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Coronavirus

245

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  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,577 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    Cynortas wrote: »
    If one wanted to prep for this outbreak what would be smart provisions to stock up on?

    If you can read german, this is what we use at the Red Cross Catastrophe Aid for a personal checklist.. https://www.diehelferwiens.at/media/file/100004_Checkliste.pdf

    I'll translate some of it

    Food
    Mineralwater (glass bottles)
    Juice and squash
    Tee, coffee, cocoa

    Pasta etc, rice
    Wasa bread, crackers, vacuum packed bread
    Flour, oatflakes

    Long lasting milk (like for coffee), milk powder
    Cheese with long expiration dates

    Fruit and veg in jars and tins
    beans in tins
    Nuts and dried fruit
    Potatoe powder

    Finished meals,Not frozen
    Ravioli, pasta sauces etc
    Tinned fish
    Tinned soups, also powdered (use the powders first as long as there is water)

    Salt, pepper, herbs, oils, honey, jams, sugar

    Health
    Backup glasses
    prescription medication
    First aid items; plasters, bandages etc
    Pain and fever meds
    Disinfection products
    Fever thermometer

    Toothbrush, toothpaste
    Soap, shower gel
    Rasers
    Tampons, nappies
    Toiletpaper
    Clothes washing fluids
    Rubbish bags

    General catastrophe
    2 lamps with batteries or dynamo
    Radio
    reserve batteries
    Tea lights, lighters
    Camping cooker
    Board games, cards
    Fire blanket
    Smoke detector
    CO detector (cooking indoors is dangerous)


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,577 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    Does anyone stock up on frozen food, cooking and freezing dinners? Or is it a risk if electricity goes down?

    It's a risk alright I think, even for something like this that wont directly affect infrastructure, but however will the people and non-physical structures that maintain it. It's why when stocking up on food you can stock up on noodles and pasta etc because they are cheap, but not exclusively incase the water and power goes. Have them and use them for as long as possible but you'll need a backup


  • Registered Users Posts: 19,568 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    What's with the toilet roll panic-buying? :confused: Of all our modern conveniences, it's the one thing that's dead easy to improvise no matter what apocalypse you're faced with.

    Im kinda laughing at the whole toilet roll thing as I've got big stocks of them but not from a survivalist expectation, more from practicality. My main transport is a motorbike and as toilet roll is bulky I cant get more than one four pack home at a time when the other supermarket shopping is in my backpack, it just takes up too much space. There was times I bought too much groceries and couldnt fit the toilet roll in so had to transport it on the motorbikes fuel tank between my legs. Id say that gave some motorists a laugh watching a biker completely dressed in black leathers going around with toilet roll sitting on the motorbike and trying to keep it wedged between my knees so it didnt blow off into the ditch :pac:

    So last November I saw Lidl were selling 3 ply toilet roll at a 30% discount so I decided to finally solve the problem and when I had a lend of a mates car I went in and bought 96 rolls in one swoop so Id no longer have the hassle of getting them home on a motorbike. Got a few funny looks off people as I went to the checkout with a trolley full of just toilet roll.

    I havent done a stocktake but I'm defintely okay for toilet roll till at least next Christmas :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,471 ✭✭✭zg3409


    People are stocking up in fear that they may not make it to the shop at all due to travel restrictions. People are also panicking that when they next go to supermarket they may have zero toilet roll, pasta,... which is a reality if you have run out and local store is sold out. People are also filling car up, just in case. People buy bread if they think bread will run out...

    What would you need for 14 days, 28days, without going out of house? Try to buy things that won't go to waste like bread, but bread can be frozen and defrosted and is low cost.

    All the reports agree that the number of cases will rise. Cancellation of events will continue. All of google Ireland that can work from.home is working from home from Thursday onwards. My employer asked New York staff to work from home if possible and have had work suggested quarantine from affected areas and all Italy for weeks. There is pressure to close schools and US and UK visitors are staying away. My understanding is they are hoping to delay mass infections to a slower spread without hope of full containment and that Ireland is about 2 months behind Italy in terms of numbers and restrictions. In many cases companies and the public are ahead of the official policy, as dire economic consequences are feared and even with extreme measures it is probably too late or impossible to stop without keeping everyone home forever. I think we will need to realise those in risk groups are looking at possibly a death rate of 10% if at risk and infected. 3.2% is average fatality rate based on those confirmed infected, but may be less if medical assistance is high. The outlook looks bleak, but those in non risk groups should be OK. We should assume you need to self treat at home if possible.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,914 ✭✭✭Kevhog1988


