Prepping for a Pandemic... 15

[FuckThisWind]

A lot of us have been here before. We Prepped for Brexit. Some of us are Heathcare workers. We prepare for the worst every day. It's difficult to predict what will happen in our lives. In our lifetime. Will we get Cancer? Will a huge meteorite wipe the world out?

One thing is for sure, this new virus is either affecting us, or is going to affect us all very soon. You are all already onboard. I hope you are prepared and much as you can be. And in the meantime this thread is here to support us all.

This week will bring many new challenges. We are almost certain to have some sort of lockdown. Like other parts of Europe. We aren't special. We aren't different. We are all
fragile souls. But I hope we live to tell the tale.

God Speed.

@wheresmymojo sorry to hear about finances.

Got some loo paper on order. Folded flat stuff.

@OnTheEdgeOfTheNight hope this link works www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/03/MSitRep-January-2020-LGBH3.xls

I googled icu beds in UK and got the sit rep for January. 4123 adult icu beds, 83% of them already in use.

My growing concern TBH is the whole economic shock.

The banks in the EU (still including UK at this point) have to hold capital for a '1 in 200 year' catastrophe and are tested on this by regulators every year via modelling of those catastrophes.

It's never actually been tested by something like a pandemic in modern society though, not to this extent.

So let's hope the modelling holds out. Because if the banks fold / the economic system crashes that's when shit will really hit the fan.

I'm going to touch base with some people I know who are closer to this than me to see whether they are concerned or not.

Would washable cloth wipes work instead of toilet paper? Wash them on 60° . Only for number ones. (Or number two if you want to!)

We are definitely planning on using our reusable wipes as toilet paper if we have to.
Keep a bin with a washing net in it so that you minimise grossness when it comes to putting them in the washing machine.

We cut up old fleece blankets with pinking sheets to make our wipes.

@wheresmymojo finances worry me too.

Whereabouts roughly in the U.K. are you? I know someone looking for a room

What I could really do with knowing is where to look for the latest figures each day for Wales.
I search and get days old news or random Welsh government pages that don't give figures.

@AlohaMolly

In a village near Alton, Hampshire

I am very interested in the high risk isolation idea. I’m high risk but I work in ED in a major city, I can’t see how I could possibly be asked to stay at home. I’m like a stick of rock, snap me in the middle and I’ve got “emergency medicine” stamped on me all the way through.
I’m wondering if I’ll be diverted to training.

I'm having major Sunday night panic. Last week we were in self isolation, and it was such a relief! I didn't have to worry about the virus coming in or out of the house. Now isolation is up and I'm supposed to send my kids to school tomorrow. Really
Having anxiety about it.

@Pinkerpellosa yes, it's really easy. Cold short rinse first, then wash on 60 or 40 (can bulk out with tea towels, dish clothes etc - the cold rinse removes the soiling). It's really not as gross as people assume!

@Pinkerpellosa yes we used them when DC was little the work really well. We used Cheeky wipes, the do an adult version, but it was a few years ago.

Oh and old flannel tops make good wipes too.

There's a thread where someone is saying that people adding an extra packet or tin to their weekly shop is what's causing empty shelves

I feel sorry for people to some extent but considering brexit has been in the cards for so long and prepping for that has been all over the news then you'd think far more people would have built up some kind of buffer over the past 12-18 months.

I was stunned at a couple of posters in the last couple of weeks that said they had had or were having surgery and had no analgesia in the house. I can't imagine anyone not having at least one pack of paracetamol or ibuprofen in the house. But maybe that's because I have chronic pain so I make sure I never run out. I guess some people just don't plan for anything. Our 24/7 shopping culture doesn't help with that.

We're one of the households that wouldn't have had any stocks in (if I didn't follow the news and dig deep into source material because I'm a nerd and hence spotted the virus issue at end of Jan).

