What to Buy (and What to Skip) to Prepare for Coronavirus
Advice from people in quarantine about what you actually need — and how to make life work
Follow Elemental’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus outbreak here.
The World Health Organization has officially declared Covid-19 a pandemic, and if you’ve been hoping you can ignore coronavirus and it’ll just go away without affecting you or your family in some way, that’s looking less and less likely. But that isn’t to say you need to buy a deep freezer and build a storehouse in your backyard. So where should you begin, and how can you approach preparation without driving yourself up the wall?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has offered up guidance on how to prepare for an outbreak near you, including making a plan with your family, practicing good health and hygiene habits, and checking in with vulnerable people in your community. They also have instructed people in at-risk groups (like the immunocompromised, the elderly, and those with chronic health conditions) to stock up on supplies like nonperishable foods.
Since things are moving quickly, it’s not a bad idea to stock up a bit before the virus hits your area, since social distancing (which can include limiting your visits to, say, crowded…
