***This post was originally written on January 23rd, 2020, slightly before the world collapsed. I was still living in China and was so terrified of this new virus going around Wuhan that i made this survival guide. Check it out!

I usually don’t respond to news headlines to often, if I did I probably would have moved back home 12 months ago. However when I got wind of a deadly virus that could be affecting my area and, more importantly, my health, ‘my ears perked up’.

So much is still unknown about this ‘corona-virus’ and its severity, that I prefer to err on the side of caution.

Therefore, this article is a summary of my plan to avoid this virus at all cost.

My 5 Steps to Surviving the Corona-virus

1. Avoid Crowds

Avoiding crowds will be difficult. When you live in a dense (25+ million people) city crowds seem to form easily.

Unfortunately, one place I experience crowds is on public transit. Specifically, in hubs like subway stations and bus stations.

If this virus progresses, I will have to increase my budget for transportation and take Taxi’s everywhere. I hope this isn’t the case because I prefer to take the cheapest option, but my health comes before a $5 savings on a Taxi.

2. Wear a Surgical Mask Everywhere

We got our first shipment of surgical mask two days ago and we have another shipment arriving tomorrow. This basic layer of protection should protect us from any sporadic exposure to the virus in the elevator, subway, or just walking the streets.

I plan to use mask the most in the classroom. Mask will be my ONLY layer of protection from students that may be carrying the virus. We all know that schools are not the best places to avoid getting sick.

Fortunately, I don’t have to return to work for the next 4 weeks, so I have time to come up with a long term solution.

After wearing the mask a few times outside I may make this a regular practice, even after all of this blows over. The mask may help me avoid more common illnesses like the FLU and the common cold.

3. Eat at Home

Cheap prices and amazing taste make me frequent the local restaurants. But until further notice that will stop. I will feel comfortable knowing that I prepared ALL of my meals and where it came from [at least to the best of my knowledge].

Preparing my meals is not the most efficient or tastiest way to eat, but it will help me sleep at night.

4. Run on the Treadmill

My goal for 2020 is to run a marathon. I usually run outside in the city, but now that I want to limit my exposure to people I’ll have to settle for the treadmills in my apartment complex.

My long run of about 8 miles is going to be terrible on Sundays! I would much rather run outside. However this will reduce my exposure to people.

5. Wash my Hands

I’ve always been aware of frequently washing my hands, but now I’ll have to double down on it. I’ve started to build a habit of washing my hands every time I come into the apartment.

Conclusion

I hope most of these precautions are overkill and I’m being to cautious. At this point I would rather be safe than sorry.

***This post was originally posted on my blog. Comment below what you think.