We don't use painkillers really, probably not even on a yearly basis. I got a couple of packets in but honestly I don't think we'll use them for CV either. We tend to prefer to ride things out naturally (of course we don't have any chronic pain or anything which I'm sure would change our approach).

But yeah - headaches, mild toothaches, fevers we don't tend to use anything. I'd take something for a severe toothache if it was stopping me sleeping for example.

If you've only been an adult since the 2000's like me you're just used to having 24/7 supermarkets and Amazon prime next day deliveries so you don't tend to 'stock up'.

I suspect this experience has changed my attitude somewhat though and I imagine I will be a converted prepper from now on!

The shelves aren't even empty for long, the shops have stock they just can't physically get it out fast enough. I went to my local supermarket in the late afternoon today and all the shelves were in the middle of being replenished and the store was quiet. A family member works there and said they just couldn't get the stock out in the morning as the place was so full of customers it wasn't safe to move the big cages the products were in (obviously doesn't necessarily apply to every supermarket).

Tomorrow's papers suggesting exams may be postponed until after summer, not sure how that works for those due to start Uni...

@wheresmymojo

Head over to the money forum if you want good advice for your current financial situation. Hope it improves for you soon.

Also in tomorrow's papers - BoJo has bowed to pressure to do televised daily updates starting tomorrow

Re wipes- @AWryGiraffe and @Readyme

Thanks for the info. Is 40° hot enough to wash them on? I would have thought 60 so 40 would be much more energy efficient!

Oh interesting, has he? Good. The lack of transparency from the UK government has been one of the most worrying aspects about all of this for me.

I completely agree, @RhubarbTea. The lack of transparency is what I find most frightening too. It is never a good sign.

Yesterday there were several letters from scientists (200+ scientists including biomathematicians, statistical modellers etc; another 200+ from behavioural scientists) warning over the lack of transparency eroding trust. I could tell that the government had complained to the BBC, as within hours the article about it had changes to wording like "Some scientists" and "The group, specialising in a range of disciplines, ranging from mathematics to genetics, though no leading experts in the science of the spread of diseases, said..." etc.

They also promised to share their modelling, but it's been several days since they said that and nothing has been shared.

I have heard on the grapevine that there will be more letters, from even more eminent people in various specialisms. It seems that few people can have faith in this "strategy" without transparency -- and that they're unusually reluctant to open things up.

There's better coverage of the criticism here: www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/15/coronavirus-health-experts-fear-epidemic-will-let-rip-through-uk

Evening. Just got home from my mums. Saw her 80 year old neighbour who just lives in total poverty. It broke my heart.

I have been on my Niace town community board ( live in a extremely expensive area) and the utter vitriol about empty shelves in Sainsburys has scared me. So many of the same posts "think of the pensionairs! I was at Sainsburys queuing at 10am and you all DISJUST me!" Posts.

As this is anonymous

"Why the fucj was YOU there at 10am you fucking plebs?"

"My wife is disabled! You make me vomit!"
Yes but your 26 year old son isn't disabled has has a car you utter dick splash. Stop dragging that poor fucking bitch to the shop in pandemic!!!
I did point out I have disabled kids. That abled bodied people are carers and severely disabled people dont rock up to Sainsbury's to do their own shopping.

Sorry for swearing but it scared me endangered me so much. I dont think anyone knows there is more than shop in town. I'm going to shop in rougher town from now on in to avoid these fake mares gagging for a fight.

Tried to tell dh but again while I'm driving 160 miles to check on my mum hes forgotten his dad has turned 70. He can fuck right off if he thinks later on I have any spare capacity to retrospectively worry about them. Because I fix it all. not for much longer I wont. Its much mum, her neighbour, my kids and genuine needy people locally. Not some dick that only today realised they need to buy food for the week.

Someone also said " this is why I hate humans!"
I had to sit on my hands and not reply
"ah hun I got ya. Know worries, they will all be dead next month"

🤣🤣🤣🤣