“The worst [thing] that can happen is that we make a misstep and let our emotions get ahead of the facts, and we have to go through this again,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Things have been extremely difficult for everyone because of COVID-19. For months, the world essentially shut down, streets were empty, and no one was doing anything. Hopefully, we’re near the end of this pandemic and things will begin to return to normal.
But we have to be careful not to make costly mistakes after the coronavirus panic ends. Here are some of the mistakes that you should avoid making in the days, weeks, and months once this global quarantine ends:
Spending too much
Hopefully you’ve been saving up during your quarantine, and it might feel good to splurge a little bit once things return to normal. Maybe you want to go on a vacation. Maybe you want to check out a nice, new car — perhaps a Mercedes-Benz, which are manufactured in 30 countries around the world. But you have to be careful. No one knows if a second wave of the coronavirus is going to hit and if you deplete your savings or don’t have enough put away in an emergency fund, you’re going to be in a real bad spot.
Acting reckless
You’ve been stuck inside your house for months — and all you want to do is get out and go. Somewhere. Anywhere. That’s fine, but make sure you’re doing so very carefully. For a while, it’s best to remain cautious at all times while out in public. Make sure you’re still wearing masks whenever you go out, wash your hands as much as possible, and avoid coming in contact with too many people. Also, remember to drive carefully! According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,172 people lost their lives in motorcycle accidents in 2017. Hitting the open road on a motorcycle might seem like the best way to get over this stressful time, but you need to remember to drive as carefully as possible!
Ignoring home care and maintenance
Just because you were locked inside your home for months and tended to a lot of your home maintenance tasks doesn’t mean you should avoid them once life returns to normal. You still have dozens of responsibilities and need to take care of them. For example, if you started remodeling during quarantine, make sure you finish safely and efficiently before you do anything else. Keep in mind that lead in paint turns into invisible, toxic fumes at 900 to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t neglect any major household remodeling, repair, or maintenance projects!
Throwing a party
We all miss our friends and family members right now. But just because the quarantine is lifted doesn’t mean you should invite everyone over right away. Down the line, sure! You can have the biggest party ever in the future, but you have to maintain social distancing measures for a while after the quarantine ends. Better safe than sorry!
Hopefully life can begin to return to normal soon — but make sure you’re taking this virus seriously even after the quarantine is lifted. We can get through this together!
