The World Health organization is now calling the conronovirus (covid-19) a pandemic. Worldwide, nearly 125,000 cases of the virus have been reported and 4,550 people have died. Although the death rate is still around 3.6%, the rapid increase in cases around the globe is causing concern.
In the United States, cases have climbed to 1,135 with 32 deaths. Most of the concentration is in California, Washington and New York. Still, here in Tulsa, only 2 confirmed cases have been reported. I’m expecting that number to increase over the next several days. I hope I’m wrong.
We’ve known that this bug would spread globally and in the United States for a couple of weeks now. The CDC and the federal government are taking reactive and proactive measures to mitigate the spread as much as they can. Local and state governments around the hardest hit areas are taking extra precautions to slow the spread and contain the virus. Colleges are moving to online courses, some private schools are closing, elderly care facilities are taking extra precautions to limit outside visitors, travel restrictions are in place and hospitals are dusting off their contingency plans.
Let’s face it, we really don’t know how this is going to play out. It’s a new bug and little is known about it. Will it burn out as weather warms up? Can the bug live on surfaces, too? If so, how long will it remain active? These and many other questions are still unanswered, but I’m guessing researchers are working around the clock to answer them.
I’m still not going to panic. This is what I’m doing and the CDC is suggesting the same. Although most of this you should be doing during the flu season and getting ready for storm season anyway, but I’m suggesting you prepare now if you’ve not already done so. Let me know if I’ve missed something and I’ll update this list.
- Stay away from large gatherings of people – especially if it’s in a confined space such as an arena, club, or casino.
- Avoid unnecessary travel.
- Wash your hands often with soap and hot water.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Don’t share food in offices and classrooms.
- Stay away from anyone who is sick.
- Don’t shake hands.
- If you’re sick, stay home. Call your Doctor, don’t go to their office unless told to do so.
- Wipe down surfaces with a disinfectant that are touched by multiple people.
- Stock up on maintenance medications. (I filled 3 months worth yesterday.)
- Have enough food and supplies on hand to last you at least two weeks. I’m bumping my supplies up to 4 weeks. Don’t forget your pets. This is a good idea to minimize trips to the store and if you need to shelter in place.
- If you have elderly parents or grandparents, help them prepare.
- Stay informed by reputable sources. At the bottom of this post, I’ll post links to a few of those resources for you.
Here’s the bottom line: there’s no doubt this is a nasty bug. I don’t think anyone will disagree with that. But, if we plan ahead and take the necessary precautions being suggested, most of us will get through this pandemic just fine. We’re in this together and we’ll come out the other side of it together.
Here’s some reliable resources, besides local media outlets:
- Centers for Disease Control
- World Health Organization
- Tulsa Health Department
- State of Oklahoma Health Department
If you want to discuss this or have more information you want to share, feel free to comment. I’ll approve your posts as soon as possible.
Most importantly, stay safe and take care of each other.