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.

@VenetoResident thanks for the twitter thread link, good summary and I've sent it to a friend.

Hugs to all the people already self-isolating because of poorly kids. I understand the worry - even if you know you have enough in for a while, the state of online food shopping at the moment isn't as comfortable as we'd like and it feels precarious. I can't believe how few delivery slots there are! I'm not an online shopper so I've been leaving others to it as it's easy-ish to pop out for me but it is concerning, the lack of availability.

I want to shake all those people who just shrugged a few weeks and ago, rolled their eyes and said 'Well if I need to self isolate I'll just order a pizza and get my Tesco shop delivered...' Yeah good luck with that now.

I'm about to brave Tesco for a few bits of normal weekly fresh food, partly to get a sense of what it's like in there and as I have no DC with me today it feels fine to nip in, but I will be avoiding mostly after today. I am a bit scared to be honest of what I will find in there. Wish me luck!

I am so happy I prepped. If I see a queue for the shops I can go home and just forgo yet milk and bread. Plus as I was buying a few bits extra in each shop for months I have some buffer cash to help my mum, neighbour and hopefully on my community board

If Costco looks rammed I will just turn back and wait for another two weeks. Buying for my mum is going to be tricky

Feeling unsettled today. I’ve decided to start getting milk and bread delivered by the milkman, these are the things we run out of quickly with 6 mouths to feed. I have uht and bread flour in my preps but I’d rather use them unless I have no choice.

I’ve haven’t used a milkman for years, and I was surprised at the variety of foods and household goods you can get delivered (including toilet rolls and hand wash!)

Look forward to the reports from the outside world.

It's odd I almost feel a bit stuck in limbo, we have no need to isolate yet, but all extra activity has stopped so we are hunkering down somewhat.
Dh is getting everyone in his office set up for homeworking, all over 60's have been sent home but the rest are required to go in if possible- I'm hoping this will change soon.

Thinking of those in household isolation, it literally changes things overnight doesn't it?

Going to local scrapstore later to get DD stocked up with craft stuf

Anyone grown mushrooms, wondering if I might add to my windowsill growing

@Legoandloldolls Thank you for asking. I'm ok. WFH permanently now I think and DH is. One child at home with a cold that started a week ago and we decided not to send into school as nobody needs snot right now.

Irritated as Swim club still on as apparently its essential social contact? That's absolutely not my idea of essential.

How are you? and how is everyone else?

@yourstunbridgewells swimming is not my idea of essential either!! madness.

Trying to get used to the idea that I am potentially now in isolation until my due date. Govt said last night they may soon impose a 12 week isolation for those in at risk groups. Welsh Govt said they will likely extend this to 16 weeks - which takes me up to my due date.

It's weird. I spent over a week wishing for the govt to say something that would make work allow me to work from home, and now it's hear I'm feeling anxious about being stuck inside for so long. Seems I'm never happy!

Morning all, sorry haven’t caught up on every post since yesterday. Hope you are all keeping well.

@VenetoResident how many weeks have you been at home for now? Running out of biscuits is my prepping fear 😂

Went to Aldi this morning for fresh bits. My freezer and cupboards are full, it’s a good job because the shelves and freezers were empty! No shampoo or deodorant either.

I feel for those with newborns or heavily pregnant, I haven’t seen any nappies, wipes or baby milk for days!

My kids schools will be empty by the end of the week, the mum what’s app is full of posts about kids being sent home for coughing. I’m definitely taking mine out from Monday is schools don’t close. The only reason I haven’t acted sooner is because we have no confirmed cases in our local authority or the neighbouring one either. I know the figures are rubbish but I felt like I have to make the decision based on something!

I popped into lidls yesterday to get a bit of milk and the couple in front were buying 80 bags of plain flour

Criminal behaviour. How are the supermarkets allowing this? It makes me so sad that so many people are so damn selfish.
How much of this flour is going to end up going to waste as well.

Swimming lesson is most definitely not essential social contact. Essential is having to go to deliver emergency food to an elderly relative who has nothing to eat and can't get a delivery slot, having to take a child with a broken leg to hospital, having to collect an essential prescription that can't be delivered.

I think a lot of clubs, classes, etc are staying open because they are leaving it to individuals to decide whether to attend or not.

Basically because they don't know how they're going to survive financially if they close so feel like they have no choice but to carry on until they're forced to close.

