to me! I am not following their hype. I take all of the usual precautions--mostly what you have written here. And we are already healthy, so I think we will be fine. It is good to know that a health inspector agrees with our position!!!

Celebrate Woman said...

Do the things that make sense like washing hands frequently and keeping the home clean and aired. Love the spirit of the post.

The Super Mom Life said...

The whole toilet paper thing is baffling to me. Are they planning on building a fort to stay behind so that people don't get germs on them? What do we need 793874923874 rolls of toilet paper for?

Shruti Bhattacharya said...

As long as one maintains self hygiene and practices proper self care, nothing should go wrong.

Kita Bryant said...

We have a good advantage here. Knowing what to do before the virus gets to us is a great start in preparation for it.

Sherry said...

We haven't changed any of our habits. We are going grocery shopping this weekend just to make sure we have everything we need if we are quarantined. No stockpiling of toilet paper though. What's been happening there is just crazy. I have been checking out the World Health Organization's website to get facts.

moonlightmel said...

It defiantly is best not to freak out. It shocking how little toilet paper they is in shops now. I am just taking each day as it is and making sure everyone washes hands and takes shoes off etc.

Toni said...

These are really helpful tips! Thanks for sharing these!

Infinity Laser Spa said...

You are absolutely right about not panicking and stock piling. I think if you practice common sense and good hygiene, you reduce the risks.

Gust si Aroma said...

Practicing good habits is always welcome in our life and it doesn't mater if there is or not a virus around!

aisasami said...

I am not freaking out but I am in a country that is. I been off of work since yesterday as schools have closed here. I am taking prevention by just staying in and working on my blog.

Prime Beauty said...

I'm not panicking yet either. I will continue the cleaning methods I always use. I babysit my Grandson so I tend to disinfect a lot anyway.

Natalie said...

It's important not to get carried away by the mass panic. Great tips.

David Elliott said...

I think you are doing the right things. Establishing good habits before helps you when you are dealing with a crisis. I just think it's crazy with all the panic buying out there.

Anonymous said...

Right

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