Prepping for Pandemic... 14

[FuckThisWind]

OK folks, we have been prepping for a Pandemic for 13 threads now. And a Pandemic we now have.

I think we all know this has gone beyond prepping now. And most of us agree that the UK Government has not really stepped up to the mark. We have had shared advice here from our Italian residents and those in other countries who have taken much more stringent measures.

So this thread continues to be about us being prepared. But it is more than that. It is about support, sharing of information and advice. It is now a community. A community who acknowledged a long time ago that this was always 'Not Just The Flu'

I thank you one and all for being here. We have tough times ahead. But we are all still here. Please share, rant, whatever. The great thing about these threads is that they have always been supportive and non judgemental. I like to think it's a safe space for all of us who are concerned. And trying to do our best. For ourselves. For our loved ones. And for our community and beyond.

@InconvenientPeg we have an amazing cherry tree too! We have an annual cherry mono diet

I have to give away kilos

@InconvenientPeg

It's a big gamble and I really hope for all our sakes that it pays off. I'm very much disliking being in the middle of a social experiment

It might well ‘work’ in terms of herd immunity, but no more so than vaccines next year and many people WILL die, and in this situation many people dying is not something I consider something to gamble with or to be ‘paying off’

What would y’all say when the school says it will be considered unauthorised absence even if it’s for self isolation?

If you are. vulnerable or have family that are vulnerable, keep your kids home. fines are money -money is replaceable - people are not.

Besides I doubt fines will be issued & if they are I doubt they’ll be able to be upheld anyway.

I would ask for it in writing sprayitall

@Sprayitall

I would say ‘Do I look like I give a fuck?’

Honestly. Unauthorised absence is THEIR issue, not yours. Stop being so scared of the school. I know they’ve caused you issues in the past, but that’s all they are ‘issues’. You are vulnerable- don’t let following their dumb rules put you at risk. All the kids will be off in a few weeks. Just keep DD home & stop worrying about what they think /say.

Surely the whole some (millions actually if the death rate is 6%) will just have to die for the rest of us to get herd immunity is a eugenics based Genocide?

The potential fall out of that decision could cause just as much turmoil as financial ruin.

Morning all, this thread is moving very fast!

Self isolating two out of three children here as they have dry coughs that have developed in last couple of days. Middle child has a snotty nose but no cough, so I’ve sent her to preschool but will keep a close eye. Hoping I can persuade husband to stay home next week too!

Eldest DD is gutted as I’ve had to cancel her birthday party tomorrow. We’ve also got theatre tickets for next week - that she doesn’t know about yet - that may also go the same way.

@inmylifeIlovedthemall I'm sorry you are going through such a hard time social isolation can really need with your mind.
If it helps at all the fact that you have been isolated for 10 days already means you are likely well and if you can maintain your isolation will continue to be well. You are not going to die alone.

Surely the whole some (millions actually if the death rate is 6%) will just have to die for the rest of us to get herd immunity is a eugenics based Genocide?

The potential fall out of that decision could cause just as much turmoil as financial ruin. - I have no idea how to quote, I think I've done that completely wrong!

Totally agree. It's that disconnect as well between these sweeping generalisations and numbers that 'seem ok' and the actual understanding that each number is a person, with a life, and friends and loved ones. They need to watch war games!!

We’ve not gone to playgroup this morning. I feel daft, but it’s a hodge podge of germs at the best of times! Both kids have colds (v snotty but no temperatures) and I feel like I’d just be getting the side eye from everyone! It’s the first time we’ve deliberately altered our behaviour due to this, and it feels surreal almost.

I really don’t want to go to work on Monday. I cannot believe the government isn’t shutting down mass gatherings and schools, the more I think about it, the more cross I get! I suspect they won’t take measures until our infection rate skyrockets putting us on a worse path than Italy.

