If you haven’t yet visited Flatten the Curve – start here. Safety starts with not overwhelming our healthcare resources!
Mental health and wellness:
- How to maintain your wellbeing and calm: here.
- 5 apps to help you cope: here.
Hygiene:
STAY SAFE WHILE GROCERY SHOPPING: From googling to find our stores least busy hours, staying at least 6 feet away from other people, to cleaning up before, during and after, there are many ways we can protect ourselves from the Coronavirus while shopping for groceries. Check out this Consumer Reports article for steps to staying safe while grocery shopping
HOW TO WASH OUR HANDS: The World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins Medical School show us the best hand-washing technique to avoid spreading the COVID-19 virus. Watch and learn, and share with your networks:
HOMEMADE HAND SANITIZER: The best way to clean our hands is with soap and water. But sometimes, soap and water is not available. If we can’t find hand sanitizer to buy, we can make it at home. Use the recipe reported here.
CLEANING
While the bad news is that the Coronavirus can live on surfaces and packages, the good news is that it is fairly easy to kill with alcohol-based cleaners and diluted hydrogen peroxide. MIT researchers tell us, “In a February review of what’s already known about this type of virus, German researchers said that within a minute of cleaning a surface, a million viral particles can be reduced to 100, likely reducing the risk of infection.”
Cell phones: Our cell phones are germ carriers. Use your phone speaker when we can and keep our phones clean too – click here and here.
Our homes and objects:
Kids:
EXPLAIN CORONAVIRUS FACTS TO KIDS WITH NPR COMIC BOOK: Children are overhearing worried adult conversations, news bulletins, in addition to fear-based rumors from each other. NPR makes it easier for us to calmly discuss what is going on with them with this well researched, informative and accessible Comic on Coronavirus for kids. It explains the basics, kids only get mild cases, wash your hands, don’t believe child-spread rumors, in simple, cheerful terms. Check out NPR’s Just for Kids Coronavirus Comic, then share with kids and friends on social media too
HOW TO SELF-QUARANTINE DURING CORONAVIRUS: Click here
Stay Informed:
VENTURA COUNTY EMERGENCY WEBSITE: https://www.vcemergency.com/
THE VENTURA COUNTY CORONAVIRUS FACEBOOK PAGE: Click here
SCAMMERS USING COVID TO GET YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION: Scammers are using the outbreak to steal your information through phishing attempts or to lure you into downloading a different kind of virus.Read this article to get tips on how to make sure a scammer doesn’t get your information.
STAY INFORMED WITH FREE ACCESS TO NEW YORK TIMES COVID-19 NEWS: The New York Times is now offering free access to Coronavirus coverage. Click this link to stay up to date on Coronavirus news and information from the New York Times for free.
INTERNET ACCESS FOR STUDENTS:
- Spectrum plans to offer free internet to students without access as the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, forces some schools to switch to online learning.
- Comcast also announced it would offer two months of free internet services to low-income households in its service areas.
- AT&T said it would waive internet data overage fees for customers who have capped data plans. (they should do better.)
- Verizon issued a statement saying it would waive any late fees and not terminate any service for the next 60 days. (they should do better.)
DON’T BELIEVE THESE CORONAVIRUS SCAMS AND ADVICE: Silly sanitizer recipes, dubious herbal remedies and supplements, gulping water, and an overconfidence in latex gloves …Click here for the latest.
Help Others:
Shop and run errands for our most at-risk family, friends, and neighbors: Ask them to leave a list for you on their doorstep (or text or e-mail) and then drop it by without interaction (i.e. don’t go inside or hug). Check in often by phone – or better yet video chat. We are all in this together!
COVID-19 FOOD BANK DONATIONS: Not everyone has the resources to stock up on food and other needs in case of a COVID-19 quarantine or shut-down.Let’s help by donating to our local food bank; look up here.
Further Reading:
The best thing everyday Americans can do to fight coronavirus? #StayHome, save lives
Young and Unafraid of the Coronavirus Pandemic? Good for You. Now Stop Killing People
Coronavirus will bankrupt more people than it kills — and that’s a real global emergency
Here’s how coronavirus spreads on a plane—and the safest place to sit
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 