Prepping for a pandemic 2

[wheresmymojo]

Second thread on prepping for a potential Coronavirus pandemic...following the latest news and information as well as prepping info.

When quoting estimates like mortality rates, replication rates, incubation periods and similar I try to stick to evidence based, scientific studies and will link to sources (unless already linked to them previously).

Generally speaking I use reputable sources of information like well regarded news outlets for other information and will provide links.

Sometimes I may post things outside of this as 'interesting' or such like. I will always caveat these as to be taken with caution.

As much as possible I am attempting not to link to fake news. It's an evolving picture so may not be 100% successful but if something is later shown to be incorrect I will post a correction.

I always try and stay stocked up anyway as it makes me feel organised but after having DS before Christmas I let things slide.
I’ve topped up my medicine stash, done an online shop which has all the staples and things like loo roll etc, already have a good stash of tins, pulses, pasta, toothpaste, soap, washing powder, bottled water, that kind of stuff...
Also added antibac hand wash and cleaners - which I use anyway but have been running low - and wipes, formula and nappies for DS.

I’ve got a Cook frozen meals order coming as I’ve got no time for proper cooking at the moment and have got a load of frozen veg and fruit in the extra freezer.
Our water is due to go off for 24 hours next week for some works and it’s so much nicer not to have to worry because I already have a stash of bottles ready to go - this is exactly why I like prepping and the virus situation has just made me get back on top of it so this thread has been very useful.

Today I went to a pharmacy in France and asked if they have face masks. Yes, they said. The regular ones (not N95). They were selling them €1 each - about 10 times the normal price in HK/Taiwan. Of course, they’re impossible to find now in HK - but €50 for a box of 50! This would last our family 3 days in HK. And they were not even individually wrapped, the lady who was showing them to me kept touching them. 🙄

Thankfully we’ve got reusable respirators with spare filters, but honestly the situation in HK is dire. People are using the same disposable mask for days on end as they can’t find new ones anywhere. Even the government can’t source any for hospital workers.

BTW I’m not suggesting that the French pharmacy was profiteering. Apparently they had been told by the supplier (who put their prices up) to sell them €2.50 each, but decided that was excessive.

Notyourtypical it may not be worse than the flu but a) the flu still kills a lot of people each year and b) because large numbers of vulnerable individuals, the elderly, children and frontline personnel are vaccinated every year AND because flu has been around for a long time people may have some natural immunity from a similar previous strain, so we don't all get flu and certainly not all at once. We have no natural immunity to n-cov and noone will be protected by a vaccine.

Medics are experienced at managing flu complications and we have an antiviral that has some efficacy.

Oh, and we may well have to deal with this on top of the usual seasonal flu epidemic, as the poor people in Wuhan are.

You're DH may come to appreciate your prep; let's hope none of us need it.

Maybe in France they stave off an outbreak by buying up all those aerosols filled with water and just continually spray it around their head like those misted cabbages in fancy supermarkets?

This thread is useful. I'm not a "pepper" by anyone's standards but a few years ago all 4 of us got norovirus and ran out of supplies, with no one well enough to go to the shops. It was awful.

I vowed then never to get in that situation again and have since kept stocks of medicine, loo rolls, sanitary protection, store cupboard food etc. A couple of times since I have been greatful for it and had to replace my stash. It's not just illness, or fear of National emergency, a family crisis can totally throw you and mean you forget to shop for essentials....

I am worried about this virus as I have scarred lungs from previous pneumonia. I have bought extra soap, Dettoll spray, hand gel and some extras for the store cupboard, but no masks. For me it feels like if we get to the situation of needing masks it's game over anyway, from what I have read they are not very effective. And they are all sold out locally anyway.

NHS 111 Coronavirus Pods coming now to every A&E in the UK.

Those ‘pods’ are for paranoid people, not actual cases. They’re to prevent resources being diverted from actual patients by people who have a bit of a cough and an internet driven anxiety.

The pods are for people who ignore advice to phone 111. Anyone who experiences symptoms, even mild ones, having recently travelled from several Asian countries is supposed to phone 111. That will be an awful lot of people given it is cold and flue season.

ha! flu, not flue!

A conference centre in Milton Keynes is being for the Sunday arrivals.

I wonder how using these conference centres work? How do they all shower?

Milton Keynes isn't close to any of the four hospitals the gov have identified patients will be sent to.
And a conference centre is a strange choice of place. So bizarre

Many conference centres have hotel accommodation attached.

That's true. It's still a while away from either of the 4 hospitals they have stated in the docs that they will use. I just find it strange.

Not for any particular reason. I'm not suggesting anything. I just find it strange

They really aren’t expecting any of the new lot to be infected, so maybe they’re saving more or prime locations in case they’re needed for people who are unwell?!

It’s all speculation just now. I guess it makes sense to someone & we will find out their reasoning eventually.

Maybe lots of places are booked up already, or partially booked.

Could be the first place in the phone book that was vacant and would agree to take them.

My DM is with us this weekend so won't be posting as much as usual...

Bad news this morning is that medical experts in Shanghai are saying that the virus is spread by aerosol.

That means someone doesn't need to cough or sneeze - they also exhale micro droplets when talking which if inhaled can transmit the virus.

To date it was thought it had to be via sneeze/cough (I.e. larger droplets)

No idea if this has been peer reviewed

twitter.com/williamyang120/status/1226051848068448256?s=21

Don't know if someone already posted the stats as just about to catch up but latest stats from China are:

Confirmed cases 34546, adding more than 3399.

The number of suspected cases is at 27657, adding 4214 more cases.

The death toll is now at 722, adding 86.

The number of recovered is at 2050.

Round up of various other bits of news:

7 new cases in Thailand, total now 32.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-thailand/thailand-reports-seven-new-coronavirus-cases-health-ministry-idUSKBN20207G?utmsource=reddit.comm_
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HK Govt already down to their last 12m masks and trying to buy in more:_

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3049631/hong-kong-government-goes-global-search-facee_
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Interesting article in Bloomberg on the impact to Chinese businesses
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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-02/coronavirus-forces-world-s-largest-work-from-home-experimentt_
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Three more people have been confirmed on the Diamond Princess(?) cruise bringing the total to 64 people

Very sad - list of people who have died fighting the virus (e.g. health workers), many from the impact of extreme exhaustion
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https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinaa_Flu/comments/f0f634/alisttofpeopleethatdieddfightingtheevirus/

An answer about what happens to 14 day quarantine on a cruise ship when new cases are arising

wheresmymojo are they only testing people showing symptoms? If so, that's bizarre! They should just test everyone.

If it's true about that aerosol transmission, do you think that means the case for face masks is stronger? Or can these micro particles penetrate a mask?