I admit it, I’m paranoid about leaving the house right now, but I guess in this time of coronavirus, that’s a good thing. Nowadays, there are so many news sites talking 24/7 about people dying that I am having a hard time walking out the door.
I do go out in my yard (plan to go out and mow the lawn today) and walk around the neighborhood a couple of times a week, while social distancing, but anything else is tough. I’ve been putting off going to the drive-thru pharmacy for a week. It just seems like everything is a risk now.
Like a lot of people, I get the flu shot every year. I’m 61, have heart disease and diabetes, so I think it is the responsible thing to do. So far, it has helped me every year until this year. Surprisingly, the CDC indicates that the flu shot is effective about 45% of the time. I guess I have been lucky so far.
When I started getting sick, I went to the doctor as I always do. I’ve learned that I can usually get over whatever it is with a little medicine if I act quickly. This time, it proved to be a smart strategy. Of course, I was tested for the flu while at the doctor’s office, and it did come back negative, but over the next 24 hours I saw my temperature spike over 101 degrees while experiencing a cough, chills, and a general yucky feeling. Calling my doctor, he prescribed a second medication that really seemed to help—an antiviral. It didn’t take the fever away, but it did lower it for the next couple of days. The fever lasted five days, during which time all I did was sleep and drink water and Gatorade. Regardless of what the testing said, I think I had the flu. Interestingly, the CDC also notes that the flu test is accurate just 50% to 70% of the time.
When I called the doctor that second day, he decided to see if I could get tested for COVID-19. We were told that I was not a candidate. However, when testing became more readily available, I did get tested, but by then it was five days after my fever stopped. Fortunately, the test came back negative, but I’m not 100% convinced any of the tests were accurate.
Since this started four weeks ago, I have only left the house a couple of times. At first, I was paranoid that I did have COVID-19 or the flu and that I would give it to my family (those ten grandkids). Once I was told that I was negative for both the flu and COVID-19, then I became frightened that I would catch it from one of them. I work from home and don’t have many interactions outside the home as opposed to my family who still work outside the home or go to the store for necessary items. The warnings about how deadly coronavirus can behave totally made me want to lock the doors and never go out again.
Unfortunately, barring the doors can only be temporary since most of us must leave for one reason or another at some point.
Here are a few of the ways I’ve tried to stay safe and not bother a ton of other people.
- Grocery ordering online. Many of us are proficient at using computers, but some are not. This is something you should learn to do or have someone in your family do for you. You can order online and get the food delivered directly to your door. Please don’t have the person delivering come in, and don’t open the door to talk to them unless you absolutely must. I also put on gloves before I bring anything into the house. I wipe things down, then put the groceries away.
- Other online ordering in general. If you don’t have an Amazon Prime membership, you may want to look into it. You can find most items you need on Amazon, and their prices can be less than you find in the stores. Not all, but many of them are so be sure to shop prices. The great thing about a Prime membership is free shipping. They bring it all to your door. If you use this service, don’t forget to wear gloves when bringing packages into the house.
- Another thing to consider with delivery services is how long coronavirus lasts on inanimate objects. Cardboard, paper, the air inside those plastic bags. It appears the risk is pretty low, but unless the package contains perishable goods, I’m putting it in a part of my house that I call the quarantine area and letting it sit a couple of days before I open it. Just in case. The New England Journal of Medicine says this coronavirus lasts on cardboard for 24 hours and on plastic for as much as 72 hours, but not as a fully intact virus. It degrades over time.
- Call before you go since timing is everything. Some things you can’t get online, like toilet paper or any paper products. For those, be sure to talk to your local store to see if they have senior hours and when they will be restocking shelves. The grocery store near me has senior hours every morning from 8-9 a.m., and they restock their shelves Tuesdays and Thursdays. If I need to purchase paper products, I go Thursday around 8 a.m.
- Be sure to wear gloves and a mask when you go out. It may feel a bit silly the first couple of times you do it, but it could save your life. And oh, by the way, everyone is doing it now. Also, carry wipes or hand sanitizer with you so you can wipe things down as needed and sanitize your hands when the gloves come off. When I recently had to visit my attorney’s office, they wiped down the table surfaces with Clorox wipes before I arrived and provided new pens for signing docs. I was covered by a mask and gloves before I walked in, and while I was still a bit paranoid, I think we took all the precautions we could aside from staying home.
- Lastly, follow CDC guidelines, wash your hands, avoid touching your face, cough or sneeze into a tissue that you throw away or into your elbow, disinfect frequently used items and surfaces.
The coronavirus pandemic is very serious, and we should all be staying home, but when you do go out, don’t forget your gloves and mask. Similarly, if you’re like me and getting deliveries all the time now, don’t forget to protect yourself from the packages and letters you receive. I don’t know about you, but I still have some things I want to do in this life, so I’m in full protection mode. Enjoy the downtime and stay safe.
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