It’s not a matter of if… but when. That’s what we always say and hear, right? Well, now is that time.
Coronavirus, COVID-19. If you’ve been living off the grid and haven’t had any contact or news from society, then you’ve been suffering the state of panic everyone is in due to the rapid spread of this virus.
Schools are now closed. Work has been cut. People are losing money. People can’t travel. Infections are sky-rocketing. Death tolls are disturbingly increasing. This is the state of living that this virus is causing. It’s important to have the right information on the virus. What to do, how to prepare, how to survive, what’s true and what’s not true. Everything.
Here’s what we’re going to cover in this guide:
- What is the virus?
- Signs and Symptoms
- Myths
- How to prepare for the virus
We’re going to cover everything you need to know about the deadly virus that’s been spreading worldwide.
So It Begins
Let’s start with how this virus was born. The virus began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. SARS also originated in China. By the end of 2019, there were more than 40 cases in Wuhan. Now the outbreak has traveled worldwide causing a pandemic.
We don’t know exactly how the virus started, but there is a solid theory. It’s likely that COVID-19 started with infected animals, then evolved and mutated to start infecting humans.
What is Coronavirus?
The coronavirus is not but one virus, but belongs to a family of them named “coronaviruses”. There are at least 7 known types of the virus. The coronavirus gets its name from the spikes that appear on their surface. This specific coronavirus is what is causing the disease COVID-19.
This isn’t the first coronavirus to infect people. According to researchers, the family of coronaviruses is responsible for about 30% of upper respiratory infections.
If you’ve had a few colds in your lifetime, chances are you’ve been infected with one of these viruses. Theses viruses cause the common cold symptoms we all hate.
These viruses can affect humans and animals. Some effect humans, some only affect animals. At the moment, there are 4 coronaviruses that are spreading throughout the globe affecting humans. How these viruses can change and mutate can be when one that only affects animals mutates and starts to affect humans. Thus causing more severe illness.
Previous Coronaviruses
You already know 2 of these viruses that spread to epidemic levels and became deadly in the past.
SARS and MERS.
Yes, the SARS and MERS outbreaks were also coronaviruses. SARS began in 2002 and MERS began in 2012. So this type of virus isn’t anything new. What is new is the COVID-19. It’s a newly developed version that likely mutated from an animal having the virus and it spread to people.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the disease that is being caused by the new coronavirus.
How It Spreads
Knowing how the virus spreads is crucial to understand. No preparedness plans can take place without knowing exactly how it travels from person to person.
The COVID-19 most likely spreads by traveling through the air in small respiratory droplets up to a few feet away from the infected person. Specifically when the infected person coughs or sneezes.
Coronaviruses, in general, don’t survive long on open surfaces. It’s not clear whether or not you can contract the virus via touching objects where the droplets containing the virus are.
Here’s what Bill Gates said about the next outbreak, it’s spooky.
Further reading on how viruses spread:
Current Number of Infections
How many people have gotten sick with the virus so far? At the time of writing this, there have been 198,412 cases of COVID-19 infections according to Worldometer.
To put this number in perspective, the last two deadly coronaviruses didn’t infect anywhere near this high of a number. According to the CDC, The virus SARS in 2002 infected 8,098 people, and according to WHO, MERS infected a reported 2,494 infected people since 2012. Those numbers would scare any who read them. It’s important we do all we can to stop the spread.
New York City confirmed they have over 3500 cases alone. They announced they would run out of supplies in about two weeks.
Now, is the virus being completely blown out of proportion due to the media talking about it non-stop? It’s a good question to consider. Yes and No. I can tell you right now some people are definitely acting irrationally about taking some certain precautions because they think it will prevent them from getting sick.
On the other hand, this is a serious matter and should be taken seriously. It has spread at a rapid rate and will continue to spread and risk the lives of others. Let’s take this into consideration.
60,000 people a year die from the flu. The regular flu.
That’s a lot of people, but you’re not hearing about someone dying from the flu 24/7 on the news. You don’t see it when you go on social media. It’s never talked about. Which is why most people have no idea that the flu kills that many people. It’s an important point to keep in mind. With that being said, let’s move on to the important information about this virus.
Signs & Symptoms
It’s important to know what the signs and symptoms are so you have a better chance of recognizing them in it’s earlier stages. The earlier you seek medical attention if you do get sick, the better.
According to the WHO, if you’re infected with the virus, you may experience:
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Fever
- Pneumonia
- Difficulty breathing (severe cases)
- Aches and Pains
- Nasal congestion
- Diarrhea
The symptoms are mild as they begin and then start to progress. These are simply signs of the virus, if you get infected, you may or may not experience all of them. Some even get infected and don’t experience any symptoms.
There was recently a survivor of COVID-19 that describes how it felt to be infected.
For more information, see this page on the coronavirus symptoms.
Vaccines
Is there a vaccine or other treatments available yet? NBC reported that there were some treatments that were close to being tested. There isn’t an official treatment available yet, but they are working on it.
Are anti-viral medications effective?
Unfortunately no. According to mayo clinic, no anti-viral medications are recommended for treatment.
