Dad has been on top of coronavirus information since January and early February. He hasn’t been able to talk about anything else. He went out and bought sanitizing wipes, sanitizers, toilet paper, food, Gatorade, cold and flu medications, etc. We had all the things people were trying to find, later on.
All stores were out of these things, because of the virus scare.
We have been sanitizing everything and spraying things down with Lysol spray, washing our hands. When we go out to the store, we leave our shoes on the back porch, and change our clothes—and wash them, including our jackets. If we are around people very much, we wear a cloth mask and take a shower when we get home.
When Dad goes grocery shopping, he comes home and soaks the cans and other items in bleach water.
Tonight, was what I’m calling a ‘fire drill.’ I looked up an article about someone who had symptoms of coronavirus which started out will chills. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/magazine/coronavirus-family.html after reading this article, I said. “Yes. Chills are a symptom of the coronavirus.”
Because he had these symptoms, he put on a mask, we got my things out of the bedroom and the bathroom. I moved into another room. We cleaned doorknobs and any surface he had touched.
We didn’t know if he was really sick, but this is a man who turns on the air conditioner in the car during the winter, while I freeze. I have to bring a blanket in the car when I ride with him. I think we will know in the morning, whether or not your dad has the Coronavirus.
We started out by thinking, “Where have we been?” Last week I talked my husband into going shopping in Malad, rather than leaving town to shop. We still have no reported cases of the virus in our county.
This week on Monday, I couldn’t talk him out of going to Pocatello, Idaho, an hour away from here, where they do have reported cases of the virus.
He went to Winco early, leaving home at 6:00 am. He then went to Walgreens to get his pills.
Dad has also been to Allen Drug. I went to Family Dollar to get cards and then to the post office to mail them.
On Tuesday, we walked down to the Mexican restaurant for take-out. I also walked to Aunt Jean’s and Aunt Cheryl’s houses without making contact with either of them. I also walked to take a mask to a couple of people down our street. I also went to the senior center to pick up a meal on Wednesday and Friday.
We hadn’t stayed home altogether, but we hadn’t made much contact with people, and we followed the distancing and the cleaning rules, more than carefully.
What I’m saying is, we are hoping this is a fire drill. We hope your dad wakes up feeling well. If not, everything will be different in the morning.
I started making a will tonight. I mainly want to say what happens with my things, if I don’t make it.
I hope all is well, and I hope Dad is well in the morning,
Love, Mom.
The next morning after writing this letter, I woke up late, because of the scare from the night before. My husband decided to get up and make toast—trying not to disturb me.
He felt well! And then we wondered if he was one of those people who have a mild case, but they still contaminate others? What kind of deal was this?
I don’t know, but neither of us seem to be sick now. This has got us thinking. What do we need to do to prepare if this really hits in our lives? Do we need to make a will?
I called the local clinic to find out whether there are cases of the virus in our community. There are no reported cases. We got instructions on what to do if the virus hits us. My husband made the bed and cleaned up the travel trailer for either of us, who get sick. We increased to two masks each and we continue to be vigilant with cleaning and washing our clothes after going out in public. We are two of a few people in our town who wear facemasks.
Here is my Coronavirus preparation list
- Make sure you have cleaning supplies and hand soap on hand
- Wear a facemask when you go out into the public
- Go to the grocery store only when you need to. We are trying to make it once a month
- We make sure to change our outside clothing, leave our shoes outside, and wash our hands when we come home.
- We clean all outside packaging with bleach water after shopping
- My husband washes his beard because it could be contaminated, carrying the virus into his sinuses. It’s on his face.
- Be aware of your surroundings, are people social distancing?
- Don’t touch your face.
- Breathe through your nose, if possible. Your nose has natural filters that your mouth doesn’t have. https://www.facebook.com/mi.ly.980 Dr. Millie Lytle Nat Med Coach
- Prepare for in case you get the virus. Have a plan on where to isolate the sick person. Have instructions about what to do with your property, in case you don’t make it.
- Have a plan for when someone is sick. Find out where to go to be tested.
- As older people, we don’t visit others in their homes, and we don’t allow visitors into our home.
