Only on mumsnet do people prep.

[Notlong20]

There is not one person I know in real life that is prepping for a coronavirus outbreak. In fact, no one I speak to even mentions the threat of the virus.

Of course we know of it as the hysteria surrounding it is all over the news / social media, but aibu to think preppers only exist on mumsnet?

I don't believe prepping is necessary so this is all a hypothetical to me, but actively taking steps to avoid sharing your food and medical supplies with friends and neighbours is obviously extremely selfish. You can't really argue against that.

@gamerchick well that’s exactly what they can say, because preppers won’t share their prepping wisdom! First rule and all that

Judging by the out of stock items whilst doing my Ocado order, I’m pretty confident that quite a lot of people are prepping to at least some degree

Happy to share wisdom OP. It's up to people if they want to listen or not

People can't say you can't be arsed though and say it's selfish if people don't share. Its just too funny.

I'm glad I've prepped because it looks like people are starting to panic buy. Now that empties shelves.

the cranks who do it all the time really need to get jobs or read a big book

The Stand, The Postman, One Second After, The Death of Grass, The Road, Station 11. I’ve read far too much dystopian fiction not to stick a few tins of chilli in the spare room.

People can't say you can't be arsed though and say it's selfish if people don't share. Its just too funny

Why not? Do you think the former negates the latter?

At work (education field) we are talking about the high stats and discussing the non-perishable foods that we have already purchased in case widespread quarantine happens with little notice. On a technical course today with new people from different fields (haulage, industry) I was surprised at the awareness and level of preparation taking place. Also we discussed with concern the vulnerable general public who may struggle to access additional support if quarantine takes place. Most people I have spoken to are planning for around a month with restrictions as there may not be a clear fortnight due to additional moving of already ill people to specialist facilities (providing they are not swamped). I live near a large hospital and on a recent visit for a minor procedure noted a separate entrance has already been set up to channel people away from the other entrances, with signs on the doors for Covid-19 and to confirm it is not an entrance to reach other areas within the hospital.

I do not think this is a secret, but a personal choice. Stock up on items that you would use over the next six months if you would rather not queue or be disappointed later should your area be affected. If you want to take a chance go ahead, but preppers are not really being selfish. By stocking up now I will be one fewer person queuing for food and potentially spreading the virus if it hits my area.

Well, I don't think I know any but as a PP said, they probably wouldn't volunteer that info anyway.

I'll be honest, I do find it a bit odd and wonder if preppers have a bit too much time on their hands, especially the Brexit one.

However, my eldest DS made a good point - that if you're going to take up a hobby, it's probably one of the better options!

@Sofonisba

I don’t think it’s fair to actively not be prepared to prepare your family, say baaaah what’s the panic and by the same token expect someone who has kept a watch eye, and an it can’t hurt mindset to fill the gap left by someone else’s refusal to ‘panic’ (in fact read some facts, follow a couple of key scientists on Twitter and decide yep, shit’s getting real now).

Bizarre.

It’s just not something anyone I know is doing, so wondered if it was the same for others!

It's not something you know that anyone you know is doing, you mean...

I think the word "prepping" is very emotive and invokes images of crazy Americans hunkering in cellars with 2 years worth of food.

Ever since the fuel strikes I have always ensured we have 2+ weeks of food in stock. When the fuel strike happened we had 2 young children and the nearest supermarket was 6 miles away. We ran low on food and our milkman stopped delivering so no milk. It was frightening.

I now have enough food in a cupboard in the garage to last us 2 - 3 weeks if necessary. Some of the meals would be odd but we wouldn't go hungry. If I didnt live rurally I probably wouldn't have as much in store.

I don't talk about it IRL. purely because the conversation has never arisen. If it did then I would happily admit to it as I'm not furtive about it and I don't believe a scenario where my neighbours will read my stash in desperation is likely.

I have bought some extra paracetamol because of the Covid19 issue. I haven't bought any facemasks.

I personally do not understand the panic, as usual the media are scaremongering, no different to the Avian/bird flu and Brexit.

