Mitigating risk is something we all do everyday. From locking our front doors to wearing our seat belts, we do many things every day to avoid accidents of all kinds. We have mats to keep from falling in the tub, deadbolt locks on the door, and fenced in yards to keep the dogs in and other animals out. Our workplaces give us key cards or fobs to access our offices, provide protective personal equipment when required, adhere to Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration rules (OSHA), and take other steps to ensure the safety of employees and customers.
All of this is part of risk management; ways to lessen the chances of an accident occurring, and lessen resulting damage or injury if an accident does occur. Organizations have safety procedures, evacuation procedures, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and other procedures and equipment for just such situations.
Insurance is a way of transferring risk, and it does so quite well. However, not everything can be insured, and that is why policies have exclusions, certain things that cannot be insured against. Even if something can be insured against, it is always better to avoid a loss rather than sustain one and collect on insurance. In wildfire zones, mitigation steps include clearing brush away from buildings, removing dead limbs, and spacing vegetation appropriately. Flood-prone areas may require houses or other structures to be elevated, have flood walls, build levees, or implement other measures to respond to or prevent flood damage. Buildings in earthquake zones have to meet certain building codes, as do buildings in tornado or hurricane areas, so that buildings are less likely to collapse with shaking or sustain damage from strong winds, roofs are less likely to be damaged by strong winds.
As with weather preparedness, mitigation steps can also be taken for the flu or the Coronavirus. While the Coronavirus has swept the world and taken over the news, it is most often fatal for the most vulnerable populations, those persons that are elderly and already have adverse underlying health conditions. For this or any other virus, there are many steps that can be taken. The first and most important one is frequent hand washing, something everyone should be doing anyway. Washing your hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds after using the restroom, after greeting people, before and after eating, goes a long way towards avoiding catching any virus. Maintaining six feet of space if possible while taking public transportation or in confined areas is helpful as well. Wiping door handles, cell phones, computer keyboards, desk and other surfaces also is a good idea. We touch these items many times a day, and germs can deposit on them. If you have to sneeze or cough, do so into your elbow. It has also been recommended to use a cloth handkerchief instead of tissues to spread less germs, and paper towel dispensers are better than hand dryers that blow out germ particles. Washing your hands and changing clothes when you get home is also a good idea as the virus can stick to clothing and other surfaces.
Various countries have enforced a quarantine or encouraged those potentially exposed to the virus to self-quarantine themselves for fourteen days. What this means is staying inside until the risk of passing the infection on to others is passed.
To prepare for such a situation, it is a good idea to have two weeks of food and other supplies on hand. You will have power so it is easy enough to stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables and meats as well as canned fish, soups, nuts, dried fruit and other dry goods. Don't forget pet food as well, your pets need to eat. If you take prescription medications, it is encouraged that you have a thirty-day supply on hand. This is actually a good idea in general; tornado season begins in April, hurricane season begins in June, blizzard season begins in December, and wildfire season runs from June through September but also from October through April in California. Virtually any time of year could lead to a situation where natural disasters or other events may cause a situation where a storage of supplies for a few days or weeks may be needed. Basic first aid ointments and bandages are a good idea to have on hand as well, including latex or nonlatex gloves.
With COVID-19, many people are wondering about face masks. Face masks are not necessary for most viruses, and even then are really required only for the sick person, and not the well population. Masks do more to prevent the spread of an illness you have than to prevent you from catching something, unless you are a medical professional where you are constantly exposed to the virus. Surgical masks, the ones you commonly see at a doctor's office, do not form a complete seal, so it is possible for germs to get to someone in such a mask. Those masks do more to catch tiny droplets being emitted when someone sneezes, speaks or coughs. You may have heard about N95 masks, which filter out even the tiniest particles. While effective, these must be specifically fitted to the person wearing them. Any gaps will let viruses in or out. When properly fitted, they tend to be uncomfortable and hot. You are safer washing your hands properly and maintaining a little distance from people instead of wearing a mask which gives you a false sense of security and not much else.
If you have or are making travel plans, reviewing cancellation requirements and refund options is a good idea, as is travel insurance. You want to ensure that any travel insurance you purchase provides coverage for canceling the trip due to illness or potential illness. You should also check your medical insurance for coverage out of the area or out of the country, and if there is any coverage for emergency medical transportation back home.
Businesses should review their policies to see if there is any coverage for interruption of business due to employee absences or shutdown required by civil authority. Health insurance companies should pay attention to notices from state insurance departments, since many have issued bulletins requiring payment for testing for the COVID-19, and some have even implemented provisions for late payments of premiums.
While the COVID-19 is the talk of the moment, these procedures can be used for any emergency, be it a spreading virus, wildfire or other natural disaster. While many things may not be preventable, they can certainly be mitigated, and it is always good to be prepared.