Prepping for pandemic...

[wheresmymojo]

I was quite blasé about the novel corona virus outbreak but things I've read today have changed my mind.

I'm not usually a prepper but best things to stock up on for a pandemic?

Surgical face masks?
Latex gloves?
Anti bac wipes and hand wash?

They are meant as an alternative to hand washing, so as pp said you hand gels don't work but I thought these might. Maybe to use them on trolleys, door handles,!phones, etc. They kill norovirus, hiv, and a number of other nasty viruses. So I was hoping they would kill this one to

People keep saying that antibacterial gels/wipes etc won't work on viruses, often in a way which implies the poster is a bit hard of understanding. It's true that antibacterial doesn't mean antiviral, however alcohol does work on enveloped viruses which the corona virus is and many of these products are alcohol based.

It's just been on the news that there should be a vaccine ready by the end of the year

These kill viruses, it mentions coronavirus on the packet but not sure if effective against the new strain but worth a shot. I always have these in the house for wiping down surfaces if people do not wash their hands

You have to wipe for a while, 30 seconds or more.

I suppose it helps but don't get complacent.

People keep saying that antibacterial gels/wipes etc won't work on viruses, often in a way which implies the poster is a bit hard of understanding

I'm not implying that at all.

Maybe to use them on trolleys, door handles,!phones, etc

I would use them on exactly those types of things. My colleague is wearing disposable gloves when out and about. Id rather use wipes, even though they're both made from plastic.

Tell you what its2019ffs you could make a bit of coin selling those if you've got a shed load

Gamer chick, I'll wait until shit hits the fan and I'll charge for them

That's the spirit

to who asked how many surgical masks to buy, I bought 150 from a UK supplier on Amazon but they are sold out now, You are supposed to use one once only for a maximum of 8 hours

I find it bizarre that people pop on to Prepper threads and then get dirty gutsed about people who are prepping.

I mean what business is it of anyone else if someone has some face masks and extra tins in their cupboards?

Weird

I think it's quite positive that there are no local epidemics outside of China yet.

I wonder though if the virus peaks in China and starts to reduce due to the measures in place there might be a risk of a second wave as people become more lax, travel restrictions are lifted but the virus is still around (albeit smaller numbers) IYSWIM.

It's quite interesting to follow and observe...

You are supposed to use one once only for a maximum of 8 hours

We'd need hundreds then Could the surgical masks be washed in soapy water/disinfectant and reused if desperate or does that make them useless?

Some good news for our particular demographic...a study of 99 of the earlier group of people infected has shown that on average the more serious symptoms tend to impact older men with previous conditions.

67 of the 99 were men

The average age was 55

51 of 99 had underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular issues

At the time of writing the report 28 of the 99 had died and 31 had recovered.

marlin-prod.literatumonline.com/pb-assets/Lancet/pdfs/S0140673620302117.pdf

A good reminder to think about parents/grandparents as well as your own household (unless you don't like them!)

My brother is off to Thailand next week and I’m worried sick

If it's the paper/plastic sort then it would be like trying to wash a sanitary towel.

I would think that if you want to buy them, then buy them for the purpose of using them it starts circulating in your local community. At that point you'd be limiting your contact with people anyway.

If people start buying them to wear them early on, or buy lots and lots, then people won't be able to get them when they are actually needed. Facemasks are going to be much more effective if they are available for all, because they work best at stopping infected people from spreading things as much.

With some aspects of prepping forward purchasing takes pressure off the system during times of crisis. But in this case, with the Chinese unable to keep up with enough facemasks for themselves, never mind for export, it's not a case of them simply ramping up production.

So I guess what I'm saying, is be realistic and sensible, rather than stockpiling lots and lots.

It's not terribly good news mojo, I'd rather miss DH!

I agree OYBBK, it’s ridiculous for people to buy and hoard so many masks, as it risks creating shortages for those who REALLY need them and that’s bad for all of us.

Wheresmymojo

Would that reflect smoking demographics in China?

Thinking of the sex difference.

Ah! The "don't spend your own money how you choose because other people want to buy it" argument. It is the duty of government to reassure its citizens. Hence tbe quarantine, tbe flight ban etc etc. Unless it takes (or is at least seen to take) a better approach, what do you expect.
Handing out leaflets apparently only in English to people arriving on Chinese flights about what to do if they have concerns, was a poor initial response. Spoiler Alert: not everyone speaks/reads English.
Thankfully, the response has improved.

@Bringmethesunshine I would say that it's still not a great concern to be travelling in Thailand - there's no evidence yet of a local epidemic there.

I would say you would only need to worry if a local epidemic kicks off (that is it starts spreading within that country).

Until then it really isn't worth worrying about other than him keeping an eye on how things develop before he's due to go.

I would say though if I was him I would make sure if I had any prescriptions that I took extra medication with me just in case of the (still very small) risk we couldn't leave when we planned to.

@JulietJanuary That's a good point - hadn't thought of that!

Ah see I never did prep for credit but I do plan for unexpected events and illness. I think it's common sense personally.
I don't have a bunker and excessive amounts but I do have medicines/cleaning stuff/hygeine etc. I'm not sure I would cope with any kind of power outage but I am prepping for illness or loss of pay etc.

I have brought extra medical supplies because of coronavirus but it's nothing that would be wasted anyway.