Self-Quarantine? How to prepare!

The news on the coronavirus gets worse with each hour that passes. More travel advisories have been issued, colleges are bringing home students on study abroad programs in Italy, the virus is now on every continent except Antarctica, Mexico has banned cruise ships from disembarking, three counties in California and San Francisco have declared a health emergency, Quatar has ordered its citizens to leave Iran and in five minutes there will be more breaking news.

The numbers of those infected are unreliable as Iraq and Italy are not testing for the virus unless a person is already ill. South Korean officials are asking that leaders of a church at the center of the country’s outbreak be investigated on murder charges, the Louvre in Paris closed, Rhode Island reported its first “presumptive” coronavirus case, and there has been a death in Washington. 

A self-quarantine for you and me has become more and more likely. Time will only tell.

You have stocked up on food supplies, medical supplies, and hygiene products and it’s now time to prepare to survive two weeks “trapped” in close quarters with family. 

Quarantines work. During the 1918 pandemic in schools that shut their doors as soon as they suspected a case of the flu, it did not spread. Those who waited for confirmation of the illness saw more cases emerge. Once a school was closed and students who were ill were quarantined, the spread slowed down or stopped.

The city of Gunnison, Colorado took steps to protect its citizens during the 1918 pandemic. With the news that nearby towns were being hit hard by the pandemic, Gunnison took measures to protect its citizens: anyone entering the town was required to remain in a quarantine location for two days, and barricades were erected on the main highways and cars were warned to drive through without stopping. After three months, on February 4, 1919, there was an end to the protective isolation and closure order for the town of Gunnison. Only one death had been recorded. When a third wave of the flu arrived, 100 cases were reported in Gunnison and five deaths occurred. Quarantine works.

And, yes, for those who may wonder, the federal government does have the power to require a self-quarantine. We should all hope, for the safety of our family, that they will when the time is right.

Those living in rural areas survived the best during the 1918 pandemic. If you have a few acres of land you are much more likely to remain healthy – if you self-quarantine early. In past pandemics, those with land planted gardens and continued to have food to eat. Those in the city became desperate and often violent as the food chain was disrupted and store shelves emptied. If you have a family member or friend who lives in the country and they are able to host you, because they have prepared, that is the best place to self-quarantine. Contact them now and offer to help them prepare in exchange for a better place to wait out a self-quarantine.

Plan Now for Activities for Self-Quarantine

First, don't forget to call into work and speak with your supervisor. In today's modern work environment, remote work certainly can be arranged, and keep you busy and keep a paycheck coming.

Now is the time to plan for the boredom and whining sure to occur after a few days.

Read: Prepare now: Gather or purchase books (Audible is also a good resource.)

Cook: Prepare now: Purchase extra aluminum foil, gather recipes and purchase ingredients. A great time to enjoy some of your favorite things.

You will need to stay 6 feet or more away from others now quarantined with you so if you have a yard move outside to cook and make foil dinners or Dutch oven foods.

Gather recipes and purchase ingredients. Be sure to have plenty of eggs and butter.

Continue chores. Not a popular choice, but it does help with boredom as it will surely set in when you have nothing to do. Keeping all family members busy with the ordinary tasks around the house will also keep your home clean and organized which will lift everyone’s spirits.

Create a schedule for each day. Remember Saturdays and weekdays will all seem the same when you don’t leave the house. Make Sunday a special day. Hold worship services at home. Assign someone to teach a Sunday school class. Learn a new hymn. Write thank-you notes to someone who has shown you a kindness or believed in you when you didn’t believe in yourself.

Weekdays should include chore time, unstructured playtime, exercise time and time together doing something as a family.

Honey do. Prepare now: Purchase supplies needed for each project, paint, wood, nails, sandpaper, cleaning supplies, flowers, plant, etc.

Get out that wish list of projects around the house that need to be done but never seem to get attention. You are all stuck at home so now is the time. This is a great opportunity to teach children and grandchildren new skills.

Communicate with family and friends. Prepare now: Invite others to your group and determine how, when and for how long you will visit when the time comes.

Play games. Prepare now: Be prepared with treats as rewards to winners and snacks for everyone while you play.

Watch a movie. Prepare now. Purchase movie snacks and sodas.

Snack bars always had candy, soda, hot dogs and popcorn. Do the same.

You may think 2 weeks or a little more isn’t that hard to do. Think again. Remember the cries of “I’m bored” two days into summer vacation? The bottom line, you have food and other supplies but reevaluate what you may still need to purchase, or find, to make a self-quarantine an adventure and not a nightmare.

Contributor: Carolyn Nicolaysen