    Bought as few additional bits of non perishable food yesterday. It amazes me how people were running with 5 loafs of bread when if power etc went they would be gone in a freezer. the bag of flour was a far better choice.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 13,403 ✭✭✭✭briany


    This coronavirus panic has been disturbing in that it shows to me (not that I hadn't suspected it before, but it was more hypothetical at that time) that it doesn't really take a whole lot to scratch at the veneer of civilisation. Now, I know that not everyone has acted selfishly in the supermarkets in these times, and indeed those that have are most likely in a minority, but I can't help but wonder what would happen if you, say, upped the morbidity of this disease by about 15 percent, or you substituted it for a more far-reaching disaster like sudden food shortages, fuel shortages or weeks without electricity. How long would it be before law and order collapsed and people turned on one another in a general way?

    Most of us are not Mad Max or Bear Grylls. Even those with food stocked would run out of it and have to venture out looking for more. Those with a smallholding or like manner of growing their own food would have to defend that supply at some point if the situation became desperate enough. Not an easy ask depending on the numbers opposing you. Those with a hideout location with stocked food would have to wonder - how remote from other people can you really get in Ireland? Those intending to forage for wild food in the fields and along the shores would probably come into conflict with the many others who have the same idea.

    Sorry for the doomy post. :o


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    It's not doomy, it's all true! There are very few places if any remote enough to keep people away in Ireland so the cabin in the mountains type scenario is not really a realistic one for Ireland.

    I moved out of a big town last year, bought a house in a small village. Always had my ideal place in my head, workshop, shed, loads of room for all my preps etc and this situation has proved we made the right decision. There was no one panicked around here that I could see, country folk seem more prepared than the majority of those I know from the bigger town.

    We have loads of long life food now and a year or so worth of solid fuel for the stove that also heats the water and all the rads. What I'm lacking is water storage which my 15 year old daughter noticed today and asked could we make a rain catchment system so that's the next job! I'll start with a 205L barrel and go from there


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,914 ✭✭✭Kevhog1988


    aaakev wrote: »
    It's not doomy, it's all true! There are very few places if any remote enough to keep people away in Ireland so the cabin in the mountains type scenario is not really a realistic one for Ireland.

    I moved out of a big town last year, bought a house in a small village. Always had my ideal place in my head, workshop, shed, loads of room for all my preps etc and this situation has proved we made the right decision. There was no one panicked around here that I could see, country folk seem more prepared than the majority of those I know from the bigger town.

    We have loads of long life food now and a year or so worth of solid fuel for the stove that also heats the water and all the rads. What I'm lacking is water storage which my 15 year old daughter noticed today and asked could we make a rain catchment system so that's the next job! I'll start with a 205L barrel and go from there

    Watch your radiator system. If no power we cant light the main fire here at home.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    Yeah can turn into a bomb! Damper can be removed so heat is directed up and not over the boiler. Be surprised of your one is not the same.

    I'm going to get the pump wired to a plug so I can run it off the generator if ever needed. Turf will heat the water and the generator will run the fridge and pump to heat the house


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,914 ✭✭✭Kevhog1988


    aaakev wrote: »
    Yeah can turn into a bomb! Damper can be removed so heat is directed up and not over the boiler. Be surprised of your one is not the same.

    I'm going to get the pump wired to a plug so I can run it off the generator if ever needed. Turf will heat the water and the generator will run the fridge and pump to heat the house


    Will look into that. we also have a stove with no boiler in the sitting room so are ok to use that


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,049 ✭✭✭GinSoaked


    Surprised how quite the forum is, given that this is the nearest thing we've ever had to SHTF?

    Does anyone think its going to get worse?

    I'm not sure? This could go on for so long that it combines with another event like an extreme weather event or some political fight between countries.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    Surprised myself, this forum used to he very busy when it started and for a few years after but people just disappeared to Facebook groups.

    I think it'll definitely get worse, we are just at the start in Ireland and I'm not looking forward to the peak. The uk had more deaths yesterday than we had confirmed cases and if we keep going the same way that will be us in a few weeks time


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,821 ✭✭✭circadian


    GinSoaked wrote: »
    Surprised how quite the forum is, given that this is the nearest thing we've ever had to SHTF?

