This is Red Five’s fifth weekly report detailing proactive steps you, your family, or your company can take to be prepared for the week ahead. This report represents work product derived from various reliable sources, and contains the most accurate information available at the time of print. However, it may be based in part upon information provided by third party sources, which may be subject to change at any time.
Individuals, families, and companies will need to be resilient in the weeks ahead as they continue to find themselves in a new “normal.” This is a marathon, not a sprint, and it is important to plan and prepare for the long term. Some of the most recent models and projections from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have us returning to “normal” in mid-summer; however, some public health experts at home and abroad caution that a return to “normal” may not occur until later on this year, after a vaccine has been developed.
Last week, we focused on steps you, as an individual, could do to be prepared and resilient for the week(s) ahead. This week, we are turning our attention to ways families can prepare and be resilient for the week(s) ahead.
We recommend you take the following steps in order to be prepared and resilient for the week(s) ahead.
- Double check your supplies. Ensure you have enough food, water, and medication to stay at home for 14 days in case you or a family member becomes ill. (Please refer back to our first COVID update for a list of recommended items.)
- Double check the supplies of family members who may not be close by. All family members should be able to self-sustain for 14 days; this is especially important for children who live away from home and the elderly. Help them order supplies from an online retailer if they do not have enough supplies.
- Create a plan on how and when to check in with loved ones. Studies show that routine and continuing contact can help boost the mood of loved ones who may not be able to shelter at home with you.
- Find new ways to stay in touch and celebrate as a family. Social distancing is especially hard on those who are not at “home” with the family. Create new traditions that can include all family members, near and far. Have children read aloud to grandparents via FaceTime; celebrate birthdays and other milestones via Google Hangouts; get together for a virtual brunch or dinner party with your grown children via Zoom. Reinvent family game night in a virtual setting.
- Get out of the house for fresh air, sunlight, and exercise (while mindful of social distancing guidelines). Walking, running, gardening, bird watching, back yard games and sports are most effective at taking your mind off of the news, and allowing you and your family to use a different part of your brain.
- Keep in mind, this too will pass. We are a resilient country, and a resilient people.
