Combine the cold and flu season with the coronavirus pandemic, and experts will tell you now is the time to stock your medicine cabinet.
“It’s important that individuals be empowered to take control of their health, and this is one way to do it,” said Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Adalja recommends over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen and naproxen.
“As well as over-the-counter cough and cold aides, and they come under many different brand names,” he said.
“There may be runs on these types of medicines as people get sick, even this happens during normal flu seasons.”
There are other important reasons. You could consider it a public service.
“If you can avoid having to expose other people when you’re sick, even if it’s not COVID, if it’s a cold or influenza, you want to try to do that,” Adalja said.
Being prepared can help if you become sick unexpectedly, especially during a pandemic.
Do you really want to drag yourself out of your home to wander around a drugstore, considering various remedies, when you feel miserable?
If you do get sick and are not prepared, there are options to going out.
“Grocery stores which stock many of these [medicines] do have delivery services as well as online ordering platforms like Amazon,” said Adalja.
He also recommended stocking adhesive bandages and triple antibiotic ointment.
- Sign up for WTOP alerts
- Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Coronavirus FAQ: What you need to know
- Coronavirus resources: Get and give help in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Hogan: Outdoor sports venues can reopen at 10% capacity
- Fairfax Co. school board deadlocks on superintendent’s plan to extend online learning
- Montgomery County helps restaurants plan for fall outdoor dining
Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.