Life in Canada in a Pandemic:
What’s to be Expected and How to Survive?
Contributor: Zach Roozendaal
The Coronavirus pandemic has decimated many economies and industries. Life around the world has been turned upside down. For some this pandemic feels on par to the way disintegration of many beloved characters in Avengers: Infinity War following Thanos’ snap, the aftermath of which was depicted in Avengers: Endgame with a quiet and sparsely populated world.
Though the last thing I said is a film reference to a fictional universe, the same cannot be said for our world. Industries have had to take hits and learn to adapt, and educational facilities have had to try and find new ways to teach students and evolve to deal with the state of the world.
This isn’t a situation many of us are familiar with. Millennials through to Gen Z have never experienced a global pandemic like this before. Yes, there have been pandemics withing recent history, like with HIV/AIDS and SARS, as well as Ebola and Zika, but none to such a scale and magnitude as COVID-19.
Life is rapidly changing, and for better or worse, just as we have for millions of years, we have to adapt if we’re going to make it through this tough situation. Together, anything is possible. That’s why it’s important we help others during these difficult times. So, for those who may be new to life in a COVID-19 infected Canada, here are some things to help you get through life here.
First of all, don’t hoard resources. That logic can be applied to anywhere right now, but it’s not like winter isn’t going to come this year. Don’t try and buy all the cold and allergy medication to prevent yourself from freaking out that you may have COVID-19 when your nose runs.
Secondly, it’s important to know that you can grow indoor gardens from home, so that way if you need to and can’t go to the store and are unable to get food delivered, you’ll at least have fresh fruit and vegetable to help you get the vitamins and minerals you need. All you need for this convenient life hack is a black lightbulb, the kind used as heat lamps for animals. The Ultraviolet radiation is what plants absorb from the sun, allowing for photosynthesis to happen, so by using a black light, you can use the UV to help simulate sunlight and allow a garden to grow. If you get a heat lamp variant make sure to turn it off after using for a couple of hours or you could cause damage to the plants, cause the bulb to overheat and shatter, or even potentially trigger an electrical fire.
The next lifehack is somewhat similar. If for some reason your power goes out, get a generator for yourself, and make sure to also purchase a solar charger. They look like an iPad cover, but will come in handy if you’re unable to use the outlets in your home to charge it. Again, with the generator you can power a UV light which can also simulate sunlight, allowing your phone to charge from the UV radiation.
This next lifehack is one used by people everywhere, but is particularly good in uncertain situations like pandemics. Purchase non-perishable foods and drinks, and if the stores near you close or something is to happen, you’ll be able to have food that’s good for months on end. Some examples include ramen, pasta, rice, cereal, tea, coffee, soda, chocolate and candy, seeds, especially sunflower or pumpkin, marshmallows, honey, jerky, nuts, and so many more things. Dried fruits are also good to have.
During the winter months, if you lose power and have meat products in your fridge or freezer, no worries, since you’re likely living in sub-zero temperatures, unless you’re in Vancouver. Just move it outside, or buy things like nuts which contain lots of protein but last for years and have a good shelf life. Jerky is the same, and is still meat, yet will last for years without spoiling.
If your water shuts off during the winter, no problem! Just use snow, as it’s 100% water, and it’s already clean and good to use. If it’s not winter and your water is off, place buckets around so when it rains you can collect it.
In case you’re unable to buy fresh fruits and the frozen option isn’t a satisfying one for you, just buy fruit juice instead, as you can still get plenty of nutrients. Although not many people’s first option, some brands of dog food or treats can be a great source of protein, and there are even some that aren’t as disgusting sounding as you might think, with my late dog Bolt (Rest in Peace buddy) at one point having dog treats that were literally just precooked chunks of bacon with seasoning on it, and very much safe for human consumption. Now in case you’re wondering, I only watched a YouTube review on them, and the ingredients in the treats are no different than what you’d find in bacon bits at stores, in fact most of the bacon present in the treats is precooked bacon that wouldn’t meet customer satisfaction for something like bacon bits.
Don’t have a mask? No worries, simply use a bandana or scarf or neck warmer as a mask during winter months, as I even did it before COVID-19 was an issue in the province, because the ice cold air in my lungs made my chilly walks home from the campus at night hard to breathe, so a thick face covering will help keep the air you take in and out stay a little less frosty. Halloween masks may be a bit ridiculous, but they’re also still face coverings, but just make sure that there’s no holes for your mouth or nose on them, and if there are be sure to cover them.
And there you have it, just a few helpful pandemic and survival based lifehacks. Hopefully these are able to help you out, especially in a time of need. There are hundreds of thousands more lifehacks, not just for the pandemic, but survival in general, and I encourage you to read up on some in your spare time.
One last thing before I end this article, I would like to mention that this is dedicated to a few friends of mine, one in particular though who recently inspired me to start writing again, and that this is also dedicated to all of the people serving the public on the many frontlines of work in this pandemic, especially to those within the medical industry who’ve put their health and safety second to those of the public. Keep on doing the things you’re doing, and thank you to my friends who’ve helped motivate me to write again.
Thanks for reading, and once again, I hope that the information I provided helped you or your friends in some way. Remember to wash and sanitize your hands, take care of each other, wear masks in public, and social distance when possible. And now, I’ll leave you with my final thought.
The most sought-after resource isn’t water, oil or gold, but is in fact knowledge itself, as we spend our lives immersing ourselves with it, wanting to know more.
Thanks again to you all, and until next time, I’m Zach Roozendaal. Stay safe out there, and goodbye for now!