For more information on vaccines and treatments, see this post from Healthline.
Myths
A major threat like this generates plenty of rumors and theories that when checked out, turn out to be false. It’s important to know the facts from fake news. Here are some coronavirus myths you should know.
The Beer
Doctors have been reporting that people are actually calling them and asking if the virus is on the Corona beer bottle itself. Asking if they should be cautious around the bottle, and washing the bottle before drinking.
The Corona beer company has nothing to do with the coronavirus. Enjoy your beer. Maybe you would enjoy the IPA Survival Kit.
FAQ
Is This a Pandemic?
COVID-19 has spread to multiple countries infecting thousands of people, it’s definitely reaching pandemic status.
Is it safe to receive packages and shipments?
Yes, it’s safe. The likelihood of a package having the virus on the surface that has survived to be outside and traveling for any amount of distance is slim to none.
Can my pets get infected with COVID-19, and can they spread it to me?
There has only been 1 reported case of a dog being infected.
Should I Walk Around Wearing a Gas Mask?
You’ve likely seen people walking around with gas masks on. In theory, this makes sense. Keep germs out of your mouth. However, viruses are small. Very small, they go right through the mask. So unless you’re wearing a heavy-duty gas mask, a cheap paper one isn’t going to prevent much. Wearing masks help doctors performing surgery to prevent blood splatter from going in their mouths. Other than that, a mask won’t prevent the virus from entering your nose or mouth.
Virus Preparedness
Hopefully, by reading The Survival Journal and other preparedness resources, you have already established a certain level of prepping skills and mindfulness. If you have, you have already stocked up on the basics of everyday living.
- Food
- Water
- Backup Power Sources
- Toilet Paper
- Disinfectant Supplies
If you haven’t, right now is the time. If you can find any. Stores have been sold out on toilet paper for weeks now. Find what you can now in your local grocery stores. We’re going to be inside at home for what could be for weeks.
How To Stay Healthy
There is no guarantee that you won’t be affected. But there are things you can do to greatly decrease the chances of the virus being spread to you. Doing what you can proactively to prevent getting sick is crucial.
Most of what you can do are consisting of the basics, things we all know we should do, pandemic or not. Such as:
- Wash your hands throughout the day
- Sneeze into your armpit
- Cover your mouth if you cough
Sources recommend doing some additional things to help further reduce the chances of staying healthy.
- Do the 5
- Social separation
Do The 5
The World Health Organization recommends doing the 5.
- HANDS Wash them often
- ELBOW Cough into it
- FACE Don’t touch it
- FEET Stay more than 3ft apart
- FEEL sick? Stay home
These may seem basic and overly simple. But practicing all of them is a different story. Keep all of them in mind and do all of them, all of the time to lower your risk.
The Whitehouse released a PDF on coronavirus prevention that you should look over as well.
Social Separation
This is the hardest one to do. We’re people. We’re social creatures. But self-isolating is one of the best ways for you to be safe.
Further Reading on How To Protect Yourself:
How To Get Tested
If you want to get tested even though you don’t experience any symptoms, it’s a smart idea. However, even getting tested is becoming difficult to do due to the overwhelming healthcare system already.
If you want to get tested, call your healthcare provider immediately for medical assistance. The CDC also has a self-checker to help assist you with taking the right steps.
If You Feel Sick
If you do feel sick, it’s recommended you stay home except to get medical attention. Don’t go out in public, at all. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s best if you have zero contact in any public spaces and don’t expose yourself to any other person.
Financial Survival Guide
With every consequence caused by something, there is never just that one consequence. Other results and issues arise because of the immediate consequence. When it comes to a pandemic like this, preparing for it is crucial, but the other problem it’s causing is the financial strain on the economy, and you.
So here are some tips on how to survive the coronavirus financially.
Call All Billing and Credit Card Companies
Call everyone that you pay an ongoing bill with. Your landlord or mortgage company. Your heating, plumbing, and electricity companies. Call every one of them and explain you lost your job and see what programs they have.
Not only those but also call your credit card companies. Many credit card companies and banks have been announcing programs for deferment or reduction in interest rates. Many of them are trying to help the public with this crisis. Find out what they are and use them to prepare yourself financially for the loss of income you have already, and will experience.
Check Your Lease
Check your lease for information. Especially the fine print regarding eviction. You want to know what their procedures are for this kind of scenario so you can make more informed decisions moving forward.
File For Unemployment
Most of us are as close to quarantine as we could be without it being a full-blown quarantine. Most of us have been told to stay home and not report in for work. Some haven’t realized that they can and should, file for unemployment.
Some are asking when the best time to file is. The best time to file is as soon as possible.
So many people have been filing, the unemployment websites have been crashing because of so many trying to file.
Additional Resources
For more information and support. These resources will be able to help you if needed.
Conclusion
This virus is spreading and it’s killing people. The country has come to a halt. Let’s all do what we can do stop the spread.
Wash your hands. Stay at home. Isolate yourselves and your family.
We hope this guide helped you with useful information on how to survive the COVID-19 coronavirus.
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Stay safe.
