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.

No I know it won't secure any kind of immunity. And that you can get it again and again and again.
But then my understanding is that that's the same with norovirus. And as much as we avoid places like hospitals when that's going around, and school if you're immunosuppressed. We don't stop going about daily life. For the average healthy person, would it be better to carry on and try and get over it quickly instead of waiting for services you may need to be overstretched later?

As a disclaimer, I'm not sure either way so keen for opinions? And I'm talking specifically in the context of it being endemic and it being something we will all come into contact with anyway. Which is how it's being portrayed in the US.

Not necessarily pp but I'm fed up of the "it's no worse than flu" narrative. Why would countries spend so much money quarantining people, flying them home, building hospitals, locking down entire cities, Drs around the world working around the clock to find a vaccine, medical staff absolutely exhausted working flat out with no break, people being welded into their apartments, people taken to hospital in boxes on the back of trucks, flights cancelled, conferences cancelled, factories shut down, parents forced to home school, people not allowed off ships etc etc and etc!!
Why would they do that if it's just like flu??

wellididntseethatcoming and in the meantime, while you are going about your business not worrying if you are going to catch it, your kids with a mild dose are passing it on to my kid in school which will kill him.

A GP surgery in Brighton has been closed after a staff member confirmed positive

For the record I would be 100% on board with Wuhan style lockdowns for norovirus. I am very sick phobic though

For the record, I'm not saying I believe it's no worse than the flu. I've seen the YouTube videos of doctors reviewing the research and I've made an informed choice to prep to stay inside for a given amount of time. I did that weeks ago.

What I'm saying is, it's been reported as no worse than the flu so on that basis if that was right, would it be better to catch it earlier when the nhs was in a better shape to deal with it and not further overstretched as it spreads.

I read over the weekend that a female doctor connected with the French outbreak had returned to Brighton. This morning they're reporting that one of the new outbreaks is a male doctor. Apparently a medical centre in Brighton has closed due to operational difficulties - I wonder if there's a connection!

@ifonly4 - looks like you were spot on!

"GP practice in Brighton closes after staff member tests positive for coronavirus"

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51447761

This could potentially be the start of something - imagine how many people will have been to a GP surgery in a few days...

Is that the doctor mojo or another staff member?

That's all very well @wellididntseethatcoming unless everyone has the same thought process and ends up needing ICU at the same time.

A certain percentage of the population at any given time will have immunity to things like flu, norovirus etc so infections are staggered and manageable. Zero people have immunity to cv so it's capable of taking vast numbers down simultaneously.

It's not confirmed yet - just says 'staff member'

Urgh, a GP would have physically touched so many people. I would be so scared living in Brighton right now.

I imagine a GP washes hands before touching a patient, mine does.

It's in your breath though too. No need to touch.

If it's in the air and nhs advice for gps treating patients is to isolate in a room, to not go in and treat them and to call for advice (which it is), then I'd assume the same risk to patients that have been in a room with the gp.
I think on average a gp can see up to around 30 patients a day, but then they may have had close contact with other members of staff and it may be on surfaces?
It is worrying

The confirmed number remains at 8 people, so whoever it is was included in the 4 new cases yesterday

@ShanghaiDiva

I could be wrong but I don't recall many GPs having a sink in their consultation room to wash their hands and I doubt they have chance to run to the toilets to do it between every patient when they are under such pressure to see a patient every 10 mins

Have been following, just seen about the GP surgery closing.

I'm not sure if I'm being over or under cautious. I'm prepping for school/office closing, not wanting to go to shops (I'm in a v busy city), and bedding down if infected & hospitals not functional.
So have have stocked up on -
Dettol spray
Hand soap
Hand gel
Paracetamol
Calpol
Have one large pack of clinell wipes

Then food wise i'm just making sure I have 2 weeks worth of "normal" food in.
Stocked up on extra flour, sugar, baked beans, pasta.

I think I need to stock up my freezer. Thoughts on what I've missed?

Is it time to keep the kids off school? Worried for my 5 month old.

Not if you don't live in Brighton floatygoat I would be considering it if I did.

My GP definitely has a sink in his room and washes his hands between patients (and his is an old surgery, not state of the art).

@wheresmymojo
No sinks, that’s a bit grim! my gp in China has a sink in their room. I thought this was standard!

I'm going on Weds so will definitely be checking, I've never noticed one if they do but maybe I'm just not very observant!

Our GP has sinks in every room.

Ducky, laundry, cleaning, self hygiene, loo roll, breakfasts, lunch, tea, snacks, drinks, first aid, entertainment, homeschooling, work, hobbies etc.

All clinical rooms in gp surgeries have sinks in them and it's common practice to wash hands between patients.