Covid-19 Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting us all in unprecedented ways and raises numerous unique and novel issues. Here are a few resources that can help.

For locals: Visit the Brunswick County website’s Covid Resource Center for the current status of COVID locally and information on changes in county policies in response to this. David Rouzer, the congressman representing our local district, releases frequent updates about how our district is being affected and actions we need to take as residents.

The CDC’s COVID-19 website has the most accurate information regarding the Coronavirus pandemic and the things we can do to prevent it’s spread. There’s thorough resources for individuals, businesses, organizations and schools. You can click here to visit their website!

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also made a small Covid response toolkit for businesses and workers to refer to at their website here.

It is important to stay up to date with any developments made in the current situation. This pandemic is not over, so please do all you can to be safe this season. You stay well and we’ll keep truckin’!

Are You Prepared for Hurricane Season?

Hurricane season is approaching quickly!  It’s so important to know what you can do when a storm is on it’s way.  For those already here and those looking to move into areas more drastically affected by the season, we hope this helps you stay safe and dry as the year goes on!

Strengthen Your Home

There is a lot you can do around your home to help protect it from hurricane winds.  Well ahead of the approaching storm you can:

• Trim the trees on your property
• Get approved window coverings
• Collect loose outdoor items
• Secure all doors on your property
• and Find a safe location for your vehicle

Actions You Can Take Today

There’s a few actions you can take far ahead of time to be ready when storms come:

• Make a list of supplies for your hurricane kit. Check to see what you already have.  Restock during the next several weeks.
• Organize important documents and confirm coverage with your insurance agency.
• Determine if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone. Make a plan of action with multiple options

When preparing for hurricane season, follow the latest health guidelines from the CDC and your local officials.

From all of us here at East Coast Moving,

Stay well!

How long do Coronaviruses* Live on Surfaces?

We’ve found more cleaning tips to help you keep COVID out of your house!  The chart below will give you an idea of how long the virus can stay on certain surfaces.  We hope, for the sake of your health and the health of others, that you will continue your cleaning routines and maintain social distancing guidelines.  Your safety in this time is of the utmost importance to us.

You stay well and we’ll keep truckin’!

SURFACE	EXAMPLES	DAYS OR  HOURS
Metal	Doorknobs, Jewelry, Silverware	5 Days
Glass	Drinking glasses, Mirrors, Windows	Up to 5 Days
Ceramics	Dishes, Pottery, Mugs	5 Days
Paper	Newspapers, Magazines	Up to 5 Days
Wood	Furniture, Decking	4 Days
Plastics	Milk bottles, Bus seats, Elevator buttons	2-3 Days
Stainless Steel	Refrigerators, Pots/pans, Sinks, Water bottles	2-3 Days
Cardboard	Shipping boxes	1 Day
Aluminum	Soda cans, Tinfoil, Water bottles	2-8 Hours
Copper	Pennies, Teakettles, Cookware	4 Hours
Food/Water	Doesn’t seem to spread through food, and has not been found in water yet

What You Can Do:

Disinfect all surfaces and objects in your home daily with a household cleaning spray or wipe.  Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water, especially after visiting the supermarket or bringing in packages.

*Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that includes the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.  This information is for your reference only and is changing constantly.

sources: WebMD, CDC, FDA, Medical Review: Brunilda Nazario, MD, 03/24/2020.

Being “Shore” your Space is Clean

It is so important to keep everything properly cleaned and sanitized, especially in the current circumstances.  We wanted to take a moment to assure you that the health and well-being of our customers is of the utmost importance to us.  As we have been paying close attention to the news and the development of this virus, we hope that you are all doing your best to stay safe and healthy.

Here are some cleaning tips to help you:

Products to use for Sanitizing

1. You can use a standard disinfectant, such as hydrogen peroxide.  Use any concentration between 3% (Common household grade) and 7.9%.
2. Grain alcohols or rubbing alcohols that are at least 70% are also effective cleaning products.  Do not use products with an alcohol content above 90% – they will evaporate before killing a virus.
3. Another alternative is a bleach-and-water solution of 1/12 cup (or 4 teaspoons) of bleach per 1 quart of cool water.  This is 20 ml bleach per 1 liter of cool water. 
4. Always read and follow instructions on how to apply cleaning products and how long they can be left on a surface.

