8. LIVING AT HOME FOR EXTENDED PERIODS

Why should I stay at home?

During early stages of a pandemic period, health authorities will attempt to apply all available measures to contain and control the spread of disease. The WHO (World Health Organization, an agency of the United Nations) has developed strategies adopted by most countries including: vaccination (when and if vaccination for people is available, and at the moment, it is not), administration of antiviral drugs, quarantine of suspected infected people and animals, and isolation of sick people and animals.

Authorities may request or mandate limiting public gatherings, and societal norms will gravitate to “social distancing” and that will include working from home, when possible, and otherwise staying at home to minimize exposure or to limit spread by those who may be infected (including those who may be infected and not display symptoms and not get sick). And, consider too, that not everyone would get sick or potentially get sick, since some may carry some form of immunity—there is no way of knowing.

How long might I have to stay at home?

A pandemic may last for several months and it may be manifest in two or more stages or waves. At the onset of a pandemic, we can expect social reactions to encourage staying at home and communicating by radio, TV, phone, and email. That is a compelling reason to have significant reserves of food and water on hand, as outlined in Sections 1 and 2, due to probable community and health authority actions and social reactions.

Working from home

Many people will find ways to work from home and communicate remotely with employers. Many do this already. Meetings will be conducted via telephone and for those so equipped, by teleconferencing. Internet volume will increase more than ten-fold.

You may have to share your PC resources at home with other family members, including school age children. Expect that your PC usage will increase significantly.

What if I don’t have a Personal Computer?

Not everyone will have a PC nor convenient access to a PC for communications, and will be more dependent upon the telephone. Many community groups will be available to help you.

Being sick at home

During a pandemic there is likelihood that at least one family member will get sick with the pandemic flu (or with something else) sometime over the course of the pandemic period. Being sick typically means one’s resistance is lower and more susceptible to illness. Many illnesses are difficult to diagnose and distinguish. If the pandemic flu is spreading through New Canaan, chances are that your illness may be the pandemic flu, but you can’t be certain.

If there is no pandemic disease reported in our area, then chances are that your illness is not a pandemic flu, but it could be a seasonal flu, or something else. In any case, your objectives include to avoid contact with others. You do not want to spread a pandemic disease to others; and if you have another illness, you do not want to risk additional infection.

Entertaining yourself at home

During a pandemic period, you will have to accept the notion that you will be staying at home—a lot. Anxiety and frustration will be at very high levels for everyone. You will feel that you are “trapped at home” and are suffering from “cabin fever.” Nonetheless, you will find diversions with television, reading, hobbies, and games. Importantly, assign daily tasks to each family member.

Providing for children at home

New Canaan Schools are developing plans for homebound students should schools be closed. There will be communications via Internet and telephone about homework assignments. School activities will proceed, to varying degrees, and families will be expected to allot time for homework assignments and projects.

Conditions may improve and again worsen

During the early days and weeks of a pandemic, health authorities will determine how severe conditions are, not only in New Canaan, but in surrounding communities and across the country. Should a new pandemic proceed at the level similar to the Hong Kong Flu of 1968, which was relatively mild, then day-to-day activities will resume to some degree of normalcy. However, if such a pandemic more closely resembles the Spanish Flu of 1918, then the “stay at home” measures will last for a protracted period of time.

Typical with pandemics, conditions may be severe for a few months, then improve for weeks or months, and then get worse again for another wave of weeks or months.