COVID-19- Regardless of your beliefs

Here's what we know so far... and regardless of your beliefs, what you practice as far as the steps you take when you get sick, or how you feel about this pandemic, there are others out there that have compromised immune systems and it's not just about you.

A new strain of coronavirus (officially named COVID-19), which has caused respiratory diseases in China, and spread to 24 other countries, has been declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO). Here are some basic facts you need to know about the virus that has affected EVERYONE in one form or another, GLOBALLY.

• Hundreds have died

• Thousands have been infected

• Borders have been closed

• Flights and vacations have been canceled

• People have been quarantined

• Schools have been closed

• Events such as concerts, sports, and networking functions have been canceled

• Jobs have been lost

• Businesses have closed

• Wages have been cut

• Toilet paper and cleaning products have become scarce

• Food has been hoarded

• Trials for a vaccine will begin in April with limitations

• Fear has set in

• Conflict has escalated

• Interest rates and gas prices have dropped

• Hospitals and helplines have been overwhelmingly crowded

• Airlines have issued full refunds

• Economies have been devastated

• Parents can't find childcare

... and surprisingly that's not all.

The one thing that I've learned through all of this is that no matter what I believe in or how I feel about what needs to be done, is to always respect what is "bigger" than I am. This is bigger than anything that anyone of us can control or understand, still, at this point. This is not a time to be selfish, this is not a time to fight back, and this is not a time to play "all-mighty".

This is a time to show YOUR respect for others that are sick, that do have children, elderly and others with compromised immune systems, that DO NOT have the strength to fight something like this.

Here's an example: Let's say I do not feel that well but I haven't traveled anywhere other than the grocery store, but I did use a cart getting groceries, stood in line with several other people including a mom in front of me with two kids that were running around and hanging on my cart, but they were cute so and I didn't mind. I paid with cash and received cashback. I decided to stop in at the pharmacy in the grocery store, stood in line with 4 other people, asked a few questions when it was my turn and went home.

I made my hubby and daughter supper, we sat down to eat then after dinner we watched a movie together and we all went to work the next day.

I go to work, as a cashier, not feeling great a little worse than I did yesterday but I have a bit of a temperature, so no big deal, took some Advil and I feel better.

My hubby goes to work the next day, he's an insurance agent and has many clients a day and his work consists of documents that are needing to be signed together with his clients in his office, he doesn't feel that great the next day either.

Our daughter works at a daycare... you get the point.

This is not a time to worry about our pocketbooks and making a quick buck off of a financial crash and this is not a time to be ignorant. I too didn't take this seriously a couple of weeks ago but I still respected the fact that something terrible was happening around the world in other countries, well now it's here, in my country, and all because others like me didn't take it seriously enough.

I understand that most of us didn't know enough about what was happening until it was too late, but I still hear conversations happening today, as I write this, about this being a bunch of people over-reacting. Do you honestly think that losing trillions of dollars in tourism & business, among so much more, is our government over-reacting. If I know one thing for sure, it's that NOBODY wants to lose money, especially the government! ... and I hear others talking about how the flu kills more each and every year, well this isn't the flu, we don't have vaccination and even a handful of deaths is too many!

As stated "Canada was slow to react"

This may take years for some to recover after something like this so economically devastating, so how about we do what we can to come together and do our part. This is hurting more than I think we can even comprehend and it's predicted to only get worse before it gets better.

Let's stop this spread, let's take this seriously and let's be there for one another as much as we can. I for one will do my best.

Here are a few things that we can do to get through this:

• Now is the time to take that online course that you've been wanting to do

• Learn how to meal prep

• Exercise

• Get outside

• Declutter and organize that space that you've been wanting to do

• Get your kids signed up for an online course

• Learn how to do something new

• Clean

• Do your taxes

• Create your content for your business that you do

• Learn how to cook

• Paint a room or touch up the old one

• Repair those items around the house you've been putting off

• Get outside and shovel your neighbors' driveway

• Call a friend that you haven't talked to in a while or skype

• Journal

• Read a new book

I love and appreciate every one of you that takes the time to read my blogs, and I will be posting again weekly!

Stay safe, stay healthy and stay tuned for more great posts as this is going to be a great year!

🥂 Cheers!

~ Joelle