The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious trouble throughout the world. Economic turmoil, food and supply shortages, and strain on the medical community. While in a quarantine from this pandemic, you may have spent some time laughing at toilet paper memes. But there is a lot to learn from the response your government and your fellow citizens had to the pandemic.
No matter how you’ve spent your time inside from the COVID-19 pandemic, the important lessons of how this virus has affected people and will continue to affect people can educate you not only for the present, but the future.
ONE: MOST PEOPLE AREN’T PREPARED FOR DISASTER
When the virus hit, people panicked. They bought too much toilet paper, not enough food, and kept ending up back in packed stores to get the supplies they thought they needed. That behavior led to more people being exposed to the virus than you may realize, causing the rise in numbers we’ve seen in many cities and states. Fear drove people to behave irrationally. Some didn’t take the situation serious enough, also causing them to behave irrationally by senselessly exposing themselves to people and places that could infect them.
Being prepared for a disaster like the current COVID-19 pandemic would have reduced the risk of infection to so many people. But that didn’t happen. According to ready.gov, less than 20 percent of Americans are actually prepared for a disaster. To put that in perspective, if you’d gotten a 20 percent on a test, you’d be repeating that class. It’s beyond a failing grade. If you are not prepared for a disaster, the current pandemic can act as your trial run. How’d you do? What were you missing? Take the time to educate yourself on the right things to have for your disaster preparedness kit. This is one of the most important lessons you can take away from the COVID-19 pandemic.
TWO: GOVERNMENTS MAY BE SLOW TO ACT
The response from some governments to the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t quite up to speed with the severity of the issue. Many places downplayed the danger of exposure and the spread of the virus, leading to tens of thousands more people being infected than what otherwise could have occurred. You can’t always rely on your elected officials to know what to do when a crisis comes along. That’s why self reliance is so important when it comes to being prepared for disaster.
What can you do to become more self reliant? There are many places to start. Having enough first aid, food, and water on hand are some of the best places to prepare first when setting up for your own preparedness. The governments of the world do their best in most cases, but the ultimate lesson here is this: if you want to survive a serious situation, you and only you are responsible for making it happen.
THREE: STORES CAN’T KEEP UP WITH DEMAND
When a disaster event strikes, it puts a lot of strain on the essential businesses which keep America going. Markets and groceries usually have plenty on hand, but when people are panicking, those resources can get depleted pretty quickly. Then, it takes quite a while for those resources to be restocked, leaving people who’ve not prepared with the essentials before a disaster holding the bag. You can’t always expect the store to be fully stocked with everything you need day to day. The lesson here again is preparation.
Being prepared with the essentials will help you avoid the strain of empty shelves at the store. However, you may never know when a disaster will strike, so how can you ensure your preparations last until you need them? Most foods have relatively short expiration dates, and water can get bacterial growth if left alone in containers for too long. The best way to avoid spoilage is having food storage that is designed to last decades. Some options can last up to 25 years in storage. As well, you should have a means of collecting or purifying water in your survival set up, to help you avoid being hungry and thirsty in the next emergency.
FOUR: JOBS CAN VANISH OVERNIGHT
Even if you’re specialized in your employment and doing well, world events can cause your business to grind to a halt before you’ve even had time to notice. Since March of 2020, unemployment has gone up to over 6 million. Before that, it was at an all time low. No matter who you are or where you work, COVID-19 has shown that any job can face serious struggles when a disaster comes along. Being prepared here means having your finances in order. Use your money wisely and prepare for the future by investing, reducing debts, and having a readily accessible savings of at least 2 months of salary.
FIVE: BIG BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING
Even titans of industry like Disney are facing the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the closure of movie theaters, amusement parks, and stores, companies that once produced millions upon millions a month are barely scraping by. What’s more interesting, is that these companies, which produced billions a year, hadn’t prepared themselves for the event of disaster. Even mega corporations with tons of resources neglected to ready themselves for the unexpected. Take this opportunity to learn from their mistake, and set aside a fund for when unexpected disasters strike. These can be more than just globally affecting situations. If you or a loved one suddenly falls ill or faces serious injury, having a fund prepared for such events will reduce your stress and help you be the hero your family needs in trying times.
SIX: TEACHING FROM HOME
If you have children, you are now a full time teacher as well as a parent and provider. Easy, right? Hardly. When COVID-19 became a pandemic, most local governments called for the closures of schools. This means those kids are now at home full time, with needs for education, nurture, hunger, and more. Being prepared for something like this may not have even been on your mind before the outbreak. How could you expect for schools to close? But they did all the same, and a pandemic isn’t the only thing that could cause such closures. Earthquakes, or other serious natural disasters could do the same thing. Being prepared for having to be the school for your kids can be difficult, but it means you’ll need to take the time to get to know the material they are studying. It can be a good opportunity for you to bond more with your children, and make long lasting memories, as well!
SEVEN: VIRUSES ARE EASY TO SPREAD
In the past you probably got sick once or twice a year. The common cold, the flu, you name it. No big deal right? It just happens. But now, with everyone listening more closely to CDC guidelines, you’ve probably realized that you touch your face all the time and don’t wash your hands as thoroughly as you thought. Every day we touch thousands of things everywhere we go, and who knows who else touched it, or what illness they may have had. So learning to wash your hands more carefully, as well as avoiding touching your face, are things to keep up long after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. It will probably help you avoid getting sick with those common illnesses!
Take the lessons you learn during this pandemic seriously. You never know what is coming in the future, and what you’ve learned here can help you avoid more trouble down the road in life.
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