Not too worried, but that's what I'm doing just in case supplies chains break down. Mostly beans, dried fruit, chicken stock. You might want to get a few things to boost your immune system, and to compensate for less then ideal nutrition. Vitamin C, D, B12 are the most important ones. Thyme is supposedly very good. Tea, green & rosehip. Red wine, chocolate.
Don't bother with masks or anything, you probably won't be able to avoid infection anyway. Also I'm already convinced the panic & paranoia will cause way more disruption then the virus itself.
That is scary, not for the actual health risk implications but for the implication when it comes to the supply chain. (Unless you are a member of a risk group).
I'm not trying to panic or fear monger at all, but I think it is a good time to point to this scientific american blog post that suggest to have food and water on hand for two weeks https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/preparing-...
That doesnt mean you need to stock up on ammunition and night vision googles, just have some food safety even just to not overload the supply chain
This is crazy FUD that will only make the situation worse. Stockpiling rarely, if ever, helps, and overwhelmingly hurts the poor and disabled. The absolute worst of "fuck you got mine" mentality on display here. Please do not do this, and please do not advocate for this kind of panic. You are actively contributing to a terrible situation.
To repeat: there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to stockpile rations, food stuffs, common goods, etc. In no country as of yet has this been necessary, even in the most hard hit areas. Do not do this. Going to the grocery store once vs four times is not going to make the difference between you getting the virus or not, and it's absurd that people would even consider this. The virus has been in and around our communities for months now, engaging in prepper fetishes now is closing the barn door after the horses have left. Stockpiling goods is completely ineffective anyway. The majority of our supply chains are JIT, and suppliers are already rationing and metering out goods. Stockpiling is pointless, you're just going to look like an idiot in the check out line.
Limit large social engagements. Keep up mild exercise, get plenty of sleep, and eat healthily. And for the love of God wash your hands. If you have frequent contact with immunocompromised people or the elderly be more vigilant about hygiene, wear a mask, disinfect any surfaces the both of you touch frequently. Consider doing their errands for them as well.
Everyone will eventually get the virus. It's almost certain. The goal here is just to prevent a thundering herd problem with medical resources.
No, just food and meds for fever. I'm actually concerned there will be a shortage of food just because everybody is stocking up at a sudden panic, not necessarily because we actually end up with a huge pandemic (which might or might not happen at a later point in time). So for the first time in my life I'm thinking about actually doing this.
Do not tell people to stock up on food. There is no need and this is how you create runs on supermarkets and panic. If the situation becomes severe enough for this to become a problem, this will be organised by authorities.
Keep calm, follow basic hygiene, and be ready to work from home at short notice. Maybe don't travel unless you have to.
This is not the end of the world and the risk is low. Change course only if the risk to you becomes high based on facts.
It's been said multiple times but I'll repeat in case you've not heard this: it really isn't about contracting the virus since the rate of survival is pretty high but rather more about people panicking and creating shortages. This is coming in full swing. Ports are emptying, fewer and fewer ships are coming from China and east Asia. It might get very very ugly.
Buy your supplies early enough and take other measures such as the create the ability to grow your own food if you live in a place where that's possible. I've done both and I'm going to be increasing my stock in the coming week based on the circumstances that present themselves.
Preparation and panic are not the same. Do not expect to rely on conveniences like deliveries, they are merely conveniences and can stop.
It is very possible to run out access to necessities. I don't believe food itself will be in any significant shortage, but you might not get to it.
If you fall sick, you'll need to self-isolate and not leave the house for several weeks. So you need to be ready to do so.
Even if you remain healthy, access to supermarkets may have restrictions (see Italy today). While you can get food, you might need to line up for a few hours, increasing your exposure. Best to have a few weeks of food at home for when your area is in this stage.
The alternative to preparation is to wait until you need to panic. Not recommended.
This is very likely to overwhelm not just medical infrastructure, but shut down supply chains for basic necessities for months. If the pandemic hits, most businesses will shutter, just like in China. It is prudent to stock up now for 1-2 months of cheap, non- perishable foods like rice and beans (complete protein together) at a minimum. There's just no excuse not to now if you make a tech salary - a couple hundred dollars and you have an emergency stash which is good for years.
This isn't just about personal protection - the whole community and nation can expect better outcomes of we stagger preparations, lessening the chance and impact of everyone running to the store at the same time. There is no question now that this is an unprecedented event, now is the time to prepare to mitigate risk.
I would assume that you will have basic utilities without interruption -- water, electricity. Supply chains could, theoretically, have disruptions as the disease runs through the world. I am not saying they will; just that they can. If it happens the affect on you and yours of not having extra is extremely significant. That's enough of a reason to buy what you can.
You cannot go back and time, but after things settle down (they will) look at your budget and what it takes to have a couple of weeks extra of necessary items. It's not super expensive to buy rice and beans if you are on a budget, then rotate your supply when the rice starts to get old. If you have more money you can get something with less monotonous flavor: canned food, dehydrated, freeze dried, whatever. You may need it twice in your life, but when you do, it will be the wisest thing you have every done.
Refill your medication(s), that's the biggest one. India produces a lot of drugs and if they get infected, we will see shortage. China also produces a lot of the base chemicals used in medication, so this is worry some. If you have chronic conditions, you really don't want to be without.
Soap and sanitizer. Mostly soap. Soap is equally effective as sanitizer in washing hands, etc. Soap is also much cheaper and more available. If the local region goes into lock down, you're not going out much so soap will work well.
