Panic buying
There has been a lot on tv and the internet about the recent outbreak of a new Corona virus, COVID-19. It’s a respiratory disease that looks and feels like a cold, so it’s hard to know if you have a cold or something else. There is a panic about not having supplies. Some people seem to have lost their good sense, they’re buying toilet paper, water and hand sanitizer as if there was going to be a hurricane with no supplies available for months. Shelves are empty. When we panic like this we create another layer of stress, we focus on ourselves and lose the ability to consider others. While I was at Target, shelves were being restocked. I saw one cart with 5-6 12 packs of toilet paper and that’s all they were buying! What happens to the people who are truly out of toilet paper? The hoarding becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We fear a shortage so we stock up far more than we need and then there becomes a shortage. I see the same kind of thing happening in the stock market. The businesses whose stocks are down are still financially viable, so there is still value, but somehow the value of the stock has been separated from the value of the actual business.
Why not to panic
The truth is that every few years a new virus comes along and scares us all because we don’t know what it is, or how it will affect us. This year it’s COVID-19, in 2009 it was the swine flu, in 2016 we feared the Zika virus. Those diseases have come and gone, and we have survived and even thrived since then. Taking the long view about this will help you through this one.
There are stories about how many people have COVID-19, how many have died and many events that attract large crowds are closing and postponing events. Many articles out there are pretty scary but The Conversation has a great article on why we don’t need to panic. The reasons are: 1) we know what it is, 2) we know how to detect the virus 3) things are improving in China 4) 80% of cases are mild, 5) people recover from it, 6) symptoms appear mild in children, 7) it can be cleaned off, 8) the science community is on it 9) vaccines are in the works, and 10) anti-viral trials are underway.
Be wise in preparing
We do need to be careful, especially since the disease is killing those 60+ and who have underlying health issues. The best thing for prevention is to do what we should have been doing all along with colds and flu: stay home when you have symptoms, get plenty of rest, drink lots of liquids, cough or sneeze into your elbow or tissue then throw the tissue away. If you want to know what the CDC says I recommend that you google them because the information is changing I also think eating well is a good idea, healthy food is good medicine. Based on quarantines the government has already imposed on travelers coming back from China it seems staying home for about 14 days keeps you from spreading it if you have it. The hope in the events cancellations is that if a venue is closed long enough that too will keep the virus from spreading.
As Californians we are encouraged to be well stocked with the basics in case of an earthquake. I think the estimate is to be able to care for ourselves for at least 3 days before we can expect help. If we extend that to stocking up for a couple of weeks just in case we need to self-quarantine, we should have what we need. Here are a couple of sites that may help you decide what to keep and how to prepare your food Treehugger and I also liked this article from Huffington Post; it has common sense advice on looking at what you have and what you need.
Children have also been affected by this, they see the stories on tv, maybe their school has been closes, Sparkle stories has a series of free posts which. can help you help your children deal with the fear that comes with the unknown.
How to keep yourself in good shape emotionally
We’ve been told by our doctors that stress compromises our immune system. It makes sense to do things for ourselves emotionally as well as physically. There really is a mind, body connection. In 1964 Norman Cousins created his own recovery program while fighting off a terrible disease. He believed emotions affected the body’s ability to heal and watched films that made him laugh. He recovered and lived a long life. Since we know that emotions and physical health are connected here’s a list of things you can do to lift your spirits and build your immunity:
1. Watch videos, shows that make you laugh
2. Sing along with songs you enjoy
3. Dance by yourself or with someone else to upbeat music
4. Exercise
5. Play with your kids and pets—they will love it!
Things beyond our control will always come our way. The real test is how we deal with it. You can allow it to refine your character and learn to cope well or you can lose your mind and in the process your humanity as well. Stay safe.