Feeling unprepared for a coronavirus quarantine? You’re not the only one, survey finds
Stay-at-home orders are already in place in several parts of the country, and more are likely on the way, but many Americans still feel unprepared for a lengthy quarantine.
That’s according to a survey by SafeHome that asked more than 1,000 adults how prepared they feel amid the coronavirus pandemic and how ready they are for quarantine or shelter-in-place orders in terms of food and other supplies.
Nearly 40 percent of respondents said they felt “very” or “extremely” prepared as of last weekend, according to the survey.
Meanwhile, 20 percent said they feel unprepared with the essentials they have on hand. It’s an improvement from the weekend of March 14, when 25 percent said they felt unprepared.
More than a dozen states and many county and local governments have told their residents to stay home as of Tuesday, The New York Times reports. The orders affect about 163 million people across the country, and experts say about half of Americans will be under similar orders soon.
Officials have recommended having essentials such as household supplies, medications and food staples ready in case you need to stay home for a prolonged period of time. But they have emphasized there’s no need to panic buy or stockpile.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently issued guidelines advising people to buy only the supplies their families need for a week.
The survey also analyzed which groups of people feel the most, and least, prepared.
Those over the age of 60 were the least likely to say they felt unprepared and most likely to say they felt “very prepared” for a quarantine or to shelter in place, the survey found.
Older adults are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill if infected with COVID-19. It’s especially important for them to stay home as much as possible during an outbreak and to make sure they have the food, supplies and medications they need on hand, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Parents are more likely to say they don’t feel prepared at all, as school closures across the country have left many children at home and parents are trying to find ways to educate them, the survey says.
Additionally, people who are still working amid the pandemic are more likely to say they feel prepared than those who aren’t working, according to the survey.
Even if you are ordered to stay home due to coronavirus, most orders include exceptions to allow people to go to work, grocery stores, pharmacies and medical appointments.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Feeling unprepared for a coronavirus quarantine? You’re not the only one, survey finds."
