How to prepare for a viral outbreak like COVID-19
It's good to have your supplies in one easy-to-find location. (milan degraeve via Unsplash/)Viruses love us. That’s a fact. Every year, run-of-the-mill respiratory diseases like the common cold and the flu infect millions of people, and once in a while, brand new afflictions like the coronavirus dubbed COVID-19 rise up and grab headlines worldwide. While the fatality rate for most of these illnesses is low, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.“One should be aware of one’s surroundings, be aware of the situation, but not be fearful,” says Stanley Perlman, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa.Most importantly: wash your handsThe No. 1 thing you can do to avoid getting sick is to regularly wash your hands. Doing so dramatically reduces your chances of transmitting or contracting both respiratory illnesses and those that will give you diarrhea, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The...