The Coronavirus, a viral sensation that is sweeping the world. Well not really. The Coronavirus has been spreading explosively and has breached the borders of China and we have known native transmission cases in many countries, such as Japan or Singapore, but there are also many cases of people carrying the disease to new countries. And as the virus is spreading exponentially people are starting to take notice and some are even starting to panic. But is there a reason to panic? Is this going to be contained and sputter out and die like SARS or the first West African Ebola outbreak? Should we just sit here and let inevitability pass us by?

Firstly, sitting down and succumbing to apathy is a surefire way to endanger oneself and one's family. The chance of the Coronavirus mutating and ending itself is unknown and should not be relied upon. And the hope that all of the separate governments, primarily, in Asia are going to get a grip on the situation seems shaky at best. It seems like we are going to have to face reality and admit that this will likely become a pandemic.

A pandemic!? Is this the signal to panic? Woah, hold your horses. Leaning towards panic is possibly even worse than doing nothing. If everyone went to the store to buy a years supply of food and medicine, we'd all be in big trouble. All of a sudden the malls of the west would look like those in Venezuela and that is not something we want. Sure we can all agree that panic solves no issues, but a bunch of people are going to panic anyway. So you still need to be safe in case of emergency.

What is to be done then? The easiest and best way to remain safe is to have two or three weeks of good, shelf stable, nutritious food available at all times. There is no need to become a prepper but having a small amount of food at hand if everything shuts down, due to panic or any other catastrophe, is never a bad idea. Besides preparing for others reaction to the virus, now is also a good time to double down on personal hygiene. We aren't talking about putting on new lotions and showering twice a day, just remember to wash your hands often and sneeze in your elbow kind of stuff can do a lot.

In conclusion, take small precautionary measures but don't panic. We can all hope that the Coronavirus is a fluke bit in case it isn't, stay safe.