Prepping For A Pandemic ....9

[ItsNotJustTheFuckingFlu]

wheresmojo asked at the end of thread eight if other posters could keep an eye on threads filling up and start new ones if possible as she’s busy this week and may not have the time, saw thread 8 getting full so thought would start number 9 before going to bed. Thank you to ofwarren for the live updates too. I’ve copied and pasted the info that wheresmymojo has included in every thread, hopefully formatting doesn’t mess up.

Anxiety

As Preppers we tend to look at a reasonable worst case scenario to plan for. Everyone is welcome on the thread but if you find it makes you anxious be kind to yourself and think about sticking to once daily updates from the BBC or similar thanks

General COVID Info

The estimated replication rate is R= 2 to 4 based on latest expert estimates. This means each infected person spreads the virus to between 2 and 4 people. Experts estimate that, unchecked, it could infect 60% of the population.

Around 15-20% of cases are thought to be severe - that is resulting in the need for hospitalisation. Around 3-5% requiring ventilation.

The estimated mortality rate is around 1-2% at the moment (compared to 0.01-0.1% for flu). This may change as it is very difficult to estimate mortality.

Children tend to have milder symptoms. Those over 60 with underlying health issues and a history of smoking are more likely to be severe (although not exclusively this type of person).

Spread of COVID

It is estimated that the average incubation period is 3-5 days but can be as long as 24 days.

It can be spread with no symptoms.

It can be spread via droplet (cough/sneeze), aerosol (breathing same air in very close quarters), bodily fluids, fecal/oral route and formites (via surfaces, up to 28 days in the right circumstances but up to 3-5 days in more typical circumstances).

Updates

As this is a novel virus and knowledge is constantly being updated - I will post updates as they become available with links to source.

I am not a medical expert so any opinions or conjecture of my own should be taken with a pinch of salt!

Prepping Scenarios

Most of us are prepping for the following situations:

• Wanting to stay indoors for 2-4 weeks + in case of a local outbreak / schools being closed

• Potentially being ill with a flu type illness lasting 2-3 weeks with one or more of the household having the illness

• Having to take a family member to hospital for COVID or any other reason during an outbreak

Prepping Items

Threads 1&2 have lists of things to think about to prep for the first scenario as do the Brexit prepping threads.

Main differences/additions to something like the Brexit list are:

• Face masks if you can get them for any trips you have to make in public during an outbreak. These don't offer full protection and cannot be 100% relied upon but are probably better than nothing if you make sure you wear them correctly and dispose of them correctly. N95 masks are best but expensive and harder to wear, surgical face masks are second best. Dust masks are not going to help.

• Hand sanitiser needs to be 60% or more alcohol content

• Dettol / bleach / Miltons to disinfect. Not all disinfectants work but these three do

• Plenty of at home/over counter treatments for flu type symptoms should you need to treat at home

• Tissues (lots of) should you catch the virus

• Think about meals that are easy to cook and eat should you be ill or both parents be ill at the same time (soup for example)

• For a potential hospital trip you may want to prep a 'go bag' should you need to take someone to hospital with the virus (or anything else) during an outbreak. See Thread 1&2 for examples of what people are packing

• Frequent and thorough hand washing, not touching your face and social distancing (no handshakes, hugs, etc) are some of the most effective ways to stay virus free

Other Thoughts

India have announced that they are stopping exports of some antibiotics, hormone treatments and vitamin supplements as they rely on China for raw materials.

Many factories that supplied fibre for use in sanitary towels and tampons are being diverted to manufacture face masks. Consider stocking up or changing to sustainable items (cloth STs, mooncup, period pants)

If you bulk buy hand gel with a high alcohol content make sure it is stored somewhere safe other than the one you’re using. It is flammable!

@MoonlightMistletoe he’s out of his depth, way out

I don’t think he’s shitting it over deaths. Maybe over the fact he can’t do his job though

He doesn’t have the empathy to care about the people his incompetence is about to kill

I notice the government action plan references past disease outbreaks to make coronavirus appear more normal. Like this sort of thing happens all the time and they’re used to dealing with it. “Oh well Spanish Flu killed 50 million so therefore COVID-19 isn’t that bad”.

Basically there’s nothing they can do except try to slow it so the NHS can cope. They just don’t want to admit it because it will cause widespread panic. Most of us will catch it. Some of us will die. We just have to ride it out.

