What You Need To Get Through the Coronavirus Pandemic

Don't: hoard toilet paper and medical masks. Do: make sure you have plenty of food, water, and indoor activities.

IT'S A SCARY time to go shopping. There are shortages of all sorts of odds and ends, and knowing what you actually need to get you through the Covid-19 pandemic can feel super stressful. The WIRED Gear team has spent the past few days talking to experts (as well as among ourselves), and have come up with this master guide to everything you might need right now (and a few things you should avoid buying for the sake of the greater good).

Need more information? Be sure to check out full coverage of all things Covid-19, and to pay attention to any new information coming from the Centers for Disease Control and other reliable sources.

General Tips

First thing's first: Know when you might be sick…

Symptoms of the Coronavirus include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. It can also cause body aches, coughing, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sore throat. A lack of these symptoms alone does not mean you are free of the virus. Many who get Coronavirus show few or no symptoms, which is why we recommend following these recommendations from the CDC on how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

  • Stay home (especially if you're sick) unless you absolutely need to leave.

  • If you are out and about, keep your distance from others (about six feet). Avoid groups of 10 or more.

  • Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough (into your elbow or use a tissue).

  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. A lot. You can use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol if you're on the go.

  • Clean and disinfect areas in your home you frequently touch.

Food and Supplies You (Might) Need

Frankly, the most necessary supplies are things you should already have on hand: Food, water, and a warm place to sleep. It's also a good idea to make sure you have basic emergency supplies on hand.

  • 3 Weeks of Food: Don't buy more food than you need, but now's a good time to cook some of the dry stuff that's been sitting in your pantry! We recommend dried beans, rice, pasta, popcorn (it's a great snack!), and an Instant Pot (Amazon, Target) (or, frankly, any pot and heat source) for emergency food supplies. Here's a list of some good types of foods to buy, if you can find them. Canned items are great to have around. Fresh vegetables and fruit will be good for the next week or two (you can freeze those blueberries!), and frozen veggies are a good choice. Milk is fine but check the expiration date. Oat and almond milk (and Lactaid!) have a longer shelf life. Utilize that freezer.

  • Water Purifier: You don't need to panic-buy a bunch of bottled water to reach the recommended two weeks of water in any emergency kit. It's just a lot of wasted plastic. It's unlikely anything will happen to your water supply. The easiest method? Snag a Pur water pitcher (Walmart, Best Buy) to filter your water if you're nervous. It's also nice to have a Lifestraw stashed somewhere safe; it'll be good enough for most emergencies. The straw is selling out fast so this Lifestraw bottle is another alternative (Amazon, Target).

  • Water Kettle/Boiler: You're likely not going to lose power, so a water boiler is also a great option. It's wonderful for coffee, tea, and heating water faster than the stove. Here's a basic kettle, and here's a really nice Cuisinart kettle with temperature options (Amazon, Target). Again, don't hoard bottled water!

  • First Aid Kit: Everyone should have one and now is a good time to make sure yours is still stocked with acetaminophen. Here's a cheap first aid kit on Amazon and another option from Walmart.

  • A Plan If Someone Gets Sick: It might be on paper or in a Google spreadsheet, but please read, think about, and prepare a plan for what to do if someone in your house gets sick (which room should they be in?), how to deal with childcare if local schools or daycare get shut down, and more. The CDC has a Household Plan of Action list here. It's also a great time to make sure your phone's medical ID and emergency contact information are up to date. Make sure you have a good medical emergency plan in place, including the names/contact information of your doctors and a list of local hospitals and clinics that take your insurance (for others to reference if you're ill).

  • A Month of Needed Medications or Baby Supplies: Don't forget to refill medications, pick up baby stuff like diapers, or snag other monthly-use items you might forget about, like toothpaste, toilet paper (please don't go nuts), shampoo, or anything you are extremely low on right now.

  • Soap and Hand Sanitizer: It's tough to find both of these, but they'll be in stock sometime soon. If you want to try and DIY it, here's a guide to making your own hand sanitizer.

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Stuff You Definitely Don't Need

Please do not buy more than a few weeks' worth of supplies at a time. Panic-buying massive amounts of toilet paper and cleaning supplies won't make this problem better, and it might hurt those in need. Grocery stores are already struggling to keep up with demand for some items as everyone panics and buys too much. Try not to strain the system further or some people in your community won't have access to items they need.

