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.

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Please could you explain nebulisers and/or ventolin eg what they do & why helpful for this situation. My understanding is rudimentary and I feel I should get my head around it properly.

I've had lung problems with every chest infection in the last few years (thankfully only a handful) and been prescribed ventolin. Don't have a nebuliser though and don't normally use ventolin.

Just checking in. DH popped to the shops get a few bits - birthday cake for DD etc and my Mum knew he was going so asked him to pick up some loo roll. No joy and he’s been to three supermarkets this evening, crazy! Thinks it’s really starting to sink in now.

Spent more time gardening today. Kids already bored and we’ve only been self isolating for three days.

Facebook group here re: family lockdowns

www.facebook.com/groups/871176893326326/?ref=share

@Pebble21uk thank you. I was worried my post was lost at the end of the last thread. I've read a couple of things (not in depth though) about steroids not being the best to use with cv?

My biggest concern is that my child has an attack, or gets CV and the asthma exacerbated it, and there's no room at the hospital: no medicine or equipment to help. So I don't want to mess about playing doctor myself, but also don't think I can rely on the healthcare system over the next few months. Will do some investigating about the saline. Thank you.

Checking in. Surely people will Max out on loo roll soon? How much do you need to buy before you have enough? Some people must be prepared for a year.

I'm.still hopeful that stock levels will normalise in a few weeks.

If we go into school closures I will lockdown too. I would fill my spare freezer space with protein and buy another snack of potatoes. I will fresh fresh as it turns and my freezer empties out. Problem is that people will think I'm stockpiling whereas I normally spend 130 even in Aldi with four kids. I'm going to need to be very inventive with rice!

Just checking in. I've realised I ordered some supplements from America. No idea if they'll arrive now there's the flight ban. As well as scared I feel a little ashamed the UK, unlike so much of the rest of the world, is showing such contempt for so many lives.

@wheresmymojo I wonder if people are confused about the apparent plans to quarantine over 70s? The age risk starts at 60 doesn't it? I think also anyone concerned for themselves or loved ones would prefer to follow suit of all the other countries in protecting all who are at increased risk - whatever their age.

@Vaki thank you to people like your son who will hopefully keep us all fed and supplied with essentials. Thank you too of course to all frontline workers - medical, police, all others.

@doneaflit I'm sure I've read the possible risk is with oral steroids. I think (but check with your dc's doctor) inhaled steroids are ok.

Checking in. I have bought a nebuliser & some saline things only because a few years ago when ds was hospitalised that's what they used to open his airways. Will work it out tomorrow - there are some still in Argos around the place. I got a nebuliser from boots click & collect

If anyone had any helpful links on nebuliser/ventolin or oxygen that would be good. It's the lack of respirators available at the hospital if the worst happens that is my Main concern now & not sure if we can buy oxygen tanks.

I posted this on a previous thread. Reposting in case it helps anyone on a budget wanting nebulisers. Homemade nebulisers made with empty water bottle. I'm not a medical person but the article's written by a doctor. Many of his asthma patients aren't covered for nebulisers by their insurers (pretty awful really).
blogs.webmd.com/from-our-archives/20110706/homemade-asthma-nebulizer-a-new-use-for-recycled-water-bottles.

DP has ventolin but we don't have a nebuliser. His asthma is mild. If we can't access medical help we plan to try the DIY method.

@tryingtoprep thanks. Spoke to consultant about cv concerns at last appointment and he waved them off - said it was a worry over nothing. That was feb, and now look where we are! Might go to gp who knows us better.

@neome my child has ventolin inhaler, the blue reliever one. Just googled and it's not a steroid. It relaxes airways (wanted to say relaxes muscles in lungs - not sure lungs have muscles. I'm not medically trained. Clearly!). It opens the airways when something is causing them to constrict. When my child has an asthma attack, we have to try 10 puffs of inhaler, then 10 again, and if no change we go to hospital, where the first avenue of treatment has always been a higher dose of ventolin through a nebuliser.

He also has a brown steroid inhaler, which is a preventer. I've got him on his max dose of this to make sure he's at peak when he gets cv, if he's going to get it. Think the steroid inhaler does much the same? But that is longer lasting and takes time to build up. The blue inhaler works very quickly in an emergency but the brown one takes days to build up.

