随着冠状病毒在这个国家的传播, 我和我的妻子采取了“不要惊慌”的态度, 但要准备好“心态”.
About 80 people in this country were known to be infected by the scary virus in 13 states as I wrote this, 已知有14人死亡. 这个数字几乎肯定会更高 你读到这篇文章的时候.
这 has triggered significant changes in how my wife 和 I live. 毕竟, the virus’ mortality rate appears to steadily ramp up with age — 和 we’re in our late 50s. 所以我一直非常谨慎.
I’ve been working from home in recent days because I have some sort of mild, but persistent bug. 很可能不是COVID-19，但我已经告诉我在圣何塞的老板了. 保罗·先锋出版社告诉我要谨慎行事.
与此同时, we are busily taking steps to ensure we can be self-sufficient for weeks at a time, 如果是那样的话.
我正在远离购物中心和其他拥挤的地方. I am no longer checking books out of the public library because I’m uneasy about such volumes having passed through so many other h和s. 我又一次取消了所有的社交活动, 因为那个不明的虫子, 也因为一些朋友也病了. (Most in my social circle are introverts who treasure solitude, so cancelled plans are a 好 事情.)
But my wife 和 I haven’t aborted an upcoming trip to visit family in 佛罗里达, 尽管冠状病毒在该州突然出现. 然而，我们正在密切关注 旅游报告. It is currently deemed safe to take domestic flights — but that could change, the government says. (Editor’s 不e: Since this piece was first posted on Next Avenue, 作者取消了他的旅行计划.)
与此同时, we are busily taking steps to ensure we can be self-sufficient at home for weeks at a time, 如果是那样的话.
以下是我们所做的一些事情，按类别整理:
食物
Experts advise stocking up on enough non-perishable food to last about two weeks. 有了我们的储备，我们最多可以撑一个月.
Much of our food is shelf-stable, requiring no refrigeration. 这 includes canned veggies, bags of beans 和 pasta, boxes of cereal, jars of sauce 和 so on. 我妻子也在冰箱里装满了肉, vegetables 和 ready-to-eat meals on the assumption that the coronavirus crisis will 不 trigger power outages (fingers crossed).
医学
这是一个问题. 专家建议储备处方药 药物，但这并不总是那么容易. My 保险应包括 90天的抗抑郁药安非他酮, 但并非每家保险公司都有如此灵活的政策, 也有人呼吁重新开处方 规则 放松 在冠状病毒爆发期间.
我们有一个 体面的 用来治疗感冒和流感的药，应该是 有助于治疗 冠状病毒的症状 是不幸的 足以被感染.
清洁
We’re stocked up on h和 soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, toilet paper 和 so on. 我们的洗手液不够用了, 在我写这篇文章的时候很难找到, 但是用肥皂洗手是最好的消毒方式. 你可以自己做洗手液 using rubbing alcohol 和 aloe vera gel, although those items are getting hard to find.
呼吸机
这里有一个例子 不 购买. There has been a run on a special kind of a medical mask with an N95 rating meant to block at least 95% of small particles. When the coronavirus arrived, my wife bought a half-dozen 3M N95 respirator 10-packs. 但是,当 当局告诉公众不要依赖这种口罩 since they are said to be ineffective as general coronavirus protection, we returned most of ours.
工作
I am fortunate to have the kind of computer-based job that can be done anywhere, so I’ll be OK professionally speaking if the coronavirus str和s me at home. 我已经煞费苦心地做了 我的家庭办公室是一个愉快舒适的工作场所.
My most important piece of equipment, aside from my computer, is my st和ing desk. The contraption lets me switch from a sitting to st和ing position based on how my body feels. 这样的体位变换使我精神振奋，心情舒畅.
作为一名科技作家，我测试过很多站立式办公桌. 变化的 电动站立式办公桌 和 站立式工作站 are full st和-和-sit desks that replace a regular, non-adjustable desk. One has a motor for raising 和 lowering; the other has a mechanical lever to adjust the height in a jiffy. 也有桌面转换器可用(Ergotron has several sizes 和 price ranges) which sit atop a desk to add sit-st和 adjustability.
锻炼
I am an avid athlete, focused mostly on long-distance bicycling. I dread having to curtail my riding because of the coronavirus, but I might have no choice. 另一种选择是 室内，固定自行车，但这可能会很昂贵. 高档Peloton健身自行车售价数千美元.
You can press your existing bike into service for a relative pittance. 买一个“教练”装置, 就像我一样, that elevates your bicycle rear 和 places your back tire on a metal roller for friction to simulate how a road or trail feels. 上车，开始踩踏板!
Some trainers cost $1,000 or more, but you can get a basic model for $50 to $150. 这 BikeTrainerWorld帖子 有最新选项的概要吗. 想要更花哨的，请看 动能运动鞋.
阅读
Although I’m 不 checking out library books anymore, there is an alternative — e-book loans.
Instead of walking out of a public library branch with physical volumes, 你可以用手机借数字版的, tablet or computer from the comfort 和 safety of your couch. The e-book files expire at the end of loan periods, so there is no事情 to return.
从公共图书馆借阅有声书也是如此. Libraries work with such companies as Overdrive 和 Bibliotheca that, 反过来, broker deals with publishers to make their books available for lending in audio 和 text form.
安装超速的 利比 app或Bibliotheca的 CloudLibrary app on your phone or tablet (or access the e-book catalogs on your computer from the home page of your library). Enter your library card number, 和 you are ready to check out books with a few taps or clicks.
未知的领域
这 article might make it seem like my wife 和 I have every事情 figured out, 但事实远非如此. 我们发现自己处于未知的领域，这很可怕. 新的问题和挑战还会不断出现. At least we have each other, 和 that always makes me feel better.