I can see why they wouldn't make it an option for people who can to keep their kids from school.

By doing so they would be admitting that your family is safer with your child out of the germ factory (school). The parents that have to work and cannot home educate will be apoplectic that they are being left with no choices.

Wow "the British public don't panic buy, scuff"

"The British are altruistic"

Ah feck I missed it, will it be available on iplayer do you think?

@natoPMT that's exactly what I thought with the flu.
It's all a lot of what ifs and by that time it is to late.
I agree as well that sahp could have their children home from school I would be quite happy to do this.

Wow "the British public don't panic buy, scuff"

"The British are altruistic"

Sounds like war talk

@AlohaMolly channel 2 live now

Ffs re Wimbledon school!

The government in this country really is putting people at risk. They need to step up and fucking govern.

Fuckers

‘Most of us will catch it, some of us will die.’

Oh fuck me it’s pretty apocalyptic atm isn’t it?

I’m trying to gauge when the right time is to have a Serious Chat with DP and try make him see fuxking sense

Or relying on the public to take responsibility for themselves, keep calm & carry on.

Said it earlier but that's really where we are, there's nothing else we can do

lack of policing worries me. It's like giving all the scumbags permission to go rob people. It's bad enough round here as it is :(

Yes I thought it was odd the report starts with a load of historical pandemic info. We are a very different world these days.

Read the whole report, a lot of waffle but basically nothing new. We are still in contain phase, with some actions overlapping with the delay phase. Things like school closure would happen in the full on delay phase IF they feel it would help, but that has to be balanced against keeping the country and economy running. Mitigation phase ditches much of prevention and focuses on trying to provide health care and security with fewer staff. Nothing helpful about how many cases in the UK would trigger a move to another phase of the plan though...
It's all fairly sensible and nothing particularly groundbreaking, as expected. I mean, what else can they do?
People moan about the government worrying about the economy, but it is kind of important.

Altruistic

We are relying on you to feed the vulnerable because we won’t

Just like the vulnerable rely on food banks, stocked by us, not them

I’m getting ragey

Yeah war talk is another way of saying you have to sacrifice to meet our shortcomings

I heard on Irish radio this morning that in New York they've bee. Told to have enough food to quarantine for a month. I'm not sure I have prepped well enough...

I have a nice stockpile built up and some makeshift weapons ready, we need to protect ourselves I think

Thanks Moonlight

Watching it from the start with now. I don’t know who that dude is but he looks like he’s shitting himself and I am too.

Why is he talking about modelling it out now? Surely they should have been doing that already when the figures came out from China?

I can feel my blood level rising just looking at their upper class, rich white man faces.

WitchDoc I think it bothered me because because the question was "should people be prepared with a stock pile, and how would government help stop panic buying"

the answer was "weeeeeell the British public don't tend to panic buy, they just get what they need"

Forgot to do my supermarket update. Our local Morrisons was well stocked apart from flour and hand gel. I did spot a few interesting Aunty Betty packet mixes so I now have 1 dumpling mix pack, 1 yorkshire pudding mix pack and 2 short crust pastry mix packs to add to my ever growing stockpile. Now to get those zinc & vit c tablets you've recommended

Interesting that the plan includes expediting the process of becoming an NHS volunteer, and they’re expecting helpers to feed patients, wheel them around and deliver medicines.

Don’t know about you but I certainly won’t be volunteering to be in contact with infected people. I think they’re relying on a community spirit that hasn’t existed since WW2. People nowadays are more self interested and individualistic. They aren’t going to put themselves at risk for strangers.

oh and fresh stuff replenished....feels so good to be on top of supplies! I've been getting a few things each shop over the past 4 weeks. Now to hope we can keep DS off school and bunker down soon

oh and part of the question was "how will they ensure people will get food they need"

the answer was not adequate in anyway.

The carefully worded thing about police - does that essentially mean we’re all left to our own devices? The county over from me has one on duty policeman overnight already.

Why the fuck fuck fuck if they know it’s going to spread aren’t they containing it better?

He’s standing there talking about how we have the health services but we DONT.

@IceWings oh my gosh! nooooooo way

I can see why they wouldn't make it an option for people who can to keep their kids from school. By doing so they would be admitting that your family is safer with your child out of the germ factory (school). The parents that have to work and cannot home educate will be apoplectic that they are being left with no choices.

^this. My children are not worth less than children whose parents can keep them home.