Safety Notice:

DO NOT use expired bleach.

DO NOT mix bleach with any other cleaning solution or liquid other than water.

Areas to Sanitize

1. Clean and sanitize frequently touched surfaces and high-traffic areas in your home and workplace as often as you can.  Such as:
   • Children’s areas
   • Doorknobs
   • Drawer and cabinet handles
   • Stair rails
   • Counter tops and tables
   • Devices and their remotes
   • Chair arms
2. Sanitize your bathroom(s) as well.
3. If you have to travel and are using a vehicle, sanitize the surfaces:
   • Steering wheel
   • Door handles (inside and out)
   • Shifter
   • Buttons and knobs
   • Any other frequently touched surfaces

These cleaning habits are practiced by our staff to ensure the safety of each other as well as our customers.  We hope that you can find good cleaning products in the stores (if they are not already sold out!) and remember to wash your hands.  Though most of you are staying home, we are still in business and are always happy to help you move, even in times like these.  Stay well!

 

COVID-19, Fact Checked.

A lot of assumptions are being made about COVID-19 right now, but there’s no need to freak out if you’re properly informed and prepared!

Claim: ‘Face masks don’t work.’ The fact that began this assumption was that COVID-19 can also be transmitted through the eyes.  While true, this is only with direct contact to the virus, such as touching your eyes with infected hands.  A mask is actually very useful, when used correctly, as it catches and stops most of the infected droplets, being the main way in which the virus is caught.  If you’re looking to get a mask, make sure it is labeled N95 or PM2.5 for the best protection.  Though it may not be necessary in open areas, if you are going to be in close proximity with another person, it’s best to put your mask on.

Claim: ‘It is no more dangerous than the Winter Flu.’ In mild cases of the coronavirus, a person will experience symptoms similar to that of the flu, but the profile of the virus itself is more serious and has a much higher mortality rate.  COVID-19 is highly contagious virus and we must be cautious as we move forward. Our country is seeing mostly mild cases at the moment, though that may not be true for long.

Claim: ‘You need to be with an infected person for 10 minutes.’  Some hospitals are defining exposure as being within 6 feet of an infected person for about 10 minutes.  However, it is also possible to contract the virus within shorter interactions and by touching infected surfaces.

To see more debunked claims and more information regarding those above, please visit this website where our information originated.

We wish for everyone to be aware of what is going on in this season of caution.  We must all maintain the safety protocols being advised by reliable sources, not only for ourselves, but also for everyone that we come into contact with.  Below are links for our locals and some of our neighboring counties so that you can get the latest updates about your community’s response to COVID-19.

For Brunswick County: https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/coronavirusupdate3-16-20/

Horry County: https://www.horrycounty.org/News/Tag/covid-19

New Hanover County: https://health.nhcgov.com/your-environment/public-health/coronavirus/?633

 

If one of your little ones comes down with the flu:

1. Keep your child in a separate bedroom if possible and away from everyone else as much as you can. One sneeze or cough from someone with the flu can infect others within a six-foot radius, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So try to keep your little one away from everyone else as much as possible — in her own room or a designated “sick” room (and have her use a separate bathroom if you have one to spare). Wait until she’s fever-free for at least 24 hours without a pain reliever and her coughing and sneezing have eased up before you send her back to day care or school and let her come into closer contact with the rest of the family.
2. Keep her clean. If she’s able to get up, have her wash her hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (a quick suds-and-rinse won’t do the trick; make sure she washes between her fingers). Is she stuck in bed or on the sofa? Keep child-safe wipes at her side and have her sanitize his hands with them after every tissue use and before she eats (or do it for her).
3. Contain the cough. Germs are nothing to sneeze — or cough — at during flu season. Your tiny patient can shower everyone around her with the respiratory droplets that carry the flu virus every time she sneezes or coughs. To keep flu germs from spreading, remind her to sneeze and cough into a tissue — or if there isn’t one close by, the inside of her elbow. Be sure to repeat those reminders as often as necessary.
4. Dispose of the germs. Normally, it’s good to be green. But disposable is the way to go when there’s flu afoot. So stock up on tissues, and have your child toss each one after use instead of saving it for later — tissues that hang around can end up contaminating surfaces and spreading germs. Keeping a garbage can or bag nearby will help encourage speedy disposal of tissues (and germs). Empty the trash can or toss the bag out frequently too, and wash your hands right after.
5. Spray, wipe, wash, prevent. As much as you can, disinfect. Wipe down or spray the surfaces your little one touches, including door knobs, toilet flusher, faucets, phones and remote controls, with a disinfectant wipe or cleaning solution designed to kill germs and viruses. Make sure your child isn’t sharing towels, toys, blankets, pillows, glasses, dishes, utensils and so on — and make sure everything she does use gets washed thoroughly before it goes back into circulation. The good news as you go about your germ-fighting mission: It’s not necessary to separate your little patient’s dishes and glasses from your own when you run them through the dishwasher.

