The world has survived several pandemics. Some pandemics, like the Plague and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, end. Others are here to stay, and we simply have to learn how to live with them. We have been living through the COVID-19 pandemic for two years. And we are living through the HIV/AIDS pandemic for more than four decades.
Each pandemic generally creates chaos, as unless the disease is studied enough, the vaccine cannot be created in time. Quite often it is difficult to figure out the measures that should be taken in order to prevent contracting the disease.
It’s difficult to predict what the next pandemic would be. You can indulge in speculative musings about what disease may cause the next pandemic, which would make an ideal topic for an essay. You can either write it on your own, or order it from AssignmentMaster, and professional writers will do it for you.
What you can add to your speculative essay is the list of things that will prepare us for the next pandemic. Typically, such lists should be taken into the consideration by governmental agencies like CDC, and international organizations like the WHO. Things on the list may include:
- Establishing outbreak identification and report systems
- Identifying leading threats
- Developing therapies
- Developing new vaccines
- Finding better ways to distribute the vaccines
Those are the things that governmental organizations should take care of. But is there anything that you can do personally? Knowing that the government is busy trying to solve the problem is great, but you may feel the need to do something on your own. So, here are the tips on what you can do to get prepared for the next pandemic.
Store Things In Advance
You remember all the panic that spread when the COVID-19 pandemic started. People started storming supermarkets, emptying the shelves, and looking for the essentials. It all ended up with a temporary lack of goods in the shops. It’s important to avoid cases like that with the next pandemic.
You can store all the necessary things such as food and drugs in advance. And don’t forget to store toilet paper as well. Make a pantry, which can store food, which will allow you to avoid supermarkets for more than just two weeks.
It doesn’t mean that you have to go full doomsday mode, but it’s better to be prepared for cases like that. This will help you avoid staying in long lines in the supermarkets, which, given the nature of diseases like COVID-19, increases your chances of staying healthy.
Emergency Budget
You need to plan your finances so that, in case the pandemic prevents you from working, you can still keep on functioning more or less normally. Just like with your pantry, you need to have an extra budget in case of a new pandemic, so you won’t get hurt financially.
Most likely, you already have insurance for this and that. Unfortunately, as we’ve learned from COVID-19, pandemics are quite unpredictable. And regular insurance will not cover all the pandemic-related expenses. That’s why an extra budget for cases like that is crucial.
Consider Your Work Possibilities
A lot of people either lost or got on the verge of losing their jobs when the COVID-19 pandemic started. That’s why you need to consider your work possibilities during a possible pandemic. Will you be able to continue working? Do you have a job that you can switch to?
The last pandemic proved that most industries were not ready for it. Yes, the ways out were found pretty quickly, but still, that put a lot of employees at risk. So, the first question that you need to ask is whether your current job allows working remotely. If so, you’re more or less safe.
If not, you need to consider other work opportunities. Do you have the necessary skills that will allow you to change your profession? Even if you’re not planning to change the profession for a pandemic that may or may not break anytime soon, you need to think about what you’re going to do workwise in a case like that.
Consider Your Mental Health
Pandemics often force governments to implement lockdowns, which may have severe effects on your mental health. Lockdown can easily lead you to abandon any type of schedule. You may start developing harmful habits. It may seem like the lockdown is never going to end, and your mental state deteriorates.
To avoid such cases, you need to keep up a daily routine. Yes, there’s nothing that requires you to keep a schedule, but it’s better to have one, simply for your own mental health. You should keep your hygiene, eat healthy meals, and avoid uncontrollable alcohol consumption. Do exercises regularly, as your physical health is important as well.
You need to maintain social interaction with other people, even if it’s done solely through social media. Stay informed, and don’t buy into conspiracy theories, like that the virus-causing disease was developed by pharmaceutical companies, simply to sell more vaccines.
Follow the Quarantine Rules
Another critical aspect is to follow the rules that the government implements during the pandemic. You may think that wearing a mask or following the quarantine rules is pointless. But each time you’re breaking those rules, you’re endangering yourself and the people around you.
Moreover, the more people follow the rules, the fewer victims the disease accumulates. Lockdowns really help to prevent the spread of the disease. Thus, following the rules allows to end the pandemic faster.
Closing Thoughts
Those are the basic things that you need to consider to be ready for the next pandemic. As mentioned previously, pandemics are quite unpredictable, and it takes time for proper organizations to learn everything about the disease and take action. Thus, the best thing to do is to follow the rules that are implemented during the pandemic.