… but preparing for the worst.
I’ve lived in Southern California just about my whole life. Although the threat of earthquakes has always been “out there,” I doubt if many Californians have bothered to put together even a basic earthquake preparedness kit. Even though natural disasters occur in all parts of the world, they are easy to ignore in our day-to-day lives. We don’t deny the reality of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, or giant wildfires, we just would rather not think about them.
Now, with the latest threat to our health and safety – the Coronavirus – all over the news, a lot of people are starting to pay attention. Maybe it does makes sense to collect some important items just in case we find ourselves quarantined in our homes for several weeks. Californians have long been encouraged to make personal preparations for “The Big One,” but this virus has prompted many people to finally act.
There are already reports of shortages of canned food, disinfecting products, toilet paper, and water storage containers as more and more people realize that, in fact, it can happen here. As the news reports more people being infected – and dying – even greater panic buying will ensue. Those who wait until the last minute could face empty shelves, back orders and, sadly, price gouging.
Recently, on the front page of our local newspaper, among articles about election results and the latest CONVID-19 reports, was another earthquake warning. A large fault, which is located very close to where we live, could produce a quake of 6.9 or greater. An earthquake that large could not only damage or destroy thousands of structures, but also cut gas and water service and cause widespread road and bridge failures.
We are not worriers by nature, and we don’t consume media that peddle wall-to-wall, end-of-days, scary “news,” but we also think that taking some precautions is warranted. We have taken seriously the admonitions to wash our hands frequently, avoid touching our faces, and dodge crowds and anyone who shows signs of a cold. Fortunately, since we are retired, we don’t have to worry about ill co-workers. We think our chances of avoiding the virus are pretty good. That being said, we’ve purchased a few things “just in case” and I feel that we are better prepared than we were.
Sometimes it takes something actual – as opposed to just possible – to prompt action. After many years of “meaning to” put together a disaster preparedness kit, we finally have.
Retirementally Challenged 
You find the same mentality among people who live around an active volcano. They are not ignorant about the danger, but they think it will not happen in their lifetime. So let other people do the worrying. You are 100% right, Janis, the sudden threat of the Coronavirus is a wake-up call for greater preparedness.
I understand why we don’t want to live in a constant state of worry, but it really doesn’t take a lot of time to put a plan together. We all hope that we won’t need the items we’ve collected, but better to have them just in case.
Very true, Janis. My husband talks about the fact that we should have one all the time but we never do anything about it. Maybe I should let him.
It’s pretty easy to find lists online of items you might want to have. I think your husband is smart to suggest putting a kit together. You just never know.
I totally embrace being prepared, but I wish some fellow citizens could keep themselves from hoarding. There is a difference. I hope families take care to be able to make it on their own a week or two but refrain from buying everything on a shelf when there are some products we all need to realistically survive a two week self quarantine. Stay healthy and safe, and we’ll all hope they can come up with some information and factual statistics that educate us so we can make wise decisions.
I completely agree about hoarding and buying in a panic, which usually leads to bad decisions. We were at Costco this morning and saw a lot of people buying cases of water. No toilet paper or paper towels, though, as they were all out. Sometimes whatever good sense people possess goes right out the window when they are filled with fear. At least I hope the crazy hoarders out there will share their bounty with others.
Another issue that those of us who have downsized are faced with is storage space. The pantries of previous big houses are long gone, and where do you put enough supplies to last 3-6 months. I know I don’t have that kind of room, but I guess I’ll be looking for options as soon as I get home. 🙂
Storage space can be an issue. Maybe some of these hoarders still have the bomb shelters they dug during the cold war 🙂
Big panic going on fueled by media and politicians. It’s very sad. What you state is so true – being prepared is different than panicky hysterical hoarding.
I try not to feed on the frenzied reports of gloom and doom, preferring to get my information from scientists and NPR. Feeling prepared is good… panicking doesn’t lead to good decisions.
