Thoughts on Coronavirus and How to Protect Yourself and Your Family

In case you haven’t heard (or seen) in the news, on social media, or simply from people chatting around you, there’s a new sickness in town and it has everyone more than a little worried. Coronavirus, or more specifically, COVID-19, is sweeping the globe and taking widespread fear with it. We understand…hearing that an illness is impossible to contain, having it spread this quickly, and then being told it is “deadly” will cause panic, but we believe it’s important to have to facts before you allow fear to creep in. In reality, you’re more likely to catch the flu than Coronavirus, and honestly, the flu is more lethal from the standpoint of statistics. So far, Coronavirus seems to affect people over 50 the most, with people over 70 being at the highest risk for complications and death due to the sickness. Since it targets the respiratory system, those with compromised immune systems, heart conditions, or preexisting lung issues are definitely at higher risk as well. However, children and young healthy adults really have no reason to panic about being impacted heavily by the illness. What we DO need to be concerned about though is practicing safe habits that will protect vulnerable ones around us, and start to slow the spread of this virus.

How can you do that?

• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly using warm water and soap. Washing should last at least 20 seconds.
• Keep your hands away from your face as much as possible.
• Try not to touch public surfaces without first sanitizing them. Use elbows to push open doors, use a paper towel to touch faucets in public bathrooms, etc.
• Clean your own surfaces regularly with disinfectant. This is especially true for commonly touched areas like doorknobs, light switches, remotes…even the buttons on your coffee maker or microwave are fair game for a wipe down.
• Stay home if you feel sick. It’s never worth putting others at risk.

Carroll Marshall Insurance is proud to offer top quality insurance services to the local Winter Haven area, and we want to make sure our community stays healthy and happy no matter what’s going around. We hope these tips help you feel more confident as we face Coronavirus 2020!