Presenting it as "won't share with starving neighbour" isn't really what it is though. You actually want people to go and prep for themselves, not just think "oh well I'll get something from so and so, they've got loads". Telling people you've got loads of stuff can make them decide not to bother themselves (the very opposite of what you want), and think that they'll just get some from you, and then suddenly your careful preps (which let's face it may well be only enough for about three weeks anyway) are half as useful.

It doesn't stop you actually sharing things with people if necessary (and lots of people will prepare for possible events with that very thing in mind) but that's completely different from announcing it in advance of the sharing. (There are actually specific things I have got more of because I want to have enough to share.)

Prepping and sharing are not mutually exclusive. Prepping sensibly (so you actually have stuff to share) is however mutually exclusive with telling the world and their dog exactly what you've got. It really is a bit of a daft thing to tell people in advance. If I did that I would also really worry about people thinking I had way more than I actually have, and potentially getting aggressive when asking for it.

Having said that, I discuss it quite openly with my family and close friends (who are doing similar things, in many cases). But colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances? I really don't want loads of random people thinking of my house as a potential food bank when it really isn't - there's just not enough! People who are capable really do have to get on with thinking about this for themselves.

I do not feel panic, but practically feel a drive to have the option to avoid groups if it hits my area and / or if the supply chains to my area are affected. The difference with Covid-19 and other illnesses is that the level of contagion seems high and none of us have innate existing immunity, so if one family member get it the rest probably will before symptoms arise. While it appears no children are dying and below 40 years the chance of recovery is extremely high, I would struggle to look after my DC if I was ill and would rather have extra food in so we can avoid shopping to reduce the chance of catching it or have things in if we are all ill. If it blows over my extra cans and pasta will all be eaten over the next six months.

My DS & BIL have got £150 worth of non-perishable food, long life milk, toilet roll & soap in! I thought they were mad but when you think how the country shuts down when theres 2 days of snow, maybe there will be chaos in the shops! (I still dont see it as being worse than normal flu outbreak tho!)

Forgot to add, if it all comes to nothing, they plan to donate their stash to a food bank, so no losers really!

@frankie001

Brilliant ;)

I know a few people who prep and I always wonder if they are on MN or not because people are even more secretive about being on mumsnet than they are about prepping (which is saying something). I think at least one person I know must be because we always are reading similar things and watching similar things and know things all of which I've read about or been recommended on here. And the prepping thing.

Yesterday I took two 'prep boxes' to a near-neighbour who is fucked (medically and financially).

I'm not doing that for anyone who has the ability and capacity to plan ahead, no - certainly not while they're expending their time and energy mocking people like me for giving a shit.

I buy stuff that I use when it's on offer so I often have a stash of say soap or conditioner or soup, that's just habit

I said about paracetamol earlier but I also always have a spare long life milk and a couple of big bottles of water
The water is because of this https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-41241281 I woke up to a text saying we couldn't drink the water, I'm immunocompromised and we had no drinking water for nearly a month. Water was sold out everywhere, no bottles to be seen
It's cheap bottled water, every so often I use it up by filling up my car washer bottle and buy some more

@Bouncingbelle I gave lot of my 'Brexit stash' to the local food bank, some to a homeless project, and the rest we are just using up as normal.

I like being in the habit of planning and checking stocks & dates - less wasteful. Much calmer.

preppers won’t share their prepping wisdom!
Of course they share their prepping wisdom, hence the Prepping threads and Prepping board. What won't do is share their supplies.

I had no paracetamol and nobody to get me any.

II was in the same situation and actually paid for same day delivery from Sainsbury'sblush
I haven't learned....

Me too

I came down with flu and was too unwell to walk or get a taxi to,buy lemsip. So I posted here. Then joined Amazon Prime Now and got lemsipmdelivered within the hour

In a quarantine situation will deliveries still be running?
The drivers will want to be with their families and not risk picking it up?

It is probably worth always having pain / temperature relief at home and it has a good shelf-life.