How to Prepare for Coronavirus: Advice from someone who has been through it

The coronavirus is spreading rapidly in the States, and I’m seeing two sides: people in panic and people who think everyone is overreacting. Whichever side you’re on, I think it’s important to take the pandemic seriously and prepare for “disruption to everyday life,” what the CDC calls potential self-quarantine.

While Mike Pence and the experts sort out their solution (hopefully sooner rather than later), we also have a responsibility to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities safe from the coronavirus. Yes, washing your hands is a major part of it, but so is managing your fear and frenzy.

Panic is inevitable because the virus is still very much a mystery to us, but it’s also manageable, and it must be managed.

Take it from someone who has been self-quarantined since January 25th.

There are plenty of articles out there on how to protect yourselves from infection, but I haven’t seen much guidance on mental and emotional preparations that are vital for our sanity and morale to get through this ordeal. That’s why I wrote this post.

As the pandemic whips up a global shitstorm (pardon mon Francaise), I hope these tips on how to prepare for self-quarantine help you stay entertained, sane, and positive.

If you find this post useful, please share it with your friends and family hoarding handsoap and toilet paper (I get them).

First things first. Make a list of things you’ve been meaning to catch up on. And then make a list of materials you need to accomplish these things.

(I have a list called To-Dos Before End of Quarantine, and I’m halfway through!)

Maybe there are Oscar-nominated films you haven’t seen, stories you’ve been meaning to write, Chinese you’ve been wanting to learn, or a six-pack you’ve been working on for summer…whatever it is, prepare yourselves with what you need to accomplish these goals. 

Get a yoga mat. Subscribe to the New York Times (like I finally did). Find your library card and borrow some books. Buy enough flour for the scallion pancakes recipe. Sign up for that online writing course you never have time for. 

And don’t forget…

Pay your internet bill!

Without the internet, you can’t watch To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You on Netflix, can’t Instagram those amoeba-shaped pancakes, and, much to your boss’s dismay, can’t attend that business meeting on Zoom. Quarantine would be infinitely more difficult to get through. 

On the other hand, staying off the grid might just be what you need. In that case, don’t pay your bill and meditate. 

Another benefit of not having the internet is that you won’t have access to fake news. Which brings me to my next tip: 

Don’t trust social media news and updates unless it’s from a verified source (or from first-person accounts like my blog, hehe).

I read an NPR article about workshops for seniors to learn how to identify fake news. We should all go through such workshops. 

Along the same lines, 

Don’t get sucked in by all the negative news out there.

There is SO much sensationalized news, fake news, anxiety-inducing news that sends us into a frenzy. And they’re not just found on social media but even in verified news sources. Every single time I read the newspaper, I get angry, offended, and/or sad. Every. Single. Time. 

I’d suggest cutting off the media altogether, but that’s not realistic. Instead, PLEASE do yourself a favor and don’t get sucked into all the negativity.

Exercise. Sweat. Get your heart-rate up. Stretch.

I once heard that it’s impossible to skip without smiling. Skipping is an upper. Exercise has similar effects, but with added benefits. (Don’t quote me on this. I’m no expert. I just know that I feel better after breaking a sweat). 

When you’re stuck at home all day wallowing with a tub of ice cream in front of the television absorbing depressing story after story, exercise can get you out of that slump. 

Plus, as you already know, most of the deaths from the coronavirus are people with underlying health conditions, particularly amongst the elderly. For those of us who do not suffer from any health issues, let’s keep it that way, so if we contract the coronavirus, our immune systems have a better chance of defeating it.

*I added the following on March 13, 2020:

PLEASE PLEASE read this blog post by Jodi Ettenberg, who is immunocompromised and among the “vulnerable” class for covid-19 that I (disgracefully) overlooked in my original advice for staying healthy.

We are staying healthy to keep ourselves safe, of course. But we must also stay healthy to protect others, including our grandparents, loved ones who are ill, and people like Jodi who do not have the privilege to declare, “I’m healthy so this virus will not affect me, and therefore I can carry on as usual.”

So, please, take the pandemic seriously. In Jodi’s words, “The earlier you take precautions, even if you’re not directly impacted yet by the virus, the better you can help lower the societal burden. Choose compassion for the societal burden over fear and distrust. I know it’s not easy, but as a collective we do depend on it. Worldwide data shows there is no advantage to being a late mover here.”

Stay in touch with people.

Sharing my experiences with people has been super helpful in getting me through this. 

Lucky for me, I’m in quarantine with my mom, so it’s not lonely (though I do need my alone time). I’m also in constant contact with my cousin who is alone, and I know she spends plenty of time phoning and video-calling other friends and family. 

Whoever it is—friends, family, strangers, therapist—stay in contact with people. It’s less lonely. 

Keep things in perspective.

In the grand scheme of things, the coronavirus will only have caused a fraction of our lives to be disrupted.

But I speak from the privilege of being one of the lucky ones, as someone not in Wuhan where entire families are dying. 

And among the lucky ones, I have the privilege of not having to worry about bill payments or feeding my family if I’m quarantined and don’t receive this month’s wages. 

Which brings me to my next point… 

For employers, landlords, corporations, and all the way up the economic chain to governments:

Doing your part in making sure your employees, tenants, small business owners, and communities can still carry on when the coronavirus pandemic is over is not just a moral obligation, it’s an economic one.

In the comment sections below articles that oblige us to stay home from work if we feel sick, I’ve seen A LOT of people comment that they can’t afford to. 

This is a time when we need to help each other out in whatever capacity we can. 

Based on what I’ve seen in China, for business owners, that might mean continuing to pay your staff even if business is shut. Landlords, consider decreasing rent. Lenders and mortgage companies, lowering interest rates could be enormous help. For governments, instituting and enforcing salary regulations could mean a faster economic turnaround when this is all over. (See this post written for expats in China on how the Chinese government is dealing with salaries.)

In the “Silicon Valley” of Beijing, the government has mandated a cutback in rent for tech firms. My small business-owning friend in Beijing also asked his landlord for a decrease in rent. 

A lot of companies are moving business online, even schools. My mom, for example, starts teaching her university classes next week via video-conferencing, and my friends who work for multilateral organizations and international corporations have been working from home since early February. 

If you are a business owner, I urge you to read this article written by a friend and small business owner in Beijing. He shares his experience in dealing with the coronavirus as an employer. Of course, circumstances in China and in the States (or wherever you’re reading from!) are different, but it might provide some insight. 

*Note: I realize I’m offering advice from the perspective of someone who doesn’t have to worry about paying their staff or securing rent. And nobody depends on me for their survival (though I like to think I provide great moral support and even better company for my mom during this time). I just felt compelled to include this “ tip” after reading those comments from people who cannot afford to call in sick.

Finally, remember that you are not alone. The entire world is in this together.

Sure, watching movies and writing blog posts keep me entertained while I’m stuck at home. But at the end of the day, it’s a feeling of camaraderie that gives me hope and encourages me to keep finding ways to stay positive.

I feel like I’m on a team of 1.39 billion people, each doing our little part in keeping ourselves, our families, and our communities safe from the coronavirus. Knowing I’m not alone in this struggle makes this “disruption to everyday life” bearable. 

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In Seth Godin’s email newsletter on Saturday, he posed the question, “What should we remember?”

Years from now, after the coronavirus pandemic is over, what should we remember about it?

For me, I will remember how the world was brought together in a battle against this thing that has no respect for borders, for race, for socioeconomic status.

How, when we were faced with something BIGGER THAN OUR HUMAN SELVES, we finally realized that we are truly in this together, and we joined forces to win this fight.

So, let’s get our act together and make our future selves proud, shall we?