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?

Still reading the article OYBBK. Taking a while. I understood most of it. Going to read and check some words in a dictionary before clicking the English button.

I’m in rural north wales so don’t feel like we’ll be too troubled initially by outbreaks but if shortages occur we are one of the first places the government stop giving a cuck abouf. I’m most concerned about shortages and, in the event of a complete breakdown of society, possibly being overrun by people fleeing to the mountains!

AlohaMolly that’s what I think our biggest risk will be, short of a mutation or similar.

Not the virus itself, more the knock on effects of supply chain, utility interruptions.

We’ve already seen shortages everywhere of anti-bac and masks, it’s only a matter of time before people revert to “1 inch of snow” mode and clear out the shelves.

I think we’re going to experience issues as well once stocks of certain things here run out - I don’t think people realise just how much stuff is manufactured in China (even component parts of stuff assembled here is often made in China).

That last part wasn’t really a SHTF observation, more speculation if there will be a shift in the worlds economy - America is already talking about how to seize back some economic power while China is weak.

Did anyone else see an article this morning that 20 of those in quarantine have tested positive? I looked at thr news first thing, saw the headline went downstairs told DP but when I've looked again I can't see anything. Wondering if I'm imagining it in a half asleep state.

OYBBK posted and article yesterday about the French plane and updated this morning.

I said this earlier but, unless the virus mutates and gets more severe, three quarters of those who get it experience only mild symptoms.

I think there is a lot of unnecessary panic on here!

Surgical masks are pretty useless unless they cover your eyes as well. Also, they’re extremely uncomfortable to wear.

The mirror is reporting that a man cured himself of Coronavirus in the Uk with a glass of hot whisky

Better add whiskey to the list then

This is reassuring:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7959643/First-Briton-contract-coronavirus-claims-shook-infection-hot-toddy-whisky.html

I said this earlier but, unless the virus mutates and gets more severe, three quarters of those who get it experience only mild symptoms.

Can we be certain of that at this stage?

Nemo he's from the UK but living in Wuhan, not in the UK.

I said this earlier but, unless the virus mutates and gets more severe, three quarters of those who get it experience only mild symptoms.

How do you know this? Because the stats are all over the place and certainly don't support this. The official numbers are currently 362 dead but only 489 recovered.

All reports suggest that the vast majority of people can't get anywhere near a hospital and even if they do there is no ability to test most people so the number of people infected is likely to be far higher than the official number this morning of 17,459.

The hot toddy story is complete BS.

I think my stash would only last 4 days but better than nothing. I do have excessive amounts of bleach and clinical sanitizer along with lots of pain killers...

MissPoldark yes it is hard to know how that figure has been arrived at if the number of full recoveries is only a similar number as fatalities.

What's also rather worrying about the UK man is that, although he seems to have had a mild version, he was still struggling to breathe at one point and used his inhaler. Most people don't have inhalers.

This whole situation is so incredibly weird. The reaction of the Chinese government coupled with the skewed data is all over the place. The silence in the beginning, the confirmed case and then suddenly a day later the initial source of the outbreak is confirmed. The fact that hospitals are being put up so urgently and the major quarantine are incongruent with the western media's portrayal of the virus.

I'm worried about wider implications like food shortages etc too rather than the virus. I'm immunocompromised with a young child, two older children and a healthy mid-thirties DH but we've stocked up on things to treat at home should we need it. However, we are low income so we don't have the resources for food shortages etc. Planning on stocking up on shelf solid food bit by bit.

@isthepopea yes, and probably quite a dangerous story to be posting. People just won’t take it seriously if they believe that crap

Even, even if the number of severe cases were limited to one in four, then you have to set that against the ease of transmission.

SARS may have been more severe and deadly to the infected individual but this is one of the reasons it didn't spread as quickly.

If only one of the five people in my family end up with pneumonia, on oxygen and in distress I won't be all, "we at least the rest of us got it easy ds2"

Have started to top up my small Brexit stash, mostly getting things we will eventually eat anyway. Haven't got any masks yet, not sure if you can still get any decent ones?

Does anyone know how seriously other European countries are taking this? I keep reading and comparing the UK news to the Swedish news and am baffled by the relaxed approach by the Swedish authorities. The 11 Swedes evacuated yesterday (presumably on the same plane as the second load of British evacuees) have been told to self quarantine at home for a couple of weeks, they make leave their homes for walks outside but should try to avoid going into shops and taking public transport. Adding to this a representative of the equivalent to PHE also claims that it is not contagious before symptoms develop so people are at very low risk. Trying to get my mum, who is over in Sweden and is autoimmune, to stock up on a couple of weeks of essentials but I don't think she will.

Yet at the same time some professor of infectious diseases said on the Swedish state channel news that he probably wouldn't fly to Thailand at the moment (the most popular holiday destination for Swedes this time of year) as an potential outbreak there would mean difficulties for tourists.

I did read the NY Times article which just sums up my suspicions of the scale of this virus. Unfortunately couldn't read the French article as I don't read/speak French. But from what I understand these French passengers would have been on the same flight as the swedes who are self quarantining at home. The Swedish news are reporting that none of the 11 have the virus. But how would they know at this point??

mamapants - I think you possibly misread the news from France: "initial tests carried out on around 20 people who were repatriated to France from China presented negative results for coronavirus, the French junior health minister Adrien Taquet has told BFMTV."

Incubation is reported to be around 14 days and you can be reinfected by the virus after having it. Add that to the fact that you can still infect after your symptoms have gone and I think we're going to see a massive rise in numbers in the coming weeks and months.

China have been underreporting both infection and deaths. Obviously a lack of testing kits is one factor but also the fact that they're not testing the dead, crematoriums are said to be on 24/7 at the moment, there's a huge social media blackout there and the possibility of reinfection for those 'healthy'. Add that to the fact that if you die from underlying health complications exacerbated by the novel coronavirus you won't get added to the official numbers.

If anyone is on snapchat, open the map and head to the hot spots in Wuhan. There's not a lot as per the blackout but what is posted is harrowing. It's an absolute ghost town.

It's also extremely telling that the Chinese government are not reacting as if it's normal flu season. They're taking the hit on the economy. This is big.

I agree. Things are about to get way more serious.