An emergency preparedness kit is a great idea. Something good will come out of this pandemic if at least it gets people creating these. Some people will always take it to the nth degree though, as we are seeing now. I’ll bet all the survivalists are restocking their bunkers. 😉
Deb
The survivalists are having a hay-day… yay fear! I remember seeing news reports of empty store shelves in advance of a hurricane, but we’ve never experienced it here before. It’s pretty crazy. Of course, earthquakes don’t give us prior warnings, so we feel better having a kit just in case.
This subject is definitely on everyone’s minds, Janis. We have been somewhat prepared for a possible (inevitable?) earthquake and friends and family tell us they will come to our house. This does not make me feel better.
We are just trying to use our common sense and we will do more cocooning over the next while. We are somewhat prepared, unless hoards of family and friends pay us a visit. I love them all, but……
I notice you were on Marty’s site and both of your posts work well in tandem.
Hugs to you and Paul and stay healthy! xx
It sounds like your friends and family are considering you as their disaster preparedness plan… time to change your locks 🙂 One of the nice things about being retired is that we really don’t HAVE to show up anywhere if we don’t want to. I don’t trust people to stay home when they are sick, especially in the US, where many don’t have health insurance or paid sick leave. Cocooning at home sounds pretty nice.
There’s nothing wrong with being prepared, but at NewEnglandGarden mentioned, hoarding isn’t the best way to react. When the media, who we know can be alarmists, creates a panic and people freak out in response, that’s never good. I’ve always been one who keeps a supply of the necessities on hand. Yesterday, while at Walmart, I noticed the hand soap shelves were empty. Did people not wash their hands prior to the Coronavirus? What about the flu and its magnitude of victims? Great reminder, Janis!
I’m afraid that we know the answer to your question about hand washing… no, they didn’t wash as often as they should. Panicking and freaking out is not a plan and hoarding just seems crazy and, frankly, selfish. We humans aren’t always on our best behaviour when we act out of fear.
Ditto Jill. Preparing is one thing. Going over the top is another. Then again, maybe it’s a good way to make up for the 401(k) losses lately.
I wonder where people are storing all those cases of toilet paper, paper towels, water bottles, and hand wipes. I’m old enough to remember the bomb shelters some people dug under their houses during the cold war… I guess if they haven’t filled them in yet, they can store their end-of-days supplies there.
I’m not sure where or why! People be crazy!
Prepared but not overreacting – that’s a nice balance. Great post, Janis.
Exactly. It’s good to be prepared (and I’m glad we are) but grabbing everything in sight seems a bit over-the-top.
Jan well said. I’m in Michigan where there are no known cases to date. However, I’ve stock piled canned goods and essentials. This is scary especially when I read the CDC warnings for people over 60…that’s us. While I don’t want to panic, I also don’t want to be unprepared for the worse. Thank you for posting this as so many of us are thinking what you are thinking.
I sure hate to keep hearing about how people our age – and older – are being the hardest hit. When I first heard “elderly” I assumed they were talking about people 80 and up. I certainly don’t feel elderly… do you? Either way, we feel that we can lay low for a week or two if needed. I like being prepared.
Hopefully you can stay safe.
That’s the plan! 🙂
My boss/wife are in San Francisco right now visiting their son (only child, age 23). I questioned going since they spent 10 days with him at Christmas in Mexico on vacation, and he flew home to spend Thanksgiving at home (he started this a new job last July). My boss said “you worry too much.” I guess I do, but here in Michigan it is not bad yet, but hoarding is still going on. I heard the mayor of NY say there will be severe punishment for those who price gouge – I hope he follows through.
I have been a bit of a germaphobe for awhile now; it began in the early 2000s after I brought a bad cold home to my mom and she could not get to a doctor as it was icy/snowy out and her mobility in those conditions was not stellar. As a result of not going to seek medical attention, she got walking pneumonia. I felt horrible and then became overzealous about not getting sick and bringing a cold home again. I’m not retired, but I work from home and have no family and all my friends don’t live anywhere near me, so I’m kind of isolated here. In fact yesterday on the news, they said that if the Coronavirus forces quarantine on many students and workers, the home broadband in neighborhoods will be taxed and may crash. Yikes – well, guess I will have some down time if that happens. Hope the predictions for a large earthquake due to the fault line do not come to fruition. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you Janis.