  • No Face Masks (Unless You're Sick): Wearing a face mask does offer some protection from Covid-19, but you're better off washing your hands instead of buying them in bulk. There's a shortage of these masks right now and buying them means you're taking them away from medical professionals and actual sick people who need face masks most. Please don't buy a mask unless a medical professional recommends it to you.

  • No Dehydrated Food: It's full of salt and there are massive shortages. Don't make a bad thing worse. Stick to the food recommendations above. Our own Matt Jancer wrote a rant on why you should avoid dehydrated food right now.

  • No (Extra) Toilet Paper: Don't buy more unless you need it! Now's also a great time to consider making the switch to a glorious heated bidet, which can help conserve toilet paper during shortages and makes your bum feel much cleaner anyway. We also like these bidets.

  • No Hoarding an Insane Amount of Anything: You don't need to stockpile survival supplies or prepare for nuclear winter. Just try to limit your close exposure to others, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face. Keeping normal supply streams running where they need to go is a good way to help everyone else.

Gear to Feel a Little Calmer at Home

Navigating something like Covid-19 can cause stress and anxiety among even the most level-headed people. It's important to take good care of yourself—in no small part because stress takes a toll on your immune system. Do whatever you can to relax if you have time, whether that's hanging out on the couch with your kids or taking your pup for a walk. Here are some products that help us chill out.

  • Casper Weighted Blanket for $169 (Amazon, Casper): Compressing yourself can actually help you decompress. Weighted blankets are nice to have—we liken them to a warm hug. They'll help you get to sleep (which is important!) and they also might mask the sound of you yelling into the void. Think something else might be preventing you from catching Zs? We've got an entire gear guide dedicated to sleep to help you.

  • Vuori Sweatpants from $63 (REI, Vuori): What good is staying home without some dressing down? If you don't already have a pair of comfy sweatpants lying around, we on the Gear team really like Vuori. Forced to leave your house? Keep 'em on and call it athleisure.

  • Calm Meditation and Sleep App for $12 per month (Android, iOS): Mind racing? You're not alone. Coronavirus-related fears are affecting much of the population, so much so that we wrote a story about how to quell the coronavirus anxiety spiral. Turning to a phone app to combat stress may seem ironic, but you may find it helpful. It'll guide you through meditation and it also has programs designed to help lull you to sleep. A one-week trial is free for new users. You may also want to read our take on hope in a time of hopelessness.

If Your Kids Are Stuck in the House

If you have small children, odds are you've spent the past week or so panic-buying Legos and tiny trampolines on Amazon. We have a few suggestions for you here, but we've also assembled a bigger list of gear to make this time with your kiddos more fun. Be sure to read our full guide on How to Entertain Your Young Children During a Quarantine for more ideas!

  • Pillage Your Closet: Nearly every parent that WIRED's Senior Writer Adrienne So spoke to used goods around the house for crafts. Washi tape, cardboard boxes, and recycle bins were all mentioned, but she liked the versatility of wrapping paper (plus the fact that many of us always have extra on hand). You probably have some scissors and glue around. Go to town!

  • Puro Sound Labs' BT2200 Kids Headphones for $80 (Amazon, Walmart): There are only so many times you can listen to Baby Shark during the workday. We like these headphones to protect their tiny ears and keep them quiet while you take an urgent conference call.

  • Legos: We're partial to building (and destroying) worlds with the bricks we have on hand, but now might also be a good time to dig into a fancy new set like this Millennium Falcon.

  • Other STEM Toys We Love: Legos are great, but here's a full list of other great learning toys we've tried and love.

  • Subscription Boxes for Kids: From Kiwi Crates to science boxes, these are some fun subscription services that could entertain your kids for at least a few days a month as this virus comes and goes.

  • Podcasts for Kids: These audio programs are made specifically for the little ones.

If You're Working From Home

If office and school closures have you suddenly working from home, there's some gear that can make the job easier. As a mostly remote team, WIRED's Gear writers have nailed down a routine for getting work done without becoming too distracted—or distraught. For more ideas, check out our Remote Workers Gift Guide. This story on working from home without losing your mind may be helpful as well. Here are a few of our favorite tools:

  • Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam for $70 (Best Buy, Target): You might find yourself in more video calls than usual. A good webcam can help you look your best, even if you're secretly wearing sweatpants.

