Here’s a little help with your Covid-19 plan
Now is the time for you, as an individual, to take seriously your own position and start planning your course of action if the virus does affect you or your family.
Denver Hostel Induna Shalazile Mbatha washes his hands at the launch of of a massive hand washing campaign at Mangolongolo Informal Settlement, Ward 65 in Johannesburg, 22 April 2020, to curb the spread of COVID-19. Hlapa Matsoho an initiative campaign to educate communities and residents in informal settlements and communities in importance of washing hands with soap. City of Johannesburg provided water supply to depressed and informal settlements and promote hygiene and handwashing as public awareness on COVID-19. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
For the past three months, many people have regarded Covid-19 as a nebulous, if not far off, threat. Now, though, it is at our doorsteps as the Western Cape peaks, while Gauteng and Eastern Cape roar ever upwards in terms of infections and death.
Most of us know by now about the basic safety precautions: regularly washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; maintaining a physical distance of at least 1.5m from other people wherever possible; and wearing face masks when out in public and close to others. The raging infection rate, while it may have been inevitable, is also an indication that not all South Africans are taking these basic safety rules seriously.
Nevertheless, now is the time for you, as an individual, to take seriously your own position and start planning your course of action if the virus does affect you or your family.
That is why, today, we have assembled advice from some of the most knowledgeable experts and organisations to help you with that contingency plan. This is not to be alarmist or like the extremist “Doomsday Preppers” you find in the US, who believe chaos and zombies are around every future corner.
We do this to make you aware of some of the necessary and often unpleasant aspects of contracting Covid-19, including long hospitalisation and possibly even death. These are all traumatic aspects of life which can be made slightly less so with a bit of forethought.
The advice also includes what to do when someone in your household comes down with Covid-19, how to deal with the symptoms at home if they are mild, and suggestions about how to cope with the mental and emotional stress.
We hope you never have to use any of the advice … but keep it handy in case you do.
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