Deniz Realty Partners Guide: How to Keep You and Your Family Safe During COVID-19
With the mass amounts of speculations surrounding COVID-19, we felt the need to inform others about what you can do to keep yourself, your family and your pets safe in these hard times. Here are a few tips from sources such as the CDC. Remember this shall pass in due time, but in the mean time stay safe and stay home!
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
According to the CDC, there is no evidence that pregnant mothers can directly transmit COVID-19 to their babies through amniotic fluid or blood. Because of the changes occurring during pregnancy and its affects on pregnant women’s immune system, it’s recommended that pregnant women do what they can to remain healthy.
There is also not much known about breast feeding and COVID-19, however it has been shown that breast feeding can help babies fight off certain infections. Since COVID-19 spreads like the flu, they are reccommending similar guidelines.
You can read the CDC’s whole page on pregnancy and breast feeding here.
Kids
The chance every child hasn’t heard something about the virus is very low. It’s important to talk to them about it so they can make good decisions! Telling them simple and clear information about the virus can alleviate some of their concerns, which is better for their health.
Kids can also get restless being home, so structuring the time during the day can provide them with less stress. A great article by CNN Health discusses some great ways to help your kids through the pandemic.
We’ve also created two other blog post, here and here, talking about online activities for kids to do to help keep them academically active and the other talking about activities adults can do online, so no one stays bored!
And if you need things to do together to spend some quality time, we have that too! Here it is. While it’s hard for parents working at home to keep kids entertained, take the time you have to spend with them to spend it having some fun!
Be Prepared
It’s important to have a plan if someone in your family gets sick. This way there is no uncertainty and everyone feels better about the situation. The CDC has a great article on how to plan for your home here.
If an outbreak occurs in your community, if possible, create a separate room and bathroom for the sick person and limit the contact they have with the rest of the family. It’s important to clean and disinfect once this occurs as well. Here is information on how to care for the sick family member and here is information to the type of cleaners you should be using in your home.
There is also no need to hoard resources. Grocery stores and food suppliers have stated they won’t run out, and grocery stores are remaining opening as essential business, despite the various closings in our community. You can read more about this here. It’s important to get what you need, but hoarding takes away resources from at-risk groups, like the elderly and the immunocompromised.
Pets
While there is no evidence supporting pets being at risk for contracting the disease, it’s remains important to note that some diseases can be transferred from animals to humans and vice versa. It is imperative to limit contact with your pets when you are sick to decrease that risk. The CDC has a page dedicated to pet care during this time, you can read that here.
If your pet requires special accommodations or medication, it’s recommended to retrieve their medications as soon as possible in case pet stores or veterinary clinic close. Some vet clinics in cities like Houston are going curbside and postponing elective surgeries. You can read more about this here.
Managing Stress and Anxiety
This can be a very stressful time for people of all ages within our families. It’s important to talk to your family about how they are feeling during this time to help alleviate some of that stress. Older people, children, people at high-risk, people with mental health conditions and healthcare workers are facing issues that are life threatening to them so it’s important to check up on them.
Domestic abuse can also become a strong issue during the mass amounts of stay-at-home orders, as more people are laid off or work from home. If you suspect someone might be experiencing this, they have reached out to you, or if you are experiencing this, you can call the Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224, or you can visit their website for a chat and resources here.
While we can’t meet up with our friends for some fun, call them or video chat them to see how they are! Some times a simple conversation can go a long way, and being there for each other is how we get through this! The CDC has a page for managing stress during a crisis here. You can call the Disaster Distress Hotline at 1-800-985-5990 or visit their website here for more tips on coping with current events. Stay safe and stay home!