Night all. Sleep well.

@neome I didn't fully answer your q. In this situation, I guess my concern is that cv attacks the lungs, patients get breathless. My understanding is their o2 drops in cases and they need help with breathing. I'm concerned for my son who already has issues with breathing. He's got form for viral wheeze, where his chest constricts during a viral attack, so I fear cv will affect him badly. The ventolin might help ease this.

Having said that, I've not seen asthma mentioned as a risk factor? Also, a doctor friend of mine said very recently that asthma on children is really prevalent. We'd be seeing a lot higher death rate in children of asthma was a significant risk factor.

Community groups are being set up to help others. Here's the link. Such a great idea! We will all need others support to help us get through this

freedomnews.org.uk/covid-19-uk-mutual-aid-groups-a-list/

I'm also off to bed. Tomorrow I am taking up jogging as rather alarmed at the stats of ICU patients in Italy, France & Netherlands where half of the patients are under 50 (Neths) or 65 (France/Italy).

I'm massively overweight and have very bad lung capacity from being unfit so need to start building myself up!

So DH is on a long business trip to one of the counties which has announced a travel ban on European flights. And is not due to fly back for another 10 days.

No seats to be had to get back before the deadline if when they will not accept flights.

Have no idea how he will get home or when.

May have to take a strange route to get home.

I Did say (several times) that I was not comfortable with the fact his work had not cancelled the trip. So the poor chap may have to endure at least one of two I told you sos.

Minesa. Having similar worries about ds. In Thailand about to go to Philippines. Just read that Australia are doing the 2 week self isolation thing too. He's going there too
I feel he needs to come home but getting 3 headstrong 19 yr olds to do so may prove a challenge!
Been up since 3am worrying

Mojo. Good luck with the jog! Rather you than me!

Have you seen the bottlenecks of hundreds if not thousands of people in US airports??? Perfect transmission ground for the virus.

Caused by testing/screening at the borders.

Ok now if this is the reason we didn't screen at UK airports- this could make sense???

Morning and checking in.

Strawberry and banana chips have dehydrated beautifully, thought I’d do those before the stinky onions.

I’m up getting our ironing done so I can concentrate on cleaning and checking if there are any gaps in our stash by the time the shops open...so glad I froze eggs!

The ibuprofen information or “reporting” is worrying. Dh and I have awful back issues and often take ibuprofen.

R.e. The shops rationing, good!

@pasanda

Oh that is harder - very difficult to convince 19 year olds to return home. I have one of those so you have my sympathies.

Keep us posted.

DH will be ok. Has a wise pragmatic head on his shoulders. And part of me thinks that hopefully the airline will send an empty plane over to bring people back (I could be dreaming there).

I suspect (aka hope) in a couple of weeks countries will have to allow repatriation flights through.

He is in South America so not the easiest place to get back from as the US route will be cut off too.

@doneadlit - I think you're right to try and prepare and do everything to keep your DD out of hospital.

I don't know about nebulisers but all the Italians love them.

Asthmatics - get a spacer if you haven't already got one. www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/inhalers-and-spacers/spacers/

Information about preventer (brown) inhalers here: www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/inhalers-and-spacers/preventer/

@MacronsPensWiper - did you read about the library book method of freezing in bags? Great for a small space.

@Vaki I would get some bright gloves for your son - so it's obvious that he's taking precautions. It might make people think. He could also take a bottle of diluted bleach and make a show of cleaning the area?

@wheresmymojo - go gently. You don't want to injure yourself right now. Look at the C25K programme. We started something similar this time last year. I can now run 10K. Or could before the strange coughing / lung aching virus I had in January. I'm still not back to normal and I get pain in my chest when I run.

@Minesa - I hope there will be rescue flights for those who get stranded. 🤞

So glad I started amateur prepping for Brexit thanks to you guys... can't get a food delivery until Friday and shops are all sold out nearby (I don't drive to look further)

It's not Brexit causing the issue obviously but the stocking up has come in useful! Beans and toast or soup for the next 6 days!

Ds just texted to say it's ok to continue as the government haven't advised them to come home. I can see this being a bit of a battle