I have an elderly relative in hospital who’s been swabbed (admitted with high temperature and struggling to breathe) and is awaiting results - it sounds like the antibiotics are kicking in and hopefully it was just a bacterial chest infection that is getting under control. He’s isolated and no one has been able to visit since he was admitted on Tuesday though, and my family are really concerned.

Has anyone found tinned spinach anywhere in the shops? I see online that places do sell it, but can’t find any in our local supermarkets. My fussy kids will eat spinach blended with cream cheese as a pasta sauce, it’s one of the few vegetables they’ll willingly eat, I thought this might be a way to keep it as a supply, just can’t find it anywhere!

I actually don't think the strategy is anything to do with herd immunity. Herd immunity is not relevant to this since its a virus and another strain will come along to which we have no immunity. In that respect it is like flu viruses.

They are overwhelmed in some areas of the NHS already. If they close schools they will immediately have staff off work for childcare reasons. They can't afford that. So the rationale is fine in theory. But IMO there are other things they could have and should have done which would have made a big difference:

1. tell everyone that if they can work from home they should - if nothing else it reduces the number of people on public transport etc

1. Tell over 65s to stay at home wherever possible and not mix

1. put out a general plea to the public not to mix if they don't have to. That then means that the sensible people (ok it might only be about 30% of the population but its enough to make a difference) change their weekend plans, decide not to meet friends for lunch/coffee etc because they've been told its the socially responsible thing to do.

1. tell people they should avoid overseas travel unless its absolutely essential. This is a no brainer anyway since people who still feel they "must have a holiday" will holiday in this country. It also helps people get their holiday money back through insurance.

@Elsa8 have you thought of growing some perpetual spinach. You literally get a pack of seeds and put them in soil and it will grow and will just keep growing and growing. You pick the fresh leaves and it grows some more for you..

We’ve also got theatre tickets for next week
Give them a call. MIL managed to change hers and if need be, when the date comes around she can cancel them. The theatre won't want the publicity of being at the centre of an outbreak!

I agree @HasaDigaEebowai. I don't think school closures at this point are the right move (though equally I don't think parents should be punished for removing their children if they wish to) as the impact on the infrastructure of society will be extremely disruptive, which could lead to MORE deaths. I don't believe this is any kind of "social cleansing" - for a start, a Tory government wants to protect older voters. But I do think people should be working from home where possible, older and immunocompromised people should be encouraged to self isolate, and overseas travel should be restricted to essential journeys only.

My daughter's nursery were taking children's temperatures on arrival today and sending home anyone with a temperature. Very wise, I thought. They were very apologetic as obviously babies and toddlers get temperatures all the time, but I thanked them for being proactive and assured them of my support.

Well we are officially self isolating for 7 days due to us all having a cough.

Today counts as day 1.

One thing I've been thinking about is economic continuity and how best I can help maintain that. So for example we have a cleaner and eventually I imagine they will no longer be able to come because either we or they will be in isolation. Have agreed with DH that if this happens we'll continue paying them regardless as otherwise how do they feed their kids etc etc? Similarly we go to our local coffee shop for lunch once a week - we won't be doing thinking that any more but I am planning on getting takeaway from them instead while they remain open. Etc etc. It's worth considering what you can do (if you can afford it of course) to support your local businesses that would be decimated by closures etc. Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to work from home / continue getting paid throughout isolation will need to try to support those who can't.

If those who can take their children out of school or nursery do then that will also help since there will be fewer children at school spreading it around.

Mine are out already. One of them would have been out from today for seven days anyway since he has a cough which is not the norm for him so is caught under the self isolation rules.

@hasadiga That’s what i was thinking / Austria’S measure such as the schools will be open for kids whose parents have to work and can’t be at home to take care of kids but no teaching will be done at this time is a reasonable measure I would say.

I also heard nurses can’t go on self isolation unless they are tested and found positive.

