Are you doing anything to prepare for a second wave?

[Emlou07]

Historically we are going to get one. Seeing pictures of places rammed is scary.

So if so, what are you doing to prepare? If only to make another potential lockdown a bit easier.

I've been picking up a couple of extra tins a week and some UHT milk. I've also put some bits aside for the kids to keep them entertained.

Prepare why? we are still in the middle of lockdown it's only relaxing it's not over .
That's like preparing for your next holiday in the middle of a holiday.
If we do have a 2nd wave it best happen quickly as the furloughed scheme is being phased out and no chance of the country lockdown for 10+ weeks again .
People need to work if they are not getting help from the government we will have to work anyway , this is a one off .
The virus will be around for a while there will be no lockdown again after this .

“The only reason why there were shortages in the shops was because of all this prepping.” - is such a dumb take. The only reason people panic bought was because they weren’t prepared!

But surely if everyone decides now to prep, there will be shortages?

What do you need to be prepared for? I don't know anyone who couldn't get food.

And the supply chain can absorb small % increases in buying volumes over coming months much better than it can handle a sudden panic spike in some random winter month.

Yup. The people who had prepped well in advance were the ones who weren't in the shops in March panic buying. The number of people unable to tell the difference between the two is bizarre.

Also whoever said donate to food banks in preparation, good call.

Sorry if I'm pointing out the bleedin' obvious here, but I really resent the narrative being forced upon others that if you are at all concerned about this pandemic going forward you are in some way "hysterical", calling people dementors, and basically ridiculing them. It's tantamount to bullying and regardless of how subtle they think they are, it's completely transparent.

I choose to be prepared, so I don't have to panic buy if it gets worse again. I say if because I cannot predict the future better than anyone else can and would rather have supplies and not need them, than the other way around.

Let's stop trying to "educate"each other please, we are all adults.

I don’t really get what you mean? I wasn’t ‘prepared’... and we were fine. Were able to get everything we needed.

That's great for you, but I was not able to. I have dietary requirements like gluten free, and many foods I cannot eat, and found that some products had sold out completely, which surprised me. I've struggled a bit throughout the 10 weeks of lockdown to get enough of the foods I can eat - such as plain frozen white fish, for some reason it was often sold out. I rely on online shopping as I'm disabled and can't go out. If I hadn't had various tinned and dried foods in I would have been in a lot of trouble as I'm already underweight. Even so, I was hungrier than usual until supermarkets got their online deliveries sorted out.

I don't think I'll bother stockpiling food, I've found I've had plenty this time around... just had to be a bit flexible.

To prepare for a second wave I'm:

Losing weight
Improving my health (exercise, healthy food, sleep, vitamins)
Upgrading technology
Buying a decent winter wardrobe (wellies, waterproofs, jumpers, thermal undies) so we can get outdoors if lockdown happens in winter.

The people who had prepped well in advance were the ones who weren't in the shops in March panic buying. The number of people unable to tell the difference between the two is bizarre.

I continued to do my normal weekly shop throughout but had 2 weeks when I had to buy different stuff because what I wanted wasn’t available. We’re a family of 5 and with 2 fridge freezer I still can’t buy enough for 2 weeks. Many people are paid weekly so can’t buy 2 weeks in one go so it’s a privilege being able to. On the plus side, I found and amazing bakery nearby. Which also might be why I’m a stone heavier

If you were doing your normal weekly shop that isn't panic buying then?

I think people are assuming that if you don’t ‘prep’, then the only alternative is that you ‘panic buy‘, when actually it’s completely possible to do neither! We certainly didn’t do either of those things, and we were absolutely fine.
If you want to prep and have the means to then that’s great. But don’t assume that for those of us who don’t, we then ran out and panic bought, or had to go without anything. We were fine. No wiping our bums on leaves or anything.

I wish people wouldn't compare us to other country's who haven't had a second wave. They had much lower cases, much lower death rate and we are releasing lock down with a hugely higher level of infection still in place. You carnt compare.

I still have stock leftover from before the lockdown. I'm gonna stock up on items that I couldn't get hold of such as toilet roll, medication, handwash, sanitisers etc.

