As of March 11, the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic by WHO. So far, it hasn't been too bad; all we've been asked to do is to stay inside as much as possible and not to hoard when purchasing groceries.

But if things get bad, do you know what to do? Do you have plans in place in case of emergencies?

If not, then here are 6 ways you can prepare to deal with a crisis. It's better to be overprepared than under, after all.

1. Stock Up, but Don't Hoard

Some carriers of coronavirus are asymptomatic but can still pass on the virus to others, so your best bet is to stay home and go out as little as possible. Because of this, you might be tempted to hoard everything you see in grocery stores just so you can have a nice supply at home.

Get the amount of fresh groceries you can get through without them going bad. Fill your pantries with a decent amount of non-perishable goods so you can have some supplies on hand, such as canned meats, canned vegetables, condensed milk, honey (or sugar), pasta, and rice. A good rule of thumb for non-perishables is about a month's worth of food.

Don't clear out shelves, especially not to resell to others at higher prices. Just take what you need and think of others.

2. Have an Emergency Kit

While we're all just staying indoors and not having very exciting lives, things can still happen. Your knife could slip while you're cutting up veggies, or your child could fall down the stairs. Or your spouse could slip and fall on the floor.

Because of this, you need to have an emergency kit handy. Considering the coronavirus has many hospitals running at capacity, you don't want to have to go to one unless absolutely necessary.

In your emergency kit, you should have hand sanitizer, antiseptic, band-aids, bandages, gauze, scissors, gloves, tape, and cold packs at the very least. Securing a few pairs of disposable gloves is also important especially if the emergency requires you to be in direct contact with an open wound. Wearing gloves will help prevent wound infection and keep the patient (and yourself) safer. You can also store some over-the-counter medication (like aspirin) and some spare prescription medications for your family members in there.

In addition, put flashlights, batteries, and a hand-crank or battery-powered radio in the kit. A can opener can come in handy as well.

3. Put Together an Emergency Plan

For now, most of us are staying put. However, things can change. This can be especially true if you're somewhere prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and storms.

You might already have an emergency plan to deal with these things, which is great! Then all you need to do is go over it and make some alterations for the COVID-19 situation.

Otherwise, sit down with your family and determine what needs to be done in certain cases. For instance, if there's a fire and you need to evacuate, and a family member is an essential worker, where should you meet up after their shift? Which person needs to bring what in case of evacuations?

Make sure everyone knows their role in case of emergencies and if possible, run through drills to get used to them.

4. Know Where Shutoff Valves Are

In the event of an emergency, your gas, electric, and water may get compromised. In that case, you need to know how to shut these things off promptly. Not only that, but you need to know how to do so safely.

You should find out where all of these are and understand how the shutoff valves work. Make sure you're confident in doing so; in emergency situations, you might get flustered and forget key information.

5. Protect Your Electronics

In the event that there's an EMP, this can take wipe out all electronics. Because of this, you'll want to protect your devices.

While your cell phones and other electronics won't work completely because cell towers and the internet will be down, they're still useful for other purposes. So you'll want to ensure your electronics are intact in a crisis.

You can do so by putting them in a Faraday bag (not to be confused with a Faraday cage). Know the difference between the two; in pretty much all circumstances, a Faraday bag will be far more beneficial since it's more compact.

Store some spare devices in these bags and you'll have working electronics after an EMP. Don't forget to either fully charge them and/or put in a portable charger, as wall plugs won't work.

6. Pack an Emergency "Go" Bag

You already have an emergency kit and maybe even a Faraday bag. But when you need to get up and go, you need more than just these things, especially if you have a household with people with special needs or if you have pets.

Create an emergency "go" bag that's easily accessible, like by the door. Fill it with things to help you survive should you need to leave the house for a prolonged period.

For example, put a few days' worth of food in the bag, small first aid kit, batteries, flashlight, extra cell phone, and some small tools. It may be beneficial to have several of these bags available so every family member has their own.

Be Safe and Prepared in Any Crisis

Today, we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic, which has the potential to turn into an even bigger crisis at any point. This is why it's important to be prepared so you can stay safe no matter what life throws at you.

With our helpful tips, you can make sure that you are both safe and prepared in any crisis in the future. So keep these in mind for any future response and you'll get through it.

If you want to learn more about tech, then please take a look at our other blog articles.