    Does anyone think its going to get worse?

    I'm not sure? This could go on for so long that it combines with another event like an extreme weather event or some political fight between countries.

    I don't think it's a total collapse of the world scenario but it will strain international relations. War? Probably amongst some nations but nothing on a global scale. Trade wars and embargos? Pretty likely.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,726 ✭✭✭FrostyJack


    GinSoaked wrote: »
    Surprised how quite the forum is, given that this is the nearest thing we've ever had to SHTF?

    Does anyone think its going to get worse?

    I'm not sure? This could go on for so long that it combines with another event like an extreme weather event or some political fight between countries.

    I completely forgot about this forum even though at the first mention of Cov-19 I checked here in December. It will get a lot worse before it get's better. I don't think bodies will be bulldozed into mass graves or people eating their children but on the economic side it is likely to be fairly rough. Until a vaccine is developed, which at best will be a 12 months to 18 months away this will not go away. The shear amount of misreporting that is floating around is ludicrous. Not just the stupid whatapps stuff going around or on Facebook. The same lies that came from hearsay at the start of the out break, like it only affects elderly or infirm people or it is the same as influenza.

    The problem as long as there is no "cure", it will keep going around, so say by some miracle everyone stays locked down and it completely dies out in Ireland , it would just take one person from outside of Ireland to come and restart the contamination and we are back in lock down again. Think about it realistically, this is going to be affecting us for months if not years. So if you think the kids are going back to school in May and that is the end of it you are very wrong. If you google the Trump timeline on this you will see he denies it is a real threat until one report was released with modeled the affects in America if they do nothing, then all of sudden immediate action needs to be taken. Senators were told of this and immediately sold their shares in hotels and the likes and bought stuff from the likes of Microsoft (work from home technology). That gives you the indication the powers that be, in America anyway knew how bad this was and down played it.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,673 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    The FB groups, the main Irish one in particular, is full of fakenews dumping and crazy levels of panic. Pretty useless.

    I've been watching and listening to the news and HSE to see updates, especially anything related to lockdowns etc. I did my "panic" shop two weeks before the queues started and had no issues with shortages.

    Now is the time to blend in, but be sensible and alert to changes. I do have some concerns over petty crime and vandalism with teenagers in particular more prevalent in groups after dark. I have seen open drug taking and heard reports of teens harassing the elderly.

    Hygiene and how to incorporate that into your pepping is an interesting new dimension for me, you just assume a decent quantity of soap is enough to see you through and think more about water purification and grid down scenarios. It's one to improve on for future pandemics.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,049 ✭✭✭GinSoaked


    We've started with improved water purification, got one of these before Christmas.
    61o6n2sUHAL._AC_SY879_.jpg
    I'd been wanting one for ages but persuaded my wife it was a good idea to save on all the plastic waste from bottled water and to improve the manky taste of our Irish Water (ex Waterford coco). Water taste is massively improved and I know that the particles causing the taste issues are microscopic so have every faith the filter will work at least to some extent on pathogens. If necessary we have about 400 liters (say 300 usable) water butt water that could go through it.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,673 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    Any details on shop and price?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,049 ✭✭✭GinSoaked


    Tabnabs wrote: »
    Any details on shop and price?

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01LXFEZOJ/ free delivery with Prime, you need to keep an eye on the price (camelcamelcamel.com) as its an item that fluctuates a good bit I only paid £105 £97 but its now up to £140 and not available on Prime.

    The American Big Berky https://www.amazon.co.uk/Berkey-Gravity-Fed-Filter-Purification-Elements/dp/B00CYW3EVO/ is externally almost identical but they use a longer life more expensive filter.

    Depending on use (home, travel, family size) there are other sizes available but the one linked is fine for a family of 4 and we've never run out of filtered water.

    Edit> Also I never used the included tap and upgraded to a metal tap. This one https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LGN9TJS/

    Running costs with the Doulton filters work out less than €100 a year for all our drinking water. My son was previously drinking €250 worth of bottled water a year because he didn't like the taste of the tap water.

    Only issue I can see so far is that in the summer I'll have to move the unit away from the window its near as the water gets warm during the day with the sun on it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    Tabnabs wrote: »
    The FB groups, the main Irish one in particular, is full of fakenews dumping and crazy levels of panic. Pretty useless.