I find some good people in my
local town are donating few bags of 10kgs rice for food which they received from family friends as generous gifts and won’t have much use for it - and I find people suggesting they want it for their messy play in local preschool and groups than food. As a tropical person knowing the farming that goes behind it, I find this very hurtful - Do you know how hard it is to cultivate rice for food?? Tropical countries like us have to depend on rain, shield them from monsoon and work all year around. If you want to have a messy play find something else do not waste good food that can serve many. If you still want to water food, allow kids to experiment with their own food (one packet of fruit purée wasted is fine not 3 bags of 10kg rice) what’s wrong with people here I don’t understand! Sorry rant over

This new rule about self isolation if you have a cough etc is totally at odds with the other policies ie not testing people and still expecting people at school. My kids have had a cough for 3 weeks now, but equally if I keep them off the school will be sending me shitty emails about their attendance figures! If they want people to actually keep their kids off they need to drop the persecution over attendance figures.

@inmylifeIlovedthemall we are here for you, you are not alone (((hug)))

That goes for all of you, we have this space, it is hugly supportive. We are lucky to have each other to help us through these days made darker by the ethos of our gov.

Children attending school or not should be down to parental discretion during this situation.

What needs to happen is for parents to able to make individual choices regarding their dc, not the fucking gov, without fear of fines and reprisals

@Sprayitall the attendance officer/EWO you spoke to at school is feeding you a load of rubbish: by Sept, the school won’t care about your child’s attendance rate, let alone their future university 😩 Honestly, they’re giving themselves grandiose power above their station!
Email an official letter to the school stating that you are following govt/PHE guidelines to isolate your child for 7 days due to her symptoms, so that she will not be in attendance at school before a week on Monday at the earliest. If they try to hassle you at all, email one reply stating that you are incredibly busy nursing your poorly child, and that you will be in touch with them once they are recovered. We’ll all club together and help you sort your next move from there, but hopefully schools will be shut by then.
@Pebble21uk I’m so sorry you’re in this horrid situation. There really is no concern for high risk school staff at all, yet you are all on the frontline. I’m lucky in that I gave up teaching 11 years ago to home-ed our gang, although I am concerned because I’m asthmatic, but poor DH has a vastly reduced immune system due to rheumatoid arthritis yet has to go teach everyday. His headteacher has quietly told him that if it was his decision he’d have closed the school a week ago, but he can’t do that without the permission of the academy CEO. They have a large number of high risk staff and student, including several kids with CF, who the head is concerned that he can’t promise to keep safe. No school wants to be the first to close indefinitely because the govt will get their revenge through reduced funding next year...
We’ve always known places like China are not a democracy, but I’m beginning to realise just how ignorant I’ve been as to how little freedom of choice we have in the UK as well. I think as a nation we have some drastic decisions to make after this, accompanied by some drastic action: the govt are our employees, paid for by us, yet they are dictating the very essence of our lives....

www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-mandatory-work-from-home-and-full-pay-if-both-parents-at-high-risk-due-to-coronovirus?recruiter=88553333&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=Search%3ESAP%3EUK%3ENonBrand%3EBMM&recruited_by_id=2ffbec29-8f12-498a-8292-c2871882b5e9&utm_content=starter_fb_share_content_en-gb%3Av13 - please sign and share

My kids have had a cough for 3 weeks now, but equally if I keep them off the school will be sending me shitty emails about their attendance figures!

I suspect any action over attendance is going to be put on hold. Its clearly not feasible with the new cough or fever rule in place. Please do follow the rules. if your children have coughs that are a result of illness and not a long term condition then they must self isolate.

@permanentlyfrazzled1 thank you for your kind words. That really gives me confidence after all I want to do what is right for my child. What would I do without all your advice! Thank you once again.

Also if your dh has rheumatoid arthritis I think he can request prescription of actemra (tocilizumab) - This is one of the main drugs that is being rolled out back home and some of the cases that have recovered have been treated with the same along with acyclovir/ chloroquine so atleast you can be a little prepped.