Of course, prevention goes a long way toward stopping the flu from getting anyone sick in the first place. If it’s not too late in flu season (which can last from October through May) and you haven’t already, try to get everyone booked for a flu shot (and make sure you all have one in all future seasons too). Remember that it takes about two weeks after getting the vaccine for immunity to fully build up, so plan accordingly. While the vaccine can’t 100 percent guarantee you won’t catch the flu, it prevents potentially serious complications like ear infections and inflammation of the heart, brain and muscle

Getting Organized with the New Year

Keeping a home organized is one of the hardest things to do. Once we get home from work and after our adult life obligations, no one wants to spend time getting their space together too. A few things that will help make the process easier and a continued success:

• Start small, do not overwhelm yourself trying to organize everything at the same time.
• Try to develop a process or a habit, do something that is easy to do every day- or few days, if you can develop a new habit it will become nature.
• Keep your mind organized, it’s just as important as your stuff. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed step back and take a breath. Sometimes a step back is all you need for a quick reset and a better view of what needs to be done.

Career New Years Resolutions You Can Actually Keep!

1. Try things that work for you to help you be healthier at work- You could pack a lunch instead of eating out, try a standing desk, or try taking the stairs.
2. Set a goal to learn 1 new skill- Choose one thing that you’ve always wanted to know or something that would benefit you the most in your profession.
3. Update your resume-After you learn that new skill, update your resume!
4.  Find a work mentor- Find one person who inspires you, whether it be someone in your profession, or just someone who is just a rockstar and makes you want to succeed.
5. Attend at least 1 networking event- Networking is super important and can boost your career exponentially.
6. Lastly, Measure you work-life balance. BALANCE is key! Burnout can hurt your career drastically.

Keeping Christmas Time Jolly

Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year or the most stressful time of the year. Here are some tips to keep you feeling jolly for Christmas!

-Seek a Fresh Perspective

Take one task that drives you crazy during the holidays and tackle it in a new way. A fresh approach just might make a difference.

-Be Satisfied

Bigger doesn’t always mean better. Everything doesn’t have to look like its straight out of Joanna Gaines’ shop (Even if it is AMAZING)

-Drop the Expensive, High Stress Traditions

Just because it’s a “Tradition” doesn’t mean you can’t make new (less expensive) ones. So stop worrying about dragging your whole family to see the Nutcracker for the 100th time, listening to them whine every step of the way. Instead go drive around to local neighborhoods to see the lights, or even something silly like  a Christmas Eve pancake bar!

-Focus on What’s Most Important

Stop worrying about sending that third cousin that you met once when you were five at a family reunion a Christmas card, instead narrow it down to the 10 most important people in your life.

-Stop to Smell the LEMONS…

I know the old saying goes to stop and smell the roses, well an even better (and less likely to irritate your allergies) rendition is to smell lemons. Studies say the scent of lemons instantly boasts your mood!

-Remember to HAVE FUN!

Everyone gets so stressed around the Holidays that they can’t wait for them to be over. Christmas is supposed to be  joyous time, so forget everything and HAVE FUN!

How to Prep for the Holidays

1. Plan ahead
2. Develop a budget for the holidays
3. Shop ahead
4. Start decluttering
5. Cook/Bake ahead
6. Make reservations for holiday travel
7. Plan some fun events for you and your family
8. Get a jump on your holiday cards/letter
9. Make personal time and self-care a priority, even during the holidays