9 Steps to Protect Yourself. And what you can do, right now, to help.

1. Do not panic.

We still have time to prevent the worst-case scenario. But it will be very bad and we do not much have time.

2. Educate yourself.

Read the CDC current recommendations and advice. All recommendations are paraphrased or directly quoted from the CDC. Remember that smart, hard working scientists are still running the CDC and doing their best given the circumstances.

3. Protect Yourself.

From the CDC: The best way to prevent the disease is to avoid being exposed to the virus. Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

4. Protect Your Family.

From the CDC: Create a household plan. Which includes:

• Consider 2-week supply of prescription and over the counter medications, food and other essentials. Know how to get food delivered if possible.
• Establish ways to communicate with others (e.g., family, friends, co-workers).
• Establish plans to telework, what to do about childcare needs, how to adapt to cancellation of events.

5. Protect Your Home.

From the CDC:

• Practice everyday preventive actions now.
• Choose a room in your home that can be used to separate sick household members from those who are healthy.
• Be prepared if your child’s school or childcare facility is temporarily dismissed. Plan for potential changes at your workplace.
• Learn about your employer’s emergency operations plan. Discuss sick-leave policies and telework options for workers who are sick or who need to stay home to care for sick household members.

6. Manage Anxiety and Stress.

From the CDC: Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How you respond to the outbreak can depend on your background, the things that make you different from other people, and the community you live in.Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can also make your community stronger. Things you can do to support yourself:

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
• Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
• Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
• Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.

Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.

The following are my personal recommendations.

7. Be smart and helpful.

• Assume you have the disease. It has potentially been spreading since January 21st in the United States. It has been estimated that the number of viral cases doubles every six days. There are currently 2,443 cases in 49 states. There is a lack of available testing kits. We cannot know how many people have the disease, so assume you have it.
• Stay at home. Practice social distancing. Encourage members of your family and community to follow this advice. Encourage your workplace to allow all non-essential employees to work from home.
• Offer to help your community and protect the individuals most at risk. Contact your local government to offer your assistance. Elderly individuals will need wellness checks and food distribution. Offer to help participate, develop, or build local social safety nets.

8. Start right now.

9. Do not lie to yourself.

If any of the information from Steps 3 to 6 was new to you. You have already made your first mistake. All the text are direct quotes from the CDC website. Go back to Step 2. We do not have time to fuck around. Try not to make any more mistakes.