Week 46- Preparations for What Ails You (or not)

The new kid on the block is a novel coronavirus disease, now called COVID-19  (COronaVIrus Disease, found in 2019)

 Last I heard, 11 people here in Utah were being tested for the disease, and one verified case had been sent to IHC in Murray.

Some people have freaked out a little bit. Costco shelves up and down the Wasatch Front were stripped of bottled water and toilet paper, in event of people needing to quarantine at home.

My sister and her family live in South Korea-
the temple has been shut down, the military base where her husband works now has restricted access, schools were canceled two weeks ago, with no end in sight, daycare facilities are closed, and all church gatherings/meetings are cancelled. 

What can we do here to prepare?

The same as our Church leaders have told us since 2007: the circumstances have changed, but the principles remain.  Have water on hand, enough to cover essentials for two weeks. Have a 3-month supply of foods we're used to eating, other basic necessities, and some money on hand and in the bank. And then work on getting a long-term food supply. 
If you don't have all that, then at least have some. If you don't have any, then begin now.

I shared some tips with a reporter from KSL News;  they’re found at about 1:40 into the video. The part filmed at my house begins at 1:13.  
 

1. Don’t panic.  Nobody makes good decisions when they’re panicked.
2. Look through what you already have at home- inventory the food you have in your freezer, pantry, or anywhere else.
3. Make a plan and get the things you need- what will your family actually eat?
4. Be smart about this.  Store what you eat, and eat what you store.

Having food and other basics stored is not just a good plan for COVID-19, but for any number of other emergencies or events we eventually encounter- job loss, health problems, unexpected bills, and more.  Meanwhile, wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough,  get plenty of sunshine and fresh air, avoid large gatherings, and stay home if you’re sick.  There are more tips atthe CDC website.
 
To finish today's post, here’s a list from the EPA of registered products that kill COVID-19. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-03/documents/sars-cov-2-list_03-03-2020.pdf

“Self-reliance is a product of our work and under-girds all other welfare practices. It is an essential element in our spiritual as well as our temporal well-being. Regarding this principle, President Marion G. Romney has said: “Let us work for what we need. Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained on no other principle. Salvation is an individual matter, and we must work out our own salvation in temporal as well as in spiritual things.”
(In Welfare Services Meeting Report, 2 Oct. 1976, p. 13.), quoted in “In the Lord’s Own Way” Elder Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, May 1986