Coronavirus: A checklist of things to plan for before going under self-quarantine away from home

More than 150 countries world are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK's number of cases is growing at an alarming rate. With about 71 deaths out of 1,950 confirmed cases so far. As such, it is now recommended that if you feel any symptoms you should be isolating yourself for at least two weeks. Other countries such as Italy and the rest of the European Union have closed borders and placed their countries on lockdown.

If this does happen in the UK, many people, especially those who live in big cities, will choose to leave their homes to self-quarantine with family or in the countryside. So, just to make sure you don't forget anything, we put together a checklist - it's non-exhaustive - of everything you'll need to take with you in quarantine.

Health first

Obviously, in a pandemic, nothing is more important than health. So inevitably, you should be taking your daily treatment if necessary, your prescriptions, anything else in your medicine cabinet you might need, a good amount of hydroalcoholic gel, dressings, bandages, fever reducer, mercurochrome, etc, just to be sure you don't have to travel 50 kilometres to find an open pharmacy. And don't forget your child's health record. You never know, it could prove useful.

ID's

If there's one thing you can't forget in the event of total and compulsory quarantine, and given the likelihood of you being stopped by the police or even the army if you're travelling, it's your ID(s) and your children's. They automatically will be requested in the event of a check and you never know when you might need them. Also, don't forget your driver's license. There could be very few trains or planes operating.

Leisure accessories

Quarantine isn't exactly a blast, especially if lasts longer than expected. So remember to take something that'll keep you entertained. Books, computers, phones, consoles for children and, of course, all the chargers you need for each of them. You can also grab some homework books for children if you don't want to rely entirely on the Internet. They probably won't be happy about it, but it'll still be useful to you and grant you a few hours of peace and quiet!

Don't forget anything in your apartment/house

If you're going away from home, don't forget to leave your home in good condition if you want to find it as such! Turn off the gas, water your plants, take out the trash, throw out all the perishable food in the fridge, and most importantly, lock the door when you leave. A few bad seeds might use this time to try breaking into houses or apartments while the police are overwhelmed with the virus and quarantine management.

Have safe fun

Lastly, as we may soon have to go under a long self-quarantine, it's important not to forget to have fun and do so safely. So grab a box of condoms, make sure you have enough boxes of the pill on hand, and why not, one or two sex toys - especially if you're alone - or some costumes - a little party never hurt anybody! - just to spice things up a little.

There! You now know what you'll need to have the best quarantine ever! Oh, and even if you're locked up, don't forget to practice basic hygiene, especially if you're with your family or with anyone that might be more vulnerable. Happy quarantine!