Times are tough right now. As the pandemic continues to spread across the United States and governments attempt to encourage people to stay at home, it’s easy to become discouraged and afraid for the future. One of the best ways you can relieve your anxiety is to stay prepared with a coronavirus PPE safety kit. You can add essential supplies like masks and bottles of hand sanitizer to it as well as items to help cure your boredom. Whenever you need to go out or you just need something to help make the hours of self-quarantine go by faster, you can grab your kit and go.
At-Home Essentials
Before anything else, make sure you have these items in your coronavirus PPE safety kit
As you pack up your COVID-19 PPE safety kit, it’s important to remember the basics. Items like hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes are important for keeping everyone clean and healthy. With these items, you can help prevent the coronavirus from spreading amongst your family members.
Thermometer
Make sure you have a thermometer on hand to check for fevers. You can purchase a digital thermometer for placement under the armpit or a forehead scanner that you place against the head. However, forehead thermometers are not as accurate as digital thermometers.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Over-the-counter medications such as saline nose spray and cough relievers are essential additions to any emergency PPE safety kit. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen can be used to lower your fever, minimize muscle aches, and reduce inflammation. While it won’t treat the virus itself, it will alleviate your discomfort from its symptoms.
Cleaning Supplies
Disinfectant wipes, soap, towels, and other cleaning supplies are essential. You should clean frequently touched surfaces such as tables, keyboards, light switches, and countertops on a regular basis.
.png)
Hand Sanitizer
You will need to have hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol on hand as well. You will also want to thoroughly wash your hands with plain soap and water for at least 20 seconds before eating or after coughing and sneezing. But if you there isn’t soap and water readily available, you can use hand sanitizer.
Healthy, Ready-Made Food
In order to properly enforce social distancing regulations, stores are only letting a limited number of people inside at a time. This can turn a quick grocery run into an hour-long trip. To save time and money, you can meal prep or prepare healthy, ready-made meals ahead of time. While this food wouldn’t necessarily go into a kit, it can be helpful to have it stored in your fridge for future meals. Having broth, water, electrolytes, and warm tea can help family members who are feeling under the weather stay hydrated.
First Aid Essentials
Having bandages and tools for healing minor injuries is always important, even when we aren’t in the middle of a pandemic. Make sure you have items such as bandages, Neosporin®, and tape inside your first aid kit.
Face Masks
Each member of the household should have at least two masks. This gives each one of them an extra mask to wear if one is in the wash. Cloth face masks that cover your mouth and nose and also fit securely to your face should be worn whenever you are around other people. You don’t have to purchase a mask. Many people have actually made their own.
You don’t need to wear a surgical mask or N95 respirator. A cloth mask that has dual-layer fabric is most suitable for regular consumer wear.
Gloves
If you are taking care of someone sick, you will want to wear gloves whenever you are treating or assisting them. You should also wear gloves whenever you clean. It’s best if you use disposable gloves that you can dispose of after you finish using them. When you are finished with your gloves, you should wash your hands before doing anything else. However, you don’t need to wear gloves for regular chores such as grocery shopping or pumping your car up with gas.
Medical PPE (Which You Don’t Need)
You might see people try to purchase this PPE for themselves — don’t join them
If you’re like most of us, you have probably considered investing in a pair of goggles or a N95 mask. However, these supplies are not needed for everyday use. In fact, regular consumers are discouraged from attempting to purchase this equipment, as medical personnel greatly need it. Facing a shortage of this equipment can be extremely detrimental to their ability to safely work with sick patients.
Gown
All medical professionals including physicians, nurses, and any other health care staff must wear gowns when treating patients with coronavirus. Anyone who handles coronavirus samples in labs or who works in areas where coronavirus symptoms have been noted must also wear a gown. These long-sleeved, waterproof garments help protect workers when working around people who may have the virus.
Goggles or Disposable Full-Face Shield
Many healthcare workers protect their eyes with goggles or face shields. Out of the rest of the items on this list, goggles are the only item approved by Dr. Anthony Fauci for regular consumer wear. While goggles shouldn’t replace masks, they can add an additional line of defense against COVID-19 for its wearers.
N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator or Higher
The CDC recommends that surgical N95 face masks or higher be reserved only for healthcare personnel that need protection from airborne and fluid hazards. Outside of healthcare settings, they are not necessary. Most people do not know how to properly use them, which is also why the CDC discourages the general public from wearing them.
Helpful Extras
Keep yourself entertained and active during lockdown
Hopefully, the city or state you live in won’t go into a complete lockdown. But if it does, it doesn’t hurt to prepare yourself with some entertainment. Even though some areas are starting to open up more stores and restaurants, there are still risks associated with going out and leaving your house. Luckily, you won’t need to go out if you have all the entertainment you need at home.
Card Games and Board Games
Quarantine can get a little boring. Don’t be afraid to liven things up with a household game night. It might not be the same thing as going out to a bar or dining at your favorite restaurant, but it passes the time and puts everyone in a good mood.
Not sure what to get? Try out these games the next time you’re feeling a little bored.
- Cards Against Humanity
- Monopoly
- Apples to Apples
- Spoons
- Scrabble
- Checkers
- Candy Land
- Battleship
Crossword puzzles and sudoku games are also great for keeping your mind sharp and active. If you enjoy drawing and crafts, you can also invest in fun art kits and practical supplies to help pass the time.
Books
When was the last time you read for pleasure? For many people, they can’t clearly recall the last time they read a book for fun. Take this time inside to pick up a new murder mystery or read that romance series your friend has been bugging you to check out. Magazines and newspapers are also entertaining and easy to flip through.
Weighted Blanket
It’s hard not to feel stressed during times like these. With almost no end in sight and an increase in cases, it’s easy to grow anxious and worried about the future. Sometimes, you just need to wrap yourself up in a weighted blanket to help quell your anxiety. Weighted blankets can help people struggling with a number of issues, such as anxiety, insomnia, and ADHD.
Items You Don’t Need
Don’t worry about getting these items for your PPE safety kit
Excessive Amounts of Toilet Paper
Remember when there was a national toilet paper shortage? Like most people, you are probably hoping that the United States doesn’t go through another one. Instead of purchasing excessive quantities of toilet paper and contributing to another shortage, you should limit the number of rolls you purchase. This goes with almost anything. In the past, stores have experienced shortages in hand sanitizer and toilet paper due to frantic hoarding by numerous people.
Unhealthy Food
Avoid storing unhealthy foods like candy or certain types of dehydrated food in your PPE safety kit. While it can be tempting to load up on sweets during this time, they don’t have a positive effect on your health and nutrition in the long run.
Staying prepared and equipped with the necessary items is critical for getting through this pandemic. As you build your PPE safety kit, make sure you mark off each of these items and include them in it. What items have you added to your PPE safety kit? Let us know in the comments!