Buying a couple of extra tins a week is not panic buying. Going to the shops and buying 10 of everything, things you don't need and wont use, is panic buying.

An extra pack of paper and some more craft supplies for the kids isn't panic buying

This makes no sense, unless you've been buying a couple of extra tins for a year how would you have enough tins to sustain a family for months of isolation & no deliveries/shop visits?

Plus people are talking about winter wollies which will have been ordered already & shops (due to lead times) will not be able to get anymore).

I find the whole idea of prepping for a 2nd wave apocalypse weird. I mean if it really was apocalyptic & shops were out of everything would you be happily baking bread with your flour or yeast or would you be guarding that stockpile with your life? And if I did get Covid & was ill the last thing I would be doing is defrosting my frozen fruit & veg, I'd probably just eat toast.

@lynsey91 I don't have 2 weeks of food because
I don't have the space
The shops aren't going to close so I can always get to one
Buying anymore than a week for us ends up in waste/half the ingredients missing so have to go back out anyway and I end up buying more crap.
Our method of shopping works for us, I never panic bought and didn't go without, others can keep a stockpile and that works for them.

It's the not being able to comprehend why someone may not chose to do what they do which I find odd

Keep up to date with hair cuts and next season clothes! Didn’t have a problem with food but I have a lack of shoes and summer clothes for everyone! Clothes can get online I guess but my youngest needs to try shoes on really.

Hate, hate, hate these threads! No need for any stocking up or anything.
Even if you do get ill and have to isolate, every area has a plan in place to help those people with shopping.
Stop being selfish and shop like you normally would.
People who are bleating on about second waves, stockpiling etc. Are no better than the panic inducing media in my opinion.

Anyway the only thing we’re doing is turning the playroom into a home office, as DH has been told he won’t be back in the office until next January at the earliest. Which is a bit shit for the kids who also can’t go to school or play with their friends, but he can’t work on the bed for much longer, it’s damaging his back.

Most people experienced at least some supply issues, in fact many still are, flour, yeast and eggs still being difficult to buy in the supermarkets in my area. This is not due to shortages but the packaging required, i believe.

For a lot of people having a sensible back up plan, (i.e. being prepared) means they can worry less.

Admittedly I didn’t try to buy yeast as I don’t bake my own bread, but we never had an issue getting flour or eggs.

I didn't know I was a prepper until I came to MN. I've always tried to keep a good stock of non perishables but I'm probably more organised about it now. There are two medium sized supermarkets where I live and both are poor at maintaining adequate stock of everyday items even under normal conditions and take considerable time to catch up if there is increased demand for certain items. We had a snow a few years ago, roads weren't blocked but the supply chain was still disrupted and it took a month for the supermarket shelves to get back to normal afterwards. More than two months after panic buying and lockdown we still have some shortages so I will continue to make sure I'm stocked up. I live alone but am not in a shielded or vulnerable so would find it difficult to get a delivery slot if there is a second wave.
I don't understand how people think that keeping a good supply of essentials in leads to shortages, I would argue that the preppers are the people not panic buying as they have no need to which is good news for people who have neither the space or funds to buy more than they need for the next few days.

Okay so the consensus seems to be some will be prepared just in case, and others will not. Luckily for us we all have the right to do what we feel is right for us. Although I never see preppers talking about how stupid non preppers are.

Yes, flour and eggs were difficult to get, the egg problem seems to have resolved now but flour is still difficult, so I managed to find another online supplier and now have a stock that will last over summer for breadmaking.

@menora but there are community
groups to help. You have no friends of family? Also do most people really have a completey bare cupboard & freezer before their next shop arrives?

It's to do with the science, and the experts who quote the science, Alaska.

@eckhart I see, I was only kind of half listening then but that’s what we have been told, a surge in July is looking unlikely as well and the first one never happened, which is good as we were told to prepare for a tsunami but it is really tiring now

I've been gobsmacked by how much food our family have gone through since we are all eating in the home. A couple of extra tins & bag of pasta would last maybe 2 days not 2 wks!