[2006alum]

I really appreciate the assiduousness with which so many on this board are striving to understand this situation. With four kids now at home taking classes online on borrowed laptops, and me trying to write out my own lectures for students so they can prepare for final exams next week, it's been difficult for me to keep up with the news, research best practices, and ponder how we as a family can intentionally respond.

I wonder if there are some of you who would be prepared to provide a summary of things to do or think about as we go about our daily lives. Some of you are doctors or researchers that can provide some tips. I know I need to wash my hands and avoid large gatherings; anything else? Anything I should keep on-hand as I go places? Anything I should be worried about the store running out of (as of yet, we have not joined the CostCo swarm)? And, as I asked before, do I need to worry about our savings or IRA?

Thanks, friends. I hope that the individualization that this sort of pandemic encourages will not militate against humanity's greatest strength, which is its capacity for empathy, mutuality, and edification.

-m.

Here's a few useful primers: 

[tweet]https://twitter.com/SecAzar/status/1237465735196225541?s=20[/tweet]

And here's what I personally have learned from reading pretty widely about this, going from less extreme to more extreme:

Stockpile essential medicines: Lots of our pharmaceutical drugs are sourced overseas in countries like India and China that have put restrictions into place on exports in order to protect their own populations. Anything you need for basic health, I would encourage stockpiling at least two months' worth. Even if we get the virus spread under control, the supply chain ramifications will last much longer. Ask for a 3-month refill instead of a 1-month refill, which many insurers will approve if the doctor requests it.

Nitrite Gloves: Apart from masks, wearing nitrite gloves when going out in public is another excellent way to limit your risk - both because they can be discarded (by removing them by pinching in the palm of the first glove so that it comes off inside out, and then using your clean hand to pull off the second glove from the inside out. As of this morning, Amazon still seems to have plenty in stock. The gloves are also useful because one is less tempted to touch one's face when wearing gloves.

Zinc Lozenges: Apparently, these are especially good at combating coronavirus infections, which take hold in the nasal passages and throat. If you start to feel anything coming on, take one immediately and let it rest in the back of your throat.

Sanitize anything that comes in the house: COVID-19 can apparently persist for days on plastic and paper surfaces, which means that if you bring something contaminated into the house and touch it, and then touch your face, you're still at risk. Clorox wipes are great for this and one wipe can cover a bag full of groceries.

Stockpile non-perishable sources of fruits and vegetables: It's one thing to have lots of cans of beans, bags of rice, and bottles of water. But that's not complete nutrition. In the event of widespread supply shortages, shelf-stable canned fruits and vegetables (or soups) and frozen fruits and vegetables can take you a long way to complete nutrition if you need to cook in for several weeks. Same with frozen meats and fruit juices.

Check/Enhance your emergency kit: Not to go FULL chicken little on folks, but one thing that worries me is any other sort of natural disaster hitting on top of this. In California, that's a fire or earthquake, either of which can short power for days at a time. I would encourage you to have a charged power bank on hand so power phones and other necessary devices to communicate with the outside world. I got this one, which also powers laptops and other AC-powered devices. Also consider a car cigarette-lighter power inverter, which allows you to charge devices from your car battery. And in case the power and heat are off, be sure to have a long-lasting source of light and emergency blankets for warmth.

Your mileage may very for how far down this list you want to go, but from reading pretty widely about this that's what I've arrived at. Worse case scenario, I don't need to go grocery shopping for a while and I'm well stocked for the inevitable earthquake/fire/blizzard/etc. that will hit sooner or later.

[2006alum]

I really appreciate the assiduousness with which so many on this board are striving to understand this situation. With four kids now at home taking classes online on borrowed laptops, and me trying to write out my own lectures for students so they can prepare for final exams next week, it's been difficult for me to keep up with the news, research best practices, and ponder how we as a family can intentionally respond.

I wonder if there are some of you who would be prepared to provide a summary of things to do or think about as we go about our daily lives. Some of you are doctors or researchers that can provide some tips. I know I need to wash my hands and avoid large gatherings; anything else? Anything I should keep on-hand as I go places? Anything I should be worried about the store running out of (as of yet, we have not joined the CostCo swarm)? And, as I asked before, do I need to worry about our savings or IRA?

Thanks, friends. I hope that the individualization that this sort of pandemic encourages will not militate against humanity's greatest strength, which is its capacity for empathy, mutuality, and edification.

-m.

Here's a few useful primers: 

[tweet]https://twitter.com/SecAzar/status/1237465735196225541?s=20[/tweet]

And here's what I personally have learned from reading pretty widely about this, going from less extreme to more extreme:

Stockpile essential medicines: Lots of our pharmaceutical drugs are sourced overseas in countries like India and China that have put restrictions into place on exports in order to protect their own populations. Anything you need for basic health, I would encourage stockpiling at least two months' worth. Even if we get the virus spread under control, the supply chain ramifications will last much longer. Ask for a 3-month refill instead of a 1-month refill, which many insurers will approve if the doctor requests it.

Nitrite Gloves: Apart from masks, wearing nitrite gloves when going out in public is another excellent way to limit your risk - both because they can be discarded (by removing them by pinching in the palm of the first glove so that it comes off inside out, and then using your clean hand to pull off the second glove from the inside out. As of this morning, Amazon still seems to have plenty in stock. The gloves are also useful because one is less tempted to touch one's face when wearing gloves.

Zinc Lozenges: Apparently, these are especially good at combating coronavirus infections, which take hold in the nasal passages and throat. If you start to feel anything coming on, take one immediately and let it rest in the back of your throat.

Sanitize anything that comes in the house: COVID-19 can apparently persist for days on plastic and paper surfaces, which means that if you bring something contaminated into the house and touch it, and then touch your face, you're still at risk. Clorox wipes are great for this and one wipe can cover a bag full of groceries.

Stockpile non-perishable sources of fruits and vegetables: It's one thing to have lots of cans of beans, bags of rice, and bottles of water. But that's not complete nutrition. In the event of widespread supply shortages, shelf-stable canned fruits and vegetables (or soups) and frozen fruits and vegetables can take you a long way to complete nutrition if you need to cook in for several weeks. Same with frozen meats and fruit juices.

Check/Enhance your emergency kit: Not to go FULL chicken little on folks, but one thing that worries me is any other sort of natural disaster hitting on top of this. In California, that's a fire or earthquake, either of which can short power for days at a time. I would encourage you to have a charged power bank on hand so power phones and other necessary devices to communicate with the outside world. I got this one, which also powers laptops and other AC-powered devices. Also consider a car cigarette-lighter power inverter, which allows you to charge devices from your car battery. And in case the power and heat are off, be sure to have a long-lasting source of light and emergency blankets for warmth.

Your mileage may very for how far down this list you want to go, but from reading pretty widely about this that's what I've arrived at. Worse case scenario, I don't need to go grocery shopping for a while and I'm well stocked for the inevitable earthquake/fire/blizzard/etc. that will hit sooner or later.