Coronavirus Talk

Amid a global pandemic, there are thousands of questions running through people’s minds. How do I protect my family? How do I protect my income? How do I filter through all the information being thrown at me? This is certainly not an easy time for anyone. As a safety professional, I wanted to share some thoughts about how to protect yourself and your business during the COVID-19 outbreak.

One important piece of information is to follow the CDC’s or Center for Disease Control’s guidelines. As social media and the news flood you with information, it can be hard to keep up with everything you hear. To cut out some of the pseudo-science, go to cdc.gov for accurate information that is approved by medical professionals and pandemic response teams. WHO or the World Health Organization is also a viable resource. Lastly, https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html is a fantastic tool to monitor the virus on a daily basis. This site offers a global and U.S. map that you can reference. This is such a great tool because you can use the zoom function to check outbreaks in specific counties around the country to see exactly how the virus is affecting your immediate area. This is something I monitor daily and recommend everyone does as well.

Next, I wanted to discuss the importance of “doing the little things”. Obviously, there has been government mandates regarding shutting down non-essential businesses, cancelling sporting events, and other entities that promote large gatherings of people, but how can YOU make a difference? Through means such as social distancing, staying at home, washing your hands, and wearing a facemask when in public settings, we can help to flatten the curve. Yes, this may mean giving up some pleasures for a while or holding off on that Lowe’s run to renovate the bathroom, but these small decisions we make everyday are what is vital to saving countless lives. Before you enter a store, think to yourself, is what I’m purchasing essential? If the answer is no, then don’t go out. You may be in great health, but that is not necessarily the case for the people around you.

I wanted to close out the article with two more additional tips that have proven to be effective in fighting the novel coronavirus. These two tips are to eat healthy and exercise. Shocking, right? You’ve probably heard this a million times and will probably hear it a million more times throughout your lifetime. Why? Because it’s effective. I heard a great example on a Podcast I was listening to this week. Think of it like this, whenever your body is infected with the virus, your immune system is at war. The virus is made up of tiny particles that act as it’s “soldiers” to compromise your immune system. So how do you fight against the virus’s soldiers? How do you prevent them invading your territory? You enlist some troops of your own. These troops come in many forms such as vitamins, nutrients, exercise and hydration. By exercising your body, eating healthy foods and staying hydrated, you give your immune system a fighting chance. If you’re living a sedentary lifestyle, eating fast food everyday and neglecting your health – your immune system reflects that. Keep this in mind during the pandemic, and in the future as well. Take care of your body so your body can take care of you.