Co Author During COVID-19 - Inform, Guidance and Opinions

Hello Everyone! 

Firstly, I want to introduce myself, my name is Shanon, I live in London, Ontario and work closely with the blogs owner. I have been asked to become a co-author on this owner's blog during these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic to share some insight, opinions, guidance, and inform. I am happy to do so! 

I, myself am at a High Risk, due to my compromised immune system,  respiratory conditions,  asthma and other health factors, due to this, along with the current viral chest cold I am fighting off, my Doctor has requested me, not just advised, requested I stay home, self isolate and monitor my symptoms. 




I feel it is important to be educated on the realities, assistance available, information being provided from trusted health care officials and to follow the urgencies that have been put into place during this time by government and health care officials. I understand that, for the vast majority of the population, income is a very stressful and anxiety inducing fear. I, myself, share in that fear. However, with that being said, there ARE financial assistance options available and I will expand on this in my following posts. 

We are programmed, as individuals, to work, to make money, to fight through the "sniffles" and keep trucking along. STOP. This is not just a case of the sniffles, it's not just a seasonal flu or illness. It is a CANADA WIDE EMERGENCY! Some may say " I have a strong immune system " or " It will pass", I have 3 words for you. You are wrong. 

I will not try to pass myself off as 'all knowing' however the proof is in the pudding. LISTEN to the health officials, this virus, COVID-19, is unpredictable, has mutated many times over, entire COUNTRIES have been brought to their knees, China, Italy, the UK, now it has reached and begun spreading like the silent killer that it truly is, here in Canada.

Doctors are urging Canadians to treat this as if you already have it. Stay home. Isolate. Today's number of approximately 500 are based on those tested a week ago and that number can easily be multiplied by 10 today. Understand that today, we have enough ventilators and medical supplies to attempt to treat affected Canadians, however if we dont stop the spread, next week will be a completely different story. The '50 available ventilators ' today will be taken up by deathly ill patients and many will require what we just wont have. In other countries, doctors have had to decide who gets the 5 available ventilators and what 100 patients must be left to suffer or die. This is the harsh truth, but it is the truth. 

Folks, this is going to get much worse before it gets better. There is no vaccine. There is no treatment. There is no drug available to cure it. This is unknown. Health officials, scientists and researchers are working tirelessly to attempt to understand the virus, and find a medical breakthrough to treat it. 

This virus, in a matter of 3 months (just shy of), has brought China, Italy, and the UK to dire straights, hundreds and thousands of deaths, exhausted billions of resources and it is unrelenting. In 3 months, it mutated from animals, to humans, it then mutated into two strains, it then began to mutate into an antibiotic resistant pneumonia, new symptoms are released daily which means it is continuing to mutate. Those who have recovered, have come down sick with it AGAIN. It is SMART and it is DEADLY. No one is immune. 

The bottom line is, there are hundreds, if not thousands of people who haven't been tested, out in the public, spreading this virus. They may be asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms, but they can be carriers. We need to stay home, self isolate, follow the urgent plea spoken daily, hourly, by health officials and government officials, or we WILL be in for a nasty, fearful explosion of this virus. To those who say " I cant afford to stay home" , your money is no good to you if you're dead. Harsh, but true. 

Money can always be made at a safer time, there are acts of legislation passed and put into place to protect jobs, for financial assistance and for those of you who rent, evictions are not issued at this time, there will be payment plans available for those who get behind on rent, however you will NOT be kicked out of your home, of course, pay what you CAN to alleviate the catch up later on, that's just smart finance, and for those who are homeowners, banks are deferring mortgage payments, and many more options are available based on government of Canada at all three levels, Federal, Provincial and Municipal. I will attach a list of a few helpful links at the end of my post that are all from government sites, all trusted and legal, and they are extremely helpful as a starting point to inform yourselves. 

I thank you for reading this, I hope that I have and can continue to provide guidance, insight and support to the best of my ability for all of you. 

Stay Safe, Stay Well, Stay Home! 

Shanon. 

Links:

1-> https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html
☆Info: - details on financial assistance - Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan

2-> https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus
☆Info: - many helpful pieces of information on financial aid as well as up to date updates on the COVID-19 situation.

3-> https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/03/ontario-supporting-workers-municipalities-and-retailers-in-response-to-covid-19.html
☆Info: - Assurance that legislation is PASSED that you CANT be evicted during this time AND Job Protection

4-> http://www.sjto.gov.on.ca/ltb/
☆Info: Landlord and Tenant Board is even advertising they wont be evicting until further notice.