How to prepare for a second COVID-19 spike is something we should all take seriously. While the Government might say everything is sorted in good time, I do not have complete confidence in our leaders. So here’s a few thoughts of what we are looking at.
A quick short check list:
- Health niggles to resolve
- Food stocks
- Household maintenance
- Electrical items that might need replacing
- Finances – money in the right places, take precautions against a crash
- Be clear about our wishes if gravely ill
- Things which need to be said
The waffly bits:
Health
Now is the time to get any health related niggles sorted. I have a dodgy tooth, which although pain free, it will eventually need root canal treatment. This could be the optimum window for dental work which involves any drilling. The alternative could otherwise be an extraction and I want to avoid this.
So while Doctors, dentists, hygienists are available, now could be the time to make the most of them while we can.
Even annual routine health checks probably won’t be available, so important to stay on top of things as best we can.
Food
A couple of things here. Firstly we need to make sure we build up some food stocks so if we need to retreat, we won’t have to worry about going hungry. We like the idea of not having to go out at all for several weeks, should the need ever arise. This might be a reality if we need to self isolate.
So every time we go shopping (normally click & collect) we will add a few tins, packets etc of long term food.
Judy Watson, a nutritionist I know through Twitter, advises we need regular Vitamin C, ideally a little every four hours. A dose Vitamin D and Zinc are also helpful in maintaining a good immune system. So we need to think how we can best achieve this.
Household maintenance
If there’s another severe Lockdown, getting a tradesperson won’t be easy. Besides, the warm, dry summer months are ideal for doing jobs around the house.
Therefore we are going to be making a list of things we need done around the house and also at my mother-in-law’s house. I will do what I can and then we’ll have a professional in for the other things. For example, the annual boiler service takes place early autumn but I’m also thinking we might want to have a couple of radiators changed, to change the shape and size, so we need a professional in to do that for us.
Earlier in the summer we carried a printer upstairs. Unbeknown to us at the time it left a trail of inky drips on the cream carpet. So that needs replacing Grrrrrrrrr ££££££.
Our TV signal seems prone to some interference these days. Perhaps we need a new arial? This, once again, is one of the jobs where we will get someone in.
Replacing elderly electrical items
The AEG freezer in our garage is 24 years old and showing its age. While it has always been reliable, there is a problem with the door not closing properly and we are thinking we might need to replace it. I hope the next one will last at least as long.
Again, if there’s anything else which needs replacing, now might be a good time to do it.
Finances
I have blogged before about dealing with a slump in the value of our portfolio and the importance of staying in the market for those recovery days. I have also written about getting finances in order with COVID19 looming a few months ago – click here.
Now if we get a second spike, we can be fairly sure the stock markets will plummet again, so it’s wise for us all to consider how we will manage this. Is there a need to switch funds into more sheltered markets, or invest like crazy when the slump comes, or simply ride it out?
For anyone out there with cash to invest, think very carefully before investing in any property based funds. We hear a number of commercial property funds have stopped trading – not because they have gone bust but because things are so shaky it is better for them not to trade at all, just sit tight and ride it out. There’s something in this for us, the little people out in the real world, where we partly depend on stock markets for our future income.
So, back to investing and getting the timing right. Is there such a thing? Is it right to cripple money in? Is it better to spot opportunities and invest or go for broad, pooled funds? All valid questions. It is important nobody gets greedy here. My best advice, as ever, is talk to those professional advisors so they can take your long term plans into account. Like I said, don’t go getting greedy, you won’t be happy in the long run.
Our own wishes and those of others
A change of tack here. I know this is a bit morbid but it has been a reality for at least 45,000 families here in the UK since the outbreak of COVID19 less than five months ago.
If any of us get COVID19 and become seriously ill, do our loved ones know our wishes? For example, I have clearly said I want to be resuscitated. I love life and want to stay alive for as long as possible. Others might prefer to slip away. Make sure your wishes are carried out and don’t let other people coerce you to sign a “Do Not Resuscitate” and don’t let hospitals impose this on you. A few years ago this would have been unbelievable, yet now it is a real issue. So be clear you articulate your wishes!
Things which need to be said
I could easily drone on about morbid things, making up before I snuff it. And yet there’s much more to this.
I have blogged before about the importance of saying thank you and this is an important thing to do in life. Please do read this previous post – click here – and I’m so pleased I was able to express my appreciation for a long term friendship with my friend Geoff before he passed away a few years ago.
Sometimes people have said, when talking about faith, they will worry about faith when they’re old and death is more of a reality. As a Christian I’d say none of us know how long we have left, we can’t afford to keep putting these things off. There are many ways of finding out what Christian faith is all about in helpful, contemporary ways. Good resources include Christianity Explored and the Alpha course which are all based around discussion groups – good ones are with a meal and not led in heavy handed, Bible bashing ways. These days you might find online versions as well.
Having said all that….
Hopefully we won’t get a second COVID-19 spike. Whether we do or not, these are good things to do.
The question is, have I forgotten something?