  • Netgear Nighthawk Smart Wi-Fi Router for $110 (Amazon, Best Buy): You'll likely need a strong Wi-Fi signal to work from home more efficiently, especially if your kiddos are sucking up bandwidth watching videos on YouTube. If your router isn't up to snuff, Netgear's Nighthawk model is a good upgrade option. Check out our guide on how to upgrade your home internet for other ideas.

  • Mr Coffee OneTouch Coffeehouse Espresso Maker and Cappucino Machine for $260 (Walmart, Amazon): If you can't get your caffeine fix because the coffee shops nearby are closed, then this is a machine that can help, and it's also our top pick in our guide to the Best Espresso and Latte Machines. If you want to make the best espresso in the comfort of your own home, then splurge on the Breville Barista Pro, our upgrade pick. But consider how much you'll make caffeinated drinks as this one's $900.

  • Contigo Autospout Water Bottle for $10 (Amazon, Walmart): Chugging coffee all day means you need to be drinking water. Staying hydrated can also keep you healthy and help you beat the midday slump.

  • Noise-Canceling Headphones: If your home is noisy, a good pair of noise-canceling headphones will help you concentrate. The best models, like the Sony WH1000XM3 ($278, $72 off right now from Amazon, Walmart), are a few hundred bucks, but you can find good headphones for less than $100, too.

These Services Are Discounted or Free Right Now

Whether you're ordering in while working or trying to remotely connect with your colleagues, a few companies are offering discounts or other perks during the pandemic.

  • Google is offering G Suite customers advanced video conferencing capabilities via Hangouts. This includes larger meetings, live streaming, and the ability to record meetings.

  • Microsoft is offering six months of its Teams service for free. Teams is collaborative work software that includes cloud storage, video sharing, conferencing, and more.

  • Zoom has lifted video call time limits for users in some affected areas as well as schools.

  • Raddish, one of our favorite subscriptions for kids, is offering 10,000 free Swedish Eats cooking kits. This activity might help cure the no-school doldrums.

  • Comcast is offering two months of its Internet Essentials package to new qualifying customers for free. Equipment is included. You'll need to apply for the program if you're interested. Qualifying customers include those eligible for public assistance that live in certain areas and meet a few other requirements.

  • Postmates rolled out the option for non-contact deliveries. You can request that your Postmate leave your food at the door. Uber Eats allows you to request the same thing in the notes section when ordering.

  • TripIt has made normally paid, $49 per-year Pro-level features available to the masses for free for the next six months. That means better air travel tracking, interactive terminal maps, and baggage claim info is available now for free, if you or a loved one is stuck somewhere.

  • Travel: If you have airfare or other travel plans that have been affected by Covid-19, you may be able to alter or cancel those plans at a free or reduced rate. Check with your flight provider, travel agent, or hotel. This is also true for Airbnb.

If You Need Something to Do

On the upside, now's the perfect time to hunker down and read, play, or watch all the things that you've been meaning to! Here are a few of the WIRED Staff's favorite things right now:

Watch, Listen, or Stream Anew!

If you're stuck at home, now might be a good time to consider upgrading your home theater, audio setup, or smart home tech. After all, there's never more time to futz around with TV mounts or your old record collection than now. Be sure to check out our lists of the Best Smart Speakers, prettiest TVs, and easiest to use streaming devices if you need more inspiration.

  • Roku Streaming Stick Plus for $50 (Amazon, Best Buy): The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is the easiest to use of all the major streaming devices and it looks great. Why watch
    Netflix on a laptop, iPad, or cell phone?

  • Audiotechnica AT-LP120 USB for $249 (Amazon, Best Buy): Now's the time to break out your record collection—and to buy some new vinyl to support struggling musicians. This is our favorite entry-level turntable.

  • 55-Inch TCL 6 Series for $549 (Amazon, Best Buy): If you're gonna be catching up on shows and movies, now might be a good time for an upgrade. With outstanding picture quality and built-in Roku OS, this is our favorite TV right now. In fact, Reviews Editor Jeffrey Van Camp just bought this exact model.

Reference: Wired

Victory JonesHEALTH & WELLNESS, CURRENT EVENTS, HOW TOComment