A few months ago, no one outside the medical fraternity had heard or come in contact with coronavirus. Now, the top news on all news stations is the virus and its effects. The epidemic is spreading at a very fast rate, faster than any other previous disease that has been recorded.
The condition is feared worldwide, reason why you need to be prepared because you never know if it will get to you.
The Progression of the Condition
Symptoms of the condition appear 2-14 days after getting exposed to it. It starts with a mild fever, then a cough followed by shortness of breath.
The early symptoms progress to pneumonia where the lungs become inflamed. At times, the immune system goes into overdrive, which will overwhelm the proteins and cells in the body so that other organs become destroyed.
So, now that you know this pandemic is around, what do you need to do as a person who has your family’s future in mind?
Organize Your Information
When you are faced with such an emergency, you need to make sure your family and loved ones know where you keep your emergency information.
This is the perfect time to organize all records and then communicate the information to them.
Having a power of attorney (POA) to have someone make decisions on your behalf might not be practical if they don’t have access to your information.
The information needs to be understandable, simple and well organized.Have a POA
From the information about coronavirus, you will be incapacitated for 14 days if you come in contact with a person suffering from the condition. This is called the quarantine period, whereby you won’t be allowed to come in contact with anyone for 2 whole weeks.
Now, if you cannot go to the back to take care of bills, how will the issues be handled?
While you can practice steps such as online deposits and withdrawals, these cannot be enough to depend upon. What you need in this case is to designate a POA to handle your important matters as you are in quarantine.
Assign a POA for Healthcare
The coronavirus pandemic is such that you might be rushed to hospital with a medical emergency at any time.
As an adult, you have the capacity to make decisions the right way, and everyone will respect these decisions. However, the decisions only stand when you are in your right mind.
However, times come when you don’t have the capacity to make these decisions and you need someone to do it for you. For this to work, you need a legal document called the POA for healthcare, otherwise called the health care proxy.
The coronavirus isn’t a condition that you can joke with. This is because it takes you down faster than other conditions. With this in mind, and the current state of uncertainty, you need to assign someone to handle the decision making part for you.
Well, you might not want another person to make vital decisions for you and it is fully understood, bit you might still want to have a friend or a family member to make sure you receive the best care.
For them to have full access to your health records and recommend care, you will have to give them special authorization.
Protect Your Kids
The coronavirus has become a mystery that scientists are struggling to come to terms with. Countries all across the world are coming up with centers to try and handle the virus the right way.
Many people think that they can come up with a letter before they take off for a vacation and it becomes legally binding – wrong. What you need is to talk to an estate planning lawyer to assist you have a will for your kids. Discuss the kids’ care, and how the kid needs to be protected. Make sure it is done with witnesses around, to avoid issues in future.
In Closing
Coronavirus is here with us, and it is causing anguish across the world as we speak. We need to make sure we are prepared for any eventuality. Take time to talk to an estate planning attorney to advice you on what to do.
