As we are getting increasingly worried about the novel Corona virus and staying home whether by our own will or because of more and more common “shelter in place” measures, COVID-19 is hardly leaving our thoughts. We are sanitizing every surface, washing hands 20 times per day, and thinking what else can we do or what will we do when quarantine will be announced. Many people believe that it’s not a matter of if, but of when.

We, as a nation, might experience quarantine, which is staying home to avoid all contact and to make sure you are not sick and contagious yourself. And then there is isolation, which is for people who are sick to make sure they don’t spread the virus around and give it to family members and visitors. Finally, there is the biggest group of people, who self-quarantine and stay home in hopes to minimize social contact and viral spread.

This third group is the largest and very much needed. Let’s stay home if we at all can and try to help the entire country by minimizing cases of exposure and sickness. We don’t even have enough tests to grasp the scope of what is happening around us and the best we can do is stay home and not overwhelm medical system, which might soon be caring for tens of thousands of sick with COVID-19.

So what do you do if you are not sick, but decide to self-quarantine? First, don’t rush to wear a mask; it won’t help you unless you are sick yourself. You should wear a mask if you live in a place with very high number of cases, are sick yourself, or are a medical professional.

Food

In cases of home quarantine, it is recommended to have two weeks’ worth of food. This has led to shortage and long lines at most supermarkets across the country, so be reasonable when stocking up. Grocery stores remain open even in Italy, so food will be available.

If you live close to a major city, Amazon, Instacart, and Walmart Grocery can deliver food to your door with minimal contact. These services are getting overloaded too though, so be patient.

See Instacart Coupons:

• $20 OFF Your Entire Purchase of $35+ with code 20superfreshworld
• Free Delivery For First Three Orders of $35 From Aldi with code SHOPALDI20
• $10 OFF Your entire order wiwh code CADEDIPE1D2

Make sure you have long lasting foods, such as legumes, frozen meats, pasta, rice, canned, and frozen goods. Visit grocery stores as little as possible.

Home essentials

Think about essential sanitary products – toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, feminine health products, and diapers for kids. Many of them were in short supply as of recently, but might be coming back and available again on Amazon.

Make sure you have running drinking water, but also get filters and straw filters. Consider getting a storage container and fill it with water.

Some good things to have:

• LifeStraw Personal Water Filter ($17) on Amazon
• Brita Metro Pitcher with one filter ($20) on Amazon

First aid

If you are at home locked in, you should be able to take care of minor medical issues. First aid kits come in handy in these situations. Red Cross recommends to have such kit at home even without any looming disasters. You can always treat minor cuts, scrapes, and sprains, or administer fever and pain medication with the help of such kits.

This is what’s on the market:

• First Aid Kit – 160 piece ($25) on Amazon
• First Aid Only – 299 pieces ($19.99) on Amazon

Pet needs

Your furry best friend might not get the virus easily, but it is still recommended to be careful and wash hands around them. If stuck at home, make sure you have basic supplies for your pets.

Chewy is one source that’s worth looking into for safe and fast delivery of everything pet related. You will get food, toys, medication, and bath supplies with no contact and very efficiently. Chewy also has some of the best prices in the industry. You can still order bulk orders because so far everything is available at Chewy:

• Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food ($50) at Chewy
• Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Dry Dog Food ($45) at Chewy
• Fancy Feast Variety Pack, Case of 24 ($15) at Chewy
• PetSafe Eatwell 5-Meal Automatic Pet Feeder ($45) at Chewy
• Tidy Cats Instant Action Immediate Odor Control Cat Litter ($9+) at Chewy
• ScoopFree Ultra Automatic Cat Litter Box ($170) at Chewy
• Frisco Refill Planet Friendly Dog Poop Bags, 120 count ($6) at Chewy

See Chewy Discounts:

• 30% with Your First Autoship Order
• 20% Off Your First Pharmacy Order with code RX20
• Enjoy Free Shipping on Orders Over $49

If you have all these necessities for you and for your loved ones, you will feel prepared and safe. Don’t despair and don’t let panic take over. We have to be tough, but we will survive. As the saying goes – our grandfathers were called to war, we are only called to spend two weeks at home. We will be OK!