Things to do at home : Coronavirus

Coronavirus — There might not be anyone left who hasn’t heard this by now. Suddenly, the whole world has changed and we are all asked to stay put. #stayhome #socialdistancing #quarantine #washhands are resonating. The world is still shivering and the end to all of this may take a while. Good news — China is recovering and we are not seeing any new cases. What hurts is, that New York is the epicenter of the pandemic now and hundreds of people are dying. And we are learning from it. Life is paused. We are home. Indefinitely.

Countries that are seeing a rise in Coronavirus cases are taking extreme measures. Cities like San Fransisco, New York, and Chicago have ordered people to ‘Stay at home’ unless emergency. Businesses, schools, and offices are closed. Sporting events are canceled and it is not advised to gather more than 10 people. India also brought the whole country to still for 21 days. Not to mention, the travel industry has been hit hard. Countries have closed their borders and of course, people are staying home which is needed now more than ever to #breakthechain.

Stay Home

Like most of us are doing already, it is more than inevitable to stay home. It is not just about us but the whole community. The virus is spreading rapidly with person-to-person contact. The person who has the virus may not know until he is sick, which might take up to 14 days and that person can spread the virus if he is roaming freely in the community. If he chooses to stay home, it will break the chain and everyone around him will be safe.

Let’s say the whole country is staying home for two weeks without any external contact, then all of those who are sick get the necessary medication avoiding the pressure on the health care system at once. Even if there are any new cases after that, this might be easier to handle than having thousands of cases at the same time. #flattenthecurve.

The protective measures are:

• Clean hands for at least 20 seconds or use sanitizer.
• Cough and sneeze into elbows if tissues are not available.
• Try not to touch your face after touching any surfaces.
• Keep a safe distance from everyone, 6 ft if possible.
• Stay home as long as possible.

#DoTheFive and do your part in preventing novel coronavirus. And of course, the easiest yet the toughest part is to stay home not knowing how long. Not many jobs can be done staying home and these are tough times for so many of us to make ends meet. While students are out of school, it might not be even easy to work from home amid this crisis. But how can we make this happen? After all, this too shall pass, and #WeAreAllInThisTogether. Let’s get to it. Come on everyone.

Things to do

Staying home for prolonged times cannot work for everyone and might be quite exhausting. But the world has no other option now and no one to blame. We should only think to make this time fun and fruitful. At least, we are on lockdown with friends and family. What more could we ask for?

Here are a few things to help all those who are doing their best to stay home:

For those working at home

It is not easy to covert home as a workplace, with friends and family around. Let’s put the time to the best of its use.

1. Put a schedule to work along with pre-defined break times.
2. Set up the workplace (not a bed or sofa) and move around.
3. Use commute time to do something you like — learn a course or play an instrument.
4. Help each other at home with daily chores.
5. Spend more with people around and talk over the phone to others.

Let’s not talk about something we cannot change. This is not a Chinese virus and saying so, we might put someone in trouble somewhere. This time can be China but there are deadly outbreaks in history that include but are not limited to Cholera in India, Spanish flu in the US, or Plague in Europe. These hard times should only bring us together and remember “We are Human” than any citizen of a country.

For those who are out of work

These are unprecedented times and due to the order of staying home, many of us would be out of work but everyone needs to pause, isn’t it?

1. Learn something new for yourself or the company. After all, we would be out of this very soon and we should be thinking how best we can be ahead of our colleagues.
2. It can be tough to stay motivated but good things may happen out of this. See if there is a gig that can be performed from home.
3. Time to think about a new career? The world might stick to this as habits are hard to break.
4. Pick up a long-awaited project that is lying around, there must be something in a corner.
5. Stay positive and just chill. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.

For housewives and stay-at-home moms/dads

We might not have even those little trips out of home and can be irritating but isn’t this the best time?

1. Pick a hobby that’s in the sleeves forever or start a new one.
2. This is the perfect time to cook all good food and try varieties with all the support at home. Also world is at our step with YouTube.
3. While at it, make your specials and let the world know. One thing I have been asking my mom to do for a while.
4. Binge-watch all those shows on Netflix and Prime. Our recent favorites are Dia and Jamtara. And Frozen 2 is already on Disney +.
5. Spend quality time with family and friends. Talk to those who are out of touch for a while. We may never have time again.

Always talk positively and spread good things. One positive note may induce good feelings in others like — how best we can spend time together at home to tell stories to the next generation, not how we suffered.

For children

Although schools introduced e-learning, it can be tough with kids at home as the environment is different.

1. Let them pick one hobby per day for the week, a timetable might excite them.
2. TV isn’t always the best choice but including it in the timetable helps. Also, Disney fans can still enjoy the rides, of course virtually.
3. Explain them the situation and educate about the world.
4. There are several e-courses to help them grow. One such interesting activity is WWF’s butterfly migration.
5. Crafts are fun — either coloring or creating, sky is the limit with so many sources out there. Here is one creative idea from a friend — Bond Craft Play.
6. You know them better, pick something nice or even help them build their own career. More ideas here.

For those staying alone

It might seem like a tough time but the world is just a click away. While all the above things might still applicable, staying alone can be bliss.

1. Help others in need while running for groceries.
2. Put flyers in the community with creative ideas to bring everyone together virtually to play online or sing like — Barcelona and Madrid people. Someone might enjoy it.
3. Pick a book or even an e-book, believe me, they are a great company.
4. Talk to family and friends, especially grandparents. It is a great time to FaceTime/Skype an old friend.
5. Declutter the place or rearrange boxes and shelves. Those findings will help relive the moments.

For Travelers

There is no tougher time than now for all those fellow travelers. Some might even have a hard time and see a drastic change in their life. But we all need a break – disconnect to connect with self.

1. Travel virtually to the most beautiful and historic places. There are even live cams from all over the world. Sources are infinite.
2. Planning a trip can never be easier with almost all airlines and hotels offering flexibility in booking. Pay now, change later if booked within a period.
3. Calculate your carbon footprint and start a project to offset it. Since the start of COVID-19, China has been 30% cleaner and Delhi’s air quality has improved a lot. Nature is trying to take its place, although it is far from the ask.
4. Check out other travel blogs and connect with people like Dominican Abroad, who are showing the beauty of their country to the world.
5. Here is the complete list of things to do from home, well-curated by the Condénast team.

If you have any other ideas for all of us, let us know in the comments.

Slow The Spread

All that matters now — is to have fun during these tough times and let us prove that no virus can do anything to mankind. And to do so, it is extremely important for us to be positive and safe at home.

While it is still ok to get fresh air once in a while, it is advised to get only quick walks around the block and it is recommended to maintain 6 feet distance between each other. Even during grocery runs for your healthy foods. The virus can stay on surfaces for days, so sanitizer and wipes may come in handy. Watch for any symptoms and follow CDC guidelines to consult a doctor if necessary.

This is the time to step forward and help each other. If you can, here is WHO’s official page to donate funds to response funds, in local currency for anyone around the world.

For local donations, visit Feeding America and India’s Prime Minister Relief Fund.

Stay Home. Stay positive, happy, and healthy. See you on the other side soon.