Get one to two weeks of food and supplies in case. There isn't going to be a global shortage, but we may see short term runs on supplies. Include stuff like tooth brush, mouth wash, and etc. For my wife I also stocked up on a larger supplies of feminine hygiene products.
Masks. I got 20 per family member in our local area. For when you need to go out and restock food. Also learn how to properly use the mask.
Since this thing isn’t going away in the next 2 weeks, seems illogical to buy too much. The advice is to buy 2 weeks of supplies in case you’re infected and can’t leave the house.
People would need 6+ months worth of supplies, and even then would get infected once they came out of hibernation. The smart thing is for people to start thinking longer term for now.
As for the solution, try buy slightly more than you usually would, until the panic buying is over. Try smaller shops and chat to owners about when they will have stock?
I can't speak for others, but I stocked up simply so I could isolate my family if the virus becomes common in our city. It's about 2 weeks of food for 4 people (me and 3 kids).
I don't anticipate the need to isolate but I figured I'd play it safe. I thought this was what others were doing, but now that I think of it I'm just assuming people think as I do. I personally didn't buy 40 rolls of toilet paper.
First thing would be to mentally disconnect the supply of people in quarantine from the spread of the virus. Even under lockdown, quarantined people will be supplied and grocery stores open and supplied.
Then, follow the guidelines (washing hands, ....). Avoid big groups, keep a certain distance. Regarding shopping, buy normal volumes of stuff. That always works, the system is used to this. If there are things missing, buy small volumes. Spread shopping over multiple shops of multiple chains. Ideally over multiple days. This keeps peak small, reducing the risk of supply disruption.
And keep away from things medical professionals would need as well.
If push comes to shove, accept shortages of luxury stuff and certain products. But we are very far from that.
Get 30-60 days of food and any prescription drugs you require, and get home and stay there: no in-and-outs, including children. Don't have visitors, don't go anywhere not absolutely necessary for survival. Keep yourself and your family healthy.
Tell your friends to do the same.
Note: 60 days of food is probably much larger than any grocery trip you have ever done. Don't just go to the store and get a week's worth of food, like many are doing. In a week, grocery shopping will be impossible/dangerous. Two weeks, moreso. The doubling time on this thing is about a week and it's going to get worse for six weeks before it gets better.
Also, avoid doing any activities that might cause any sort of accident requiring hospitalization. Hospitals are going to be hard no-go zones starting in about two weeks, for 6-8 weeks. Use the railing, be careful getting in and out of the shower, clean up spills, don't use power tools, et c.
If you're having trouble getting groceries locally, Amazon still (for the moment! don't expect it to last) has 12-ct cases of Soylent in stock for about $40 in a lot of places for same or next-day delivery. (Figure 5 400kcal bottles per person-day for emergency rations if you can't get any local groceries. Even if you don't like it, it will keep you and your family alive while you can't go to the supermarket for a few weeks.) TIP YOUR DELIVERY DRIVER. When it arrives, pull the bottles out wearing gloves, and dispose of the boxes carefully, and WASH YOUR HANDS.
EDIT: Reply to SketchySeaBeast below (I am throttled and cannot post new replies):
Going to the grocery store is unnecessary contact/exposure that you can avoid by stocking up for the duration in advance. Grocery stores are chokepoints. It's better to shop once now than four times over the next 2 months.
Shelf-stable food that you will eat anyway is not a huge cost, and limiting your exposure is valuable as this thing ramps up. Every passing week for the foreseeable future doubles the risk that you will encounter someone who has the virus, as it seems pretty plausible (due to the testing strategy) that the US, at least based on current information, will be doing very little that will be effective to stop the spread.
It's probably just going to run its course unimpeded through society in the US, as it did in Italy prior to the lockdown. Would you want to be going to the grocery store in Italy right now? I don't want to be going to the grocery store in the US in 2-3 weeks.
Remember: when China had as many cases as we do now, a 60M province was already in total lockdown.
Start stocking up for youself and your dog friend. At least a few months worth of nonperishable food. As fast as omicron spreads it's only a matter of time.
1. To avoid the grocery store and other busy social places. Social distancing.
2. To avoid buying food from the grocery store that may have been coughed/sneezed on and still have live virus on it. Stock up on non-perishables while they’re still more likely to be clean.
3. Anticipate shortages due to other people stocking up.
4. This virus came from an animal and can also infect animals. So maybe the outbreak infects animal feedstock and reduces our food supply. Or the outbreak infects Ag workers and reduces our food supply. Or the outbreak disrupts supply chain between farms and table. That kind of thing.
> My take is that in the near term (1-2 months), there will be a shortage of a lot of produce
I say this from a place of kindness and compassion: this is the sort of mindset we should avoid.
It's understandable to have fear of an unknown situation, but look at the available data. Even in places with large outbreaks, grocery stores have continued delivering all essentials to the population.
Ensuring you have some food for the next couple of weeks (not the next couple of months/years) makes sense in case you need to self-isolate. That's about it.
Since I hadn't lived thru anything that threatened my society, I never believed in stocking up on non-perishables.
However, the fact that I'm living thru a potential pandemic convinces me that we as a race aren't nearly as resilient as our modern amenities and high QoL suggest.
Don't bother with masks or anything, you probably won't be able to avoid infection anyway. Also I'm already convinced the panic & paranoia will cause way more disruption then the virus itself.
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