Maybe since our community hasn’t been hit – at least that we know of yet – by the virus, the earthquake predictions are more concerning. I guess we all just do what we can to prepare ourselves as best we can. I’ve never been a germaphobe before, but I’m certainly becoming more aware… which can’t be a bad thing. I hadn’t thought about the local broadband issues… oh boy, another thing to worry about 🙂
I wasn’t a germaphobe until I brought the cold home and my mom got pneumonia, then I started being more aware and not touching my face while at work and I never went back to my old ways. It is difficult in an office as you are constantly touching “community things” … California has its share of problems with the wildfires and earthquakes. We had a minor earthquake here in SE Michigan in 2018 (3.6) and then the meteor hit in our area and caused an earthquake too, same year. We do not typically have earthquakes and when I felt it under my feet, I thought I was imagining things. It is always good to be proactive. At least you are in a home, and not a high-rise as I’d have even more concerns. That is a prediction … I could see that happening with the broadband.
I was gonna post a ‘new normal’ post about COVID-19…but meh – you and snakesinthegrass did a better job on this by far!
So I’m back to my usual musical musings…watch for it tomorrow.
BTW: it felt fantastic voting here in SC…rebel that I am (pun intended, tho I’m no southerner!)
Maybe I should say the ballot box was ‘beautiful’ and give raspberries to the over-user of that word!
Yes, this is a serious situation…but I find the new fault line a bit more disconcerting.
Take care
We need musical musings! Too much negative news makes me cranky. (Oh, and fingers crossed that SC will have a new senator in November.)
Agreed! (about Nov. not about your crankiness!)
😉
Hi, Janis – I agree that having an Emergency Preparation Kit is a wise idea. As we also live in an Earthquake zone, we have a general kit already prepared. It has prevented us from having to wrestle in line with hoarders. Hand sanitizer? Check! Extra water? Check! Emergency nonperishable food? Check! Emergency Fist Aid Kit? Check. Now as long as our regular Costco supply of toilet paper lasts us, we’re good!
I’m not surprised that you and Richard have been prepared for a while. With the treat of an earthquake always there, it makes sense to have a supply of important items. It was so weird to see empty shelves in both Costco and the grocery store. Interesting how toilet paper has become a precious commodity, huh?
“Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.” That’s one of the rules my hero, Jack Reacher, lives by. Reacher is an ex-military policeman, and the protagonist in author Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. I don’t think you can go wrong following that theory, Janis, whether in reference to the possibility of an earthquake or the spread of the Coronavirus. If more people gave serious thought to risks and reasonable planning, I believe there would be less panic and tragedy in many situations. Good for you for keeping a level head and your wits about you!
Hi Mary… my husband loved your reference to Jack Reacher! There does seem to be some “expecting the worst, and preparing for armageddon” going on. I think some people have enough cases of Costco toilet paper to last them a year. I hope they’ll share with their neighbors :).
So, the last time I ran errands in town, I picked up two huge packages of toilet paper at Sam’s Club – one for us because we’re running low and one for our son’s girlfriend as a gag birthday gift (long story). I’m sure some other shoppers figured I was stocking up due to the virus. What bothered me, though, was that I’m pretty sure the price was a dollar higher than it was the last time I bought it. I’m hoping that it was just a coincidental increase in price because I don’t want to believe that Sam’s Club would take advantage of this situation.
Janis, I’ve always enjoyed your blog for your writing and photography skills and the way your positive attitude shines through in your posts. Please tell your husband that he’s on my A list now, too!
Yikes! I also hope a company like Sam’s Club wouldn’t price gouge, but that dollar increase is a little suspicious. I’ll let my husband know about his increased stature 🙂
I’m all about being prepared in a way that makes sense to you, not in a way that feeds into the mass media’s desire to stir up trouble. I see the photos of store shelves almost bare, but around here that isn’t what is happening. It’s the waiting part of this impending pandemic that is the most difficult for me. As for being quarantined at home, should it come to that and I hope it doesn’t, we’ll be okay. Readers are always okay regardless of where they are stuck.
Readers and introverts… we were made for quarantines! I agree that the unknowing is the worst. I guess we just do what we can to stay healthy and hope for the best.
