COVID-19 hasn’t spread anywhere near as fast in Australia as it’s currently doing. The Omicron variant has rapidly taken over as restrictions lift, particularly in New South Wales where the state recorded over 45,000 cases in one day on Saturday.
Rapid antigen tests have sold out everywhere and people are having to wait in PCR test lines for up to seven hours. It’s almost inevitable that at some point, we’re all going to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Those of us living in NSW and Victoria most likely know more than one person who has tested positive to the disease, with the latter recording 37,000 cases on 11 Jan.
In these unprecedented times it’s important to be prepared because once you’ve caught COVID, you won’t be permitted to leave your home for a minimum of seven days, depending on where you live.
Stocking your house with essentials before you contract the disease is a good idea, and making sure items such as medication that you and your family routinely take, or ventilators if you’re asthmatic, will help you out in the long run.
It might sound morbid but, given the current situation, it’s something we need to be prepared for. Omicron is running rampant, but there is a silver lining. While it is more infectious than delta, it isn’t as fatal, especially if your vaccination status is up-to-date.
In saying that, you should still remain vigilant, making sure to mask up, sanitise and social distance. And, although rapid antigen tests are hard to come by, if you see some in stock maybe purchase a pack to keep at home in case you start seeing symptoms.
Symptoms of COVID include fever, muscle aches, coughing, shortness of breath and the usual loss of taste and smell.
Health Minister Greg Hunt has even suggested that all Aussies should start stocking up on the essentials in preparation for a positive COVID result so as to avoid needing to leave the house while positive.
“With the rising case numbers we’ve seen over the past week in many parts of the country, it’s likely that many of us will test positive for Covid-19 over the coming days and weeks if we haven’t already done so,” he said.
“The first thing to do is to be prepared. My advice is that you make sure you have some paracetamol or ibuprofen at home in case you’re diagnosed with Covid-19″.
So, with that in mind, here’s our list of the essential items you need to create a COVID-19 preparation kit:
- A thermometer
- A blood oximeter
- Paracetamol
- Ibuprofen
- Cough syrup
- Vitamin-C, Zinc, and other multivitamins.
- Hydration salts (Hydralyte)
- Throat lozenges/Betadine gargle
- Masks
- Sanitiser (both hand and spray for surfaces)
- Any essential medication for existing conditions
- Ventolin for asthmatics
- Phone numbers of those you can contact in case of an emergency
- A plan for who can look after your children, pets, or people in your care, only if you have to go to the hospital
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