    I've been watching and listening to the news and HSE to see updates, especially anything related to lockdowns etc. I did my "panic" shop two weeks before the queues started and had no issues with shortages.

    Now is the time to blend in, but be sensible and alert to changes. I do have some concerns over petty crime and vandalism with teenagers in particular more prevalent in groups after dark. I have seen open drug taking and heard reports of teens harassing the elderly.

    Hygiene and how to incorporate that into your pepping is an interesting new dimension for me, you just assume a decent quantity of soap is enough to see you through and think more about water purification and grid down scenarios. It's one to improve on for future pandemics.

    I know what you mean about the FB groups, stopped paying them much attention a long time ago. Some good guys on them but they are the minority.

    We did the same, started stocking up and putting some stuff away when it was still just in china so no need to panic and just kept going with the normal weekly shop after that with a few small bits extra to top up.

    I think you are bang on about the crime, still lots of groups going around and it's only a matter of time before trouble starts especially since everywhere is closed and they will have even less to do than normal.

    This is going to change the way we all live and how we all prepare and when we come out the other side I think there may be a fair few more joining in being better prepared for big events like this, that will be a positive.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,049 ✭✭✭GinSoaked


    aaakev wrote: »
    ....

    We did the same, started stocking up and putting some stuff away when it was still just in china so no need to panic and just kept going with the normal weekly shop after that with a few small bits extra to top up.

    ....

    I think that really the way to go, a few small bits extra every time you shop. The only big extra we got recently was dog food - enough for at least 6 weeks.

    Also depends what you are prepping for?

    Our preps are to keep life moving on at home here with as little disruption or change as possible for as long as possible. No reason why we'd need to leave the house for a month even if the power went out.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,049 ✭✭✭GinSoaked


    ...............and I did stock up with a few more bottles of Gin, still need more tonic!


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,471 ✭✭✭zg3409


    Tabnabs wrote: »
    I do have some concerns over petty crime and vandalism with teenagers in particular more prevalent in groups after dark.

    I have seen open drug taking and heard reports of teens harassing the elderly.

    Nothing new of open drug taking and teens in city centre and rough areas, just less in school.

    A radio presenter mentioned today that some city centre shops were boarding up their windows as part of their lockdown closures.

    It does look as if this will drag out for months until the figures infected start to drop, and then there might be a second peak once restrictions are relaxed. A friend of a friend was confirmed infected and worked in a bar in temple bar....

    My employer is forcing those stuck home minding kids take annual or unpaid leave, but at least jobs are safe.

    There seems to be a lot of public shaming of groups gathering or queueing in public places which is good and bad.

    My parents in their 80s rightly are fairly locked down at home with daily walks and shopping is dropped outside the door. Mothers day involved hello from outside the windows.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,673 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    Last time I checked, that DPM is reserved for serving members of the military only and remains the property of the Minster for Defence at all times.

    Not a good look.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,914 ✭✭✭Kevhog1988


    Standing with an axe and a knife makes him look a bit mad


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,049 ✭✭✭GinSoaked


    Standing with an axe and a knife makes him look a bit mad

    I've been in press photograph shoots and they always want some crap like that to make it look "good" :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    Tabnabs wrote: »
    Last time I checked, that DPM is reserved for serving members of the military only and remains the property of the Minster for Defence at all times.

    Not a good look.

    I used to wear mine hunting and doing other outdoor stuff but I found it brought attention and people wondering what you were up to. I switched to green for hunting and ditched the camo, haven't got any dodgy looks since. Ya can buy that pattern and DF never ask for it back when you leave, if all my old gear in the attic in my mother's house somewhere


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,049 ✭✭✭GinSoaked


    I have a couple of military jackets from the UK, and use them for gardening (strimming mainly). The only issue I have with a lot of civilian stuff is that even the toned down colours have florescent/reflective/dayglow strips and patches. I've a green and grey rucksack with really annoying reflective strips sown into the seams. If I want to be seen I nearly always have a hi-viz waistcoat with me.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    I wear seeland hawker trousers and jacket for deer stalking, really comfortable soft shell material, waterproof and breathable, some of the best gear iv had and you can wear it and not look put of place


    https://en.seeland.com/en-150/shop/hunting-clothes-for-men-2/hawker-shell-jacket-100211528


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