Starter list: Prepping for coronavirus

[AnUnlikelyWorldofInvisibleShad]

I'm starting to get a little concerned about being put on a lockdown in the event of coronavirus hitting the UK. I am going to stock up on some bits to get us through in the event of this but what should I get? I've only just started thinking about this and want to make sure I'm not forgetting anything vital.

I would start with medicines like nurofen and paracetamol. Uht milk. Washing powder, toilet roll...

Alcohol hand gel greater than 60% alcohol.

Dettol

Soap

Two weeks worth of food, think breakfast lunch tea, snacks, drinks. If things aren't going to last two weeks, think of an alternative, Eg dried milk?

Think personal hygiene and cleaning.

Think entertainment, Eg a new toy, book, craft set etc.

There is a thread on this board with a list of food people have bought. Choose what you eat for your family, think of ingredients that will make whole meals. Eg pasta, sauce,tinned veg, beans or meat, juice, pudding?

Think about first aid supplies.

See Brexit board, non food preps.

Buy what your family will eat. You may have to solve problems with a different solution for different members. ( Eg DD has soya milk, Ds will have dried milk or maybe pasta for breakfast)

Multi vitamins.

Think about food you would want to eat if poorly. Eg soup, jelly,

Thinks easy to prepare, Eg cup a soup, cous cous.

Hand cream- Norwegian formula type thing. My hands are dry from constant washing

And sudocreme for cracks on hands too. Both good. Norwegian formula is very good preventative.

Thank you for the replies. I have just placed an online order and will add to it after that every time I go to the shop. Fingers crossed we dont need it.

adding useful posts by other posters from threads one, to five... this from thread three:

ofwarren Tue 11-Feb-20 07:42:01

As we are already talking about kids with low immune systems, I will share a few ways we try and keep our son safe at school at the moment. They may be suitable for the coronavirus.
School uniform carries a lot of germs at the end of the day according to medical papers I read, so I take it off straight away and either wash in Dettol washing liquid (it's in the laundry aisle) or I put it in a carrier bag in the freezer overnight. The flu virus dies when frozen and obviously I don't know about Corona but it's possibly the same.
When he comes out of school I use hand gel straight away. Lots of it.
He has a thorough hand wash when he gets in.
Even though he is only 5 it is drummed into him to not touch his face or mouth and he washes his hands lots through the day and I've supplied his teacher with a hand gel which is on her desk.
On the school run I make sure he doesn't touch the buttons on the road crossing, in fact even I touch it with a tissue and throw it away.
He doesn't eat anything that other children bring in school or that is made in class and I know it sounds mean, but he doesn't attend class parties that are at soft play. At other parties I bring his own food to eat.
There is probably more and I'll put them on here when I think of them.

SlayB Thu 13-Feb-20 09:55:08

@Burpeesshmurpees So vile aren't they ?

Guide to hand gel use method www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=q5l0Z88kMg0&feature=emb_logo

How long does everyone think we need to stock for? Two weeks? A month?

Think about food in the context of things that are easy to prep if the main chef is unwell - so a couple of jars of pasta sauce even if you normally make your pasta sauce from an onion, garlic and tin of tomatoes....

Foods that you like to eat if you are unwell - soup, bread for toast/sandwiches (freeze it, buy part-baked rolls, or ingredients to make your own bread if you have that skill), biscuits with tea....etc

And also, strangely, if you are in lockdown but still well - food that you enjoy, takes a while to cook and hence you rarely have. Like a proper roast, or slow cooked curries or stews etc. Because you won't have the daily commute even if you are still working, and will probably have time to fill so making cooking and eating enjoyable seems sensible to me. (And with most of those meals, there can be leftovers to enjoy in various ways over the following few days or to freeze for a number of days later).

And also think about ingredients that will make basic ingredients better or more interesting - herbs and spices, marinades, etc. Plain chicken breasts can be pepped up with some garlic and lemon one day, but with tikka paste the next and then made into fajitas/tacos on the 3rd day, and mushrooms with a cream/white wine sauce day 4- same basic ingredient but different carb (potatoes or couscous day 1, rice day 2, wraps (and maybe some mexicanised rice) day 3, and rice or pasta or potatoes day 4) and different flavours daily making it very different. (I just realised, you'd probably want the white wine/cream option earlier - as the cream is the most likely to go off quickly).

@AltheaVestr1t , the self isolation period seems to be two weeks. So that seems to be a figure to work with.
Three principles to consider if you have never done it before:

1. Don't get hung up about fabulous gourmet- it's only two weeks. Pasta in a sauce/something in a curry sauce/miscellaneous freezer meal is as fine, if a bit repetitive.
2. Check your cupboards first. You might already have some building blocks.
3. You are not going to "become a prepper " unless it's an idea that interests you longer term. I am a general prepper. It's not the same as getting extra in for a possible two week self isolation. The Germans call it being a hamster. I've tried to use a general prepper term "homesteading ". I think the term "hamster" works better for most people.

Soap and enough clean towels is a good idea to think about too. A big roll of black plastic bags - cheap will do - because someone in self isolation is supposed to double bag tissue waste etc.