If they had been forced to close many of them could have claimed on insurance but they can't do that at the moment.

I'm on a local business network and lots of small business owners that run classes, activities, cafes, etc are in tears this week.

@wheresmymojo Agreed. If they not forced to close then there can be no compensation or assistance from the Government. I think this is horrendous for so many people.

The Government are nether keeping us safe nor assisting small businesses.

On the preps front - DVDS and CDs anyone? I am concered the UK broadband network will suffer and it might be wise to have a catalogue. Annoying as I got rid of a huge number this year.

We are self isolating and the delivery man has blatantly lied because he didn’t want to take any substitutions back (of which there are many). He said through the letterbox “no there are no substitutions” then scarpered. But when I brought the groceries in there are loads of stupid substitutions that haven’t been price matched. In some cases they’ve charged the same for a quarter of the amount. In other cases I can’t eat them because the brand they’ve subbed contains allergens that my original selection didn’t. I’d have sent most of the subs back but didn’t get the chance.

I’m out of work and can’t afford to pay for stuff I can’t eat or that’s quadruple the price of what I ordered. I’ve complained but they’re probably overwhelmed and have people off sick etc.

Our gymnastics club emailed last night to say they will still be open and expect all their well gymnasts to be there, the facilities are being constantly cleaned. We won't be attending but I'm happy to keep paying my fees to help the business.

@Exochord that's shocking!
We have many allergies in this household so I always tick no substitutions because they always change things like non dairy milk to uth dairy milk.

@YoursTunbridgeWells & @Readyme

Nowhere near essential. Not even close. But, based on the AIBU thread about going to the gym it would appear lots of sporty people are of the “I’m alright Jack” persuasion. For what it’s worth I lead in a youth group, I’ve closed it.

@Exochord Which supermarket was that? I’ve found tesco are very good about issuing refunds if you give them a call

Hi all, been lurking since the first threads and wanted to say thank you all. It's nice being prepared and not having to be in supermarkets with panic buyers - I started buying a few extra tins in here and there last year after getting Jack Monroe's tin can book but definitely took it more seriously when the virus spread to europe. I took the decision to stop sending my dd to nursery today and both of my parents are in the vulnerable group so are now self isolating. I'm staying home with my dd now too. I hope everyone is safe and that eventually we can all get a good night's sleep. This is absolutely surreal.

@VenetoResident how are you all? Unfortunately, I can't put DH in the bedroom as we've no room for a desk. He needs a large area to spread technical drawings out. The DC have been absolute angels today and he is still annoyed with them. He has however, conceded that he needs to get up early and try to get some done before they are up. The only other suggestion I can't think of is to move the DC's desks into the same bedroom, but DS has a habit of destroying things if he doesn't like the work (SN) and it wouldn't be fair on DD. So today I've been running back and forth between the rooms... We may well have to get another computer, it will depend on what school send home today.

Waves to Slavica. What are the shops like in BS? I've never seen our large supermarket with so many empty shelves. Will have to did into my stock for the stuff they didn't have. Took the DC out for a run this morning (well they ran, I shouted at them to keep going ). We're too far to do a border run, but MIL often does. I'm a bit worried they're going to order a curfew, DH is not amused at the idea.

My elderly neighbour is letting my just retired neighbours help her out, relieved at that.

To whoever's DS is travelling, sorry can't find you! Switzerland has called for all citizens currently travelling to return home asap.

Patience and courage to all who are isolating and those are ill, hope you feel better soon.

@Sprayitall was the box ripped or the packaging inside the box which holds the flour?

Had to pick few things at our local Indian shop. believe me there will be No one on a Tuesday morning there usually but today it was so crowded i didn’t even go in - saw few local people walk out with loads of lentils I am sure they don’t even know how to cook them but just buying for stockpiling’s sake. There was no basic stuff left like rice or chapatti flour bags or anything that I wanted to shop for the local food bank. Dh topped up the petrol today and found the shop there had no loo roll but could grab a bag of potatoes and onions atleast (no potatoes or substitution was there in my supermarket order that was coming up)

Received emails from school that although it's not their decision weather they close or not all they can do is stop all local school trips (dd has a library trip coming up) and after school clubs, so they've done that and also they all wash hands three times a day together.

Blimey multiple emails- just been informed that the KS1 SATS meeting has been cancelled too.