Prepping for a Pandemic - Thread 16

[Sprayitall]

I don’t know why another thread hasn’t been created yet , so here you go. Now as we prep ourselves to the peak of this pandemic, let’s all face it together and appreciate how fragile our lives are and how we need each other to survive and flourish.

How are you all today.. I’m feeling a little better than I felt yesterday after talking to some of my dear ones. I’m just accepting the fact that even if there is no coronavirus our life is still fragile and no one knows what’s going to happen next. So just making the best of every day. Our little seedlings have come up so more gardening on the cards. What are you all upto

Crikey there are some really angry threads going on out there.

I've had a lousy unproductive work day - tomorrow I'm going to just focus and plough through. I generally keep wavering between "oh god, everything I own is infected" and "well it's not the end of the world if we get sick". Also it's very #firstworldproblems but I miss my regular swimming. I wonder when I'll next get the chance.

Today the kids let it really be known that they are finding being cooped up a chore. So now I am far less concerned about them getting the virus than killing eachother! They are 5 and 2, so only the older one understands why we can't go out. Certainly doesn't approve though and keeps being upset that he misses family and friends.

So on a more positive note

• I prepped long before panic buying and found this thread super useful for things I hadn't thought of.
• We have not gone hungry despite 2 week isolation. There is more cooking and less ready meals.
• I can hear the bird chorus in the morning now that the clocks have changed.
• I am getting to spend more time with my children than I ever would as normally we are at work, school and nursery. These are moments I never thought I would have and I am cherishing (in among the chaos and fighting)
• I am thinking so much more about the food chain and ensuring things are used wisely and not wasted. I thought I was better than average at that before, but there was still too much waste.
• The kids are spending more time using their imagination with play instead of nagging for new toys.
• DP was online at the right time and got a slot for supermarket delivery, so soon we will have fresh stuff. Now that the panic buying has subsided, I want to keep topped up to guard against any future shortages and access issues

There have been more lows than highs in all of this, but the family time is so special it helps to forget.

oxyiz chill out with a glass of wine on this thread, everyone seems really nice and supportive

Hi Everyone,
Haven't been on here for a while, hope you guys are all well

It's thanks to you all that I don't have to rush out now to the supermarket, really appreciate the heads up ladies, have been on these threads since before Brexit, thanks so much

@Oxyiz I can understand. Some threads are so nasty. The food chain is fine now but things may get tricky after couple of months I think ( call it lock down side effects may be?) All my supermarket orders are as usual except for few items but I find the price has increased a little as such for non essential items.Managed to sign up for veg box to keep up with the fresh foods. it’s for beds, bucks, herts and surrounding areas but I am happy I’m supporting someone local.

Thanks to advice from preppers both at the beginning of these threads and on previous Brexit threads I’m fine for food (there is only one of me though so relatively easy). I am reluctant to break into my preps though - does anyone else feel like this? (apologies to those who have had no option). I’d like to see some light at the end of the tunnel before I do.

I have felt a bit poorly last few days, just a cold though I think. Sparing a though for those battling the real thing.

Have spent time looking at old Brexit Prep threads and picked up more useful ideas.

Also made a Pinterest board for meals to make from what I have in prep cupboard and freezer so less thinking to do in the moment and I can share with DH who has no idea what we have and what I plan to do with it.

I am not sure there is a right answer as to when to dip in to stash, depends if you can still shop and if they are likely to have what you need to replace or if you think in a few months it may be harder to get hold of.

I am going to keep adding if I can, several local independent wholesalers who usually supply pubs, caterers, restaurants etc now selling and delivering to the public now their other custom has dried up so going to put in an order. Just for reasonably sized rather than comically large packs of stuff although DS trying to persuade me on 3kg jar of Nutella

Sprayitall I agree it’s in a couple of months or so that I worry about re food production and am growing things like corn, beans and quinoa in case that can be stored later in the year . We live somewhere we can be a bit self sufficient and are growing so much but i have an anxiety about how fragile the food chain could become but DH is much calmer and thinks it’ll be fine. I do wonder if It’s my anxiety but as long as we don’t waste anything we buy (we never do) I feel better if we could manage without shops for a bit

dh is venturing out to the shops for the first time in three weeks this weekend so we can have some fresh food and get things like coffee and cereal that are getting short.

I'm nervous about him going, we could manage without, but I think it's got to the point where it would be sensible, then we shouldn't need to go again for another couple of weeks or so hopefully.

It would be really good if we could get deliveries, but other than a veg box every ten days or so, I've not been able to get anything.

Do you have any farm shops near you OYBBK? We found one that puts stuff into the car boot after you've paid online, which has been great.

Also since you're here are we in for a horrendous heatwave? Someone at work said so but I can't see any sign of it, just warmer weather for the moment.

@OhYouBadBadKitten

I think we are going to peak in the next 2-3 weeks. It’s probably safer to go now than later on, when we will be reaching maximum infected rates. A life without coffee is not worth living

It does look generally warm, dry and settled over the next couple of weeks, especially in the south :) We will probably get some rain, but it will be rather (ironically) needed.

