Prepping amidst Pandemic - Thread 17

[Sprayitall]

Hi all, starting this thread to continue from preppers thread 16. Because we are amidst a pandemic now, I have changed the title to prepping amidst pandemic than “for pandemic”. I hope all of you keep well amidst this and get all the help, support and hope needed to cope during this challenging times. Feel free to add your thoughts, preps and ideas here.

Thanks for the new thread

Today I've bought washing machine cleaner, and I'm making a new kind of face mask which is described here (although we can't get the fabric sadly): anest.ufl.edu/clinical-divisions/mask-alternative/

Neome if you're reading, I'm thinking of you.

Sowing veg seeds and gardening. It tires me out nicely. It's outside in my little garden. It might yield positive results after last year's dreadful gardening year and the great one of the year before.
When I feel strong enough mentally, I think about how to deal with the virus once it eventually hits our home. Both grateful that others are treading this horrible path before we are and sad about the same thing.

Hello
I am grateful to the Brexit prep threads and especially bellinisurge for getting me well prepped for this- lots of loo roll, lots of medicines, lots of tins, a spare freezer.
We haven’t needed our stash much except for loo roll but hanging on to it, and want to increase it for winter.

DH said to me the other day, I think we need to make a plan. I asked what for. In case we have to self isolate and what we'll do about food[hmmm].

Admittedly, he hasn't seen the box of stuff upstairs, but he's aware we've got a good supply under the stairs and three bagfuls of food in the dining room. What does he think I've been on about since China went into lockdown, and why if we run out of something a new packet magically appears.

Does anyone have this pointer - rough guess of finding how many positive cases in the area for every covid death reported? I’m sure I read it somewhere but I couldn’t recollect!

sprayitall did you mean this?

www.progressive-policy.net/publications/covid-19-local-area-risk-rating

@lexloofah not this one but thanks for the link though. very insightful. I read it somewhere for every death there is 1000 or 10,000 infected in the population or something. I just wanted to confirm if it’s 1000 or 10000

Thanks for the new thread Sprayitall, and hope you're all coping in this horrendous situation. Also want to thank Bellini and co for all the help re preparing on the Brexit threads, and getting me to prepare for all the situations life throws at you like sickness (who could have known ), bad weather, and lack of money. Also extremely grateful that I bought my spare freezer, and will definitely continue in this vein to prepare for the horrific situation that is Brexit at the end of the year!

Hello. Thank you for the new thread. As always, I am so grateful for these threads. We are OK, and have been able to help friends and foodbank.
I do wish I'd bought some new glasses though. My lenses have the anti reflective coating flaking off :(

Neome, sorry to hear your news.

I lost this thread for a while, but found you all now.
The great yeast experiment.
From left to right raisin, sourdough and fig.
So raisin winning at the moment!
Spratitalk the yoghurt was amazing, best I have ever made - double cream is definitely the key. If you used to have curd from buffalo milk, that is higher fat (10% to 4% in cows, milk) so might be a good match.

Morning all!

Is anyone here an expert on home made masks?

I'm wondering if this would do as an internal filter but don't want to poison us! cooker hood filter

Raisin yeast this morning. Its a little excitable.
The other too are plodding along nicely, but not like this!

Oxyiz I know nothing about masks but the charcoal element in that cooker filter is there as an odour neutraliser, so can't imagine it does much for viruses!

Yes good point! I think I'm clutching at straws

We actually had lots of FFP2 and FFP3 masks, bought a few years ago that were due to go out of date in June. The hospital near us did an appeal for any spare masks so I took them over there.

Since then I've been using home made cotton ones when we need them, and from everything I've read online they're better than nothing at all, but it would be nice to have extra internal filters if possible.

Can I pop in and say hi. I’ve lurked on these threads and am very grateful for the tips I’ve picked up. I’m following the yeast experiments with interest.
It’s been over four weeks since I’ve been out but my preps are depleting fast. It’s been a long time since I’ve opened anything without another one or two in reserve and it makes me seriously anxious. If everyone in my family were as flexible as I am we could manage another month or six weeks but I have a ds with asd who is just not able to manage change. Even as it is the taste of our regular milk has changed and he can’t bear it and is now refusing cereal.
@Oxyiz this article suggests using vacuum cleaner bags and also goes through a few things not to use that may contain materials like fibreglass that you do not want to be breathing. It’s US based so I’m not sure if the same materials would be allowed over here.

Yes, you can get HEPA filters here, which would be a reasonable level of filtration. It's what they use for high risk areas in foid factories, on the air handling units. Or F7.

Yes I'm terrified of accidentally inhaling fibre glass. We had work done in a bathroom once and it was everywhere. Tiny shards of glass really freak me out!

Do you think ordinary hoover bags here are safe then?

If you know what brand then you should be able to find the safety data sheet (MSDS) on line, so you can check the components and any health warnings

@Neome so very sorry for your loss

Thanks for new thread op. I've not posted for a few days as struggling mentally. Some anniversaries relating to non covid losses and also people I know very sick in hospital.

Hope everyone otherwise doing ok.

I've deliveries booked next couple weeks but despite checking several supermarkets daily no new slots opening up. I had hoped things would be easing up slightly by now, apparently not.

I'm ok food wise it's other stuff I'm having trouble getting.

Geez hope I haven't killed the thread!!

On this DIY PPE open Facebook group created by a doctor and with addition from many doctors in the USA< there are a tons of models of homemade facemarks and even analysis and tests on which materials to use. In several of the posts, the issue of risk from HEPA bag was addressed
The group:
www.facebook.com/groups/611013049478306/

Shortcut to the analysis on materials
onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ADvm%5FAyEJKzytEo&cid=E7F5D579305A3B59&id=E7F5D579305A3B59%2182924&parId=E7F5D579305A3B59%2182584&o=OneUp

Hello lovely friends and fellow preppers.

Today I’m feeling tired and sad but I do feel all the prepping has made a very difficult time less of a nightmare.

I agree. Lots of things getting to me here and there from time to time but food supply isn't one.
And then I keep reminding myself that the things getting to me are wonderfully trivial and I'm lucky not to have more serious challenges.

Hi I'm another one who started following this board earlier in the year and am very grateful, I was able to alert my friends to this idea of prepping and have found it so reassuring to have extra food in the house (I'm asthmatic and although not bad enough to be shielding it's enough to make me want to avoid the supermarkets as much as possible). I'm now getting concerned about future food shortages with the lack of pickers and apparently the haulage companies are struggling with drivers etc self isolating. I'm looking at using a local wholesaler to stock up, they normally deliver to restaurants but have started delivering to private homes. It's not as user friendly as a supermarket but you put your order in online and then they ring you to discuss it. Some things come in huge quantities only but I figure we will use it eventually. I'm also wondering about an extra freezer for winter but it will have to be a small countertop one as the only space I have is the utility room.