@Sprayitall
I've been put to get a click and collect order today that was as safe as I could make it.

I wrote my name in large letters and the order number.

They are watching with CCTV so they come to your vehicle if you don't key anything into the keypad.

I held up my paper to the window.

They wheeled the pallet with shopping to behind my car then retreated to a four meter distance. They checked my name and waved and left.

I had on gloves and mask. And non flappy clothes so the didn't drape on the contaminated bags.

Lifted into boot.

Carefully removed gloves then mask into a waiting open bag. Hand Sanitized then got in the car and drove off.

At home I lifted things into the garden.

Chilled is sprayed down and left for 10 mins.

Multipacks are opened and tipped into a large clean container

Bread outer plastic is slit and with clean hands removed to put into a clean bag.

All tins are left in the bags and stored for 72 hours.

All fruit and veg is washed.

I wash eggs and store them. Keep the boxes with the tins for later use.

The click and collect seemed much safer than having a delivery as we have a porch and air breathed out remains in the porch. This was all open air.

I think I'm a germaphobe

@OhYouBadBadKitten Try sainsburys and Costco, sainsburys delivery slots are open and back to normal where I live. I received almost everything I had ordered today except for flour, rice, pasta. Costco - best for coffee etc. I even managed to order loo rolls form there

I'll have another look Spray thank you. This morning it was still nothing doing on any of the local supermarkets.

Hello everyone I've been offline for a few days as it was my daughter's birthday and I've been busy partying at home just the three of us.

We've kept the majority of presents back to dripfeed over the coming weeks.

I hope you are all well/feeling better/ sane.

I'm devastated for those two nurses who have died and both leaving three children behind each. Also that poor mother of the 13 year old who now has symptoms and can't attend her child's funeral. And the worry for her other children must be beyond.

Please look after each other. X

@planningaheadtoday I have a tiny porch too with two sides glass of which one is a door. I left the porch door open and the driver left some of the parcel at the porch, then doorstep and in the front garden. I rub some hand gel then wear my gloves and wipe everything twice with dettol and soap wipes before anything comes in. I received couple of fresh items that says it’s from Spain but wondering if they are safe to eat (Spinach and blueberries) what would you all suggest?

It took me an hour to wipe everything down on receiving my supermarket order. I’m not taking any chance even in dry items or tins because I have always been like that ( we don’t really know what it is yet or how long the virus lives on surfaces for sure .. also how do we know where the tins were stored or the chances of it being exposed to germs causing leptospirosis etc) Being in health field I can’t say I’m germophobic entirely but more like a person who is cautious kind of way. The numbers are getting scarier. When do all you think the worst might hit? The weather is getting warmer and I am longing for the days I can stay in the garden for longer.
so how are others prepping today??

I wouldn't say I'm really prepping at the moment. I'm getting as much as I can from outside sources in order to use as little of my prep as possible.

I'm hearing that supermarkets are stabilising in terms of produce - the demand is falling off and shelves are getting filled again. I'm guessing that the demand for online delivery will continue to be massive, though.

So I'm getting things more locally where possible. Plenty of local businesses are now delivering - farm shops, butchers, bakers etc.

@Graphista can you try calling your local council? Where I live the council has set up helplines and people call to be signposted to different organisations, for food, prescriptions etc. There's also all the newly recruited NHS volunteers?

Hello, I'm doing much as others on this thread, trying to keep a little ahead and be careful about what comes into the house.

Unfortunately a family member has become serious mentally ill so that is taking up a lot of my day.

Apologies if mentioned recently but I have been interested to find masks4all with several alternative homemade mask designs.

Wishing you the best possible day in the circumstances.

@doneaflit same with me . I don’t have the heart to stop dd or dh dipping into the preps. So If I can replace I am replacing them adding one or two extra in the cart. I am not going to buy anything the next two weeks other than the fresh stuffs that’s sourced locally (milkman and veg delivery) with the supermarket delivery being yesterday. I am now clubbing two or three weeks together when I am buying for supermarket deliveries so it will save us from going out every week. I haven't been to a supermarket more than a month now and I strangely miss grocery shopping lol it all feels surreal at times isn’t it. Lovely weather this week so might do some gardening. Our patio needs a good pressure wash but I’ve never got around to do it. Probably might find some time to do that this week.

I read this today and wanted to share “ idk who needs this but please don’t wait until the end of the lockdown to discover you never pulled out the lunch box out of your kids backpack” just checked dd’s but there is just this pe kit .. I need ppe though 😀

Hi everyones, in a slightly light hearted way I was bed bound with horrific migraine, and it was the day a huge shop arrived.
Something in dh crumbles when I mention the washing hands etc. It's like he can't handle it. It's so odd!
So what he's done with it to clean it I don't know.
I've been washing everything, taking multi packs out etc washing hands. I cried, ill begging him to make an effort and not infect us when with some care he could.

Just the worse timing! He was already panicking about space! There's plenty of space!