I like your attitude, Janis – hope for the best; prepare for the worst. I also think our chances of coming in contact with the virus are pretty low at this point. I am a little nervous about traveling internationally at the end of this month, although our destinations are not hotbeds of virus activity.
I hope that you are able to make your trip. So many people are canceling, or their trips are being cancelled for them. We have an annual event (in the US, different state) that we will probably not attend this year. Because it is crowded and has lots of international attendees, it just seems like a bad idea.
I’m one of those people who has kept an Armageddon supply for years. I figure we could easily live for a week or two on my stockpiles. Fresh fruit and vegetables would be an issue, but we could get by. I consider it one of the many ‘insurance policies’ I carry 😉
Good for you, Joanne! I wonder if those who live where it snows annually tend to be better prepared. It’s easy to ignore warning of a “possible” earthquake, but harder to ignore something that predictably happens every year.
You make a good point. It is easier to wrap your head (and wallet) around the inevitable rather than the possible.
It does however take a certain amount of diligence to keep up with what you have on hand and cycle through it to ensure the best before dates are always good.
I’ve always been the person who would rather have something and not need it than need it and not have it so, I’ve had emergency supplies on hand for decades. It’s become a source of mini battles at times… about storage space -like when we moved and He-Man did not want to take the water barrels that we had emptied for the move. They are big, and where would we store them here where it gets so cold the water would freeze in them if we stored them outside as we did in CA. Well, we’re storing them in the garage up off the floor a few inches thank you very much! 😀 I’d love to have two more, but I just don’t have space.
I am missing a few things in my first aid kit since I cleaned it out for the move, and I’ve been lax in getting it replenished. After this flu season is over and supplies are easily available again I’m planning to fix up my first kit.
I’m glad you’ve got somethings prepared for yourselves. It can’t hurt to have them. 😀
Storage space is often an issue. For those of us without basements (and who actually put cars in the garage) it can be a challenge to find room. I’m glad you were able to find space for your water – that’s something you definitely don’t want to run out of.
I live in Pennslyvania. No earthquakes. No volcanos. No wildfires. Rare for a tornado or hurricane. But now we have several reports of Coronavirus. I guess no one is safe in this world. I just bought some disinfecting wipes yesterday, which I will keep in the car, and there were plenty of supplies available.
I’m glad the craziness hasn’t hit your area yet. Although I had read reports of stores running out of things, it was weird to actually see empty shelves. It sounds like Pennsylvania is pretty safe but I imagine you have winter storms now and then that could force you to stay in place for a while. I guess a little preparation can’t hurt.
I was just reading about how Italy is trying to deal with the outbreak in the northern part of the country. The novelty of this virus is what is scary. Not enough is known about it. Its ability to lurk, unknown in carriers with no symptoms, presents real problems in preventing its spread.
The worst case scenario would be a major earthquake in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak. Sometimes knowing too much can be a hazard. When things like this happened in the 1500s, it was upon people before they knew what was happening or what to be frightened of. Not sure that is better, but, like having one’s genes tested for latent disease possibilities, sometimes fear of the possible (or inevitable) shortens or disrupts quality of life.
Good for you for embracing preventative measures. I still find myself reach a hand out in greeting and fussing with my face with my hands. Habits are hard to break.
Arrrgggg… just one disaster at a time, please :0 ! It’s hard to imagine a whole region being shut down, like in China and Italy, but I suspect we may see it more and more and countries try to grapple with the virus. A large school district in Northern California has just been shut down because a member of one student’s family was infected. That may seem like overreaction to some, but the authorities are dealing with so many unknowns.
I agree. At this point, not enough is known about transmission. An ounce of prevention…who would want to be responsible for the health/death of even one person because of lax precautions?
I had both of my hands tucked under my chin reading your post, and pulled them away when you reminded about not touching one’s face! Man, that’s going to be a hard habit for me to break, I’m sure.
A friend of mine in Maryland texted me some examples of hoarding at his Costco yesterday, including pictures of people in line with cases and cases of bottled water. He said, “I can sort of see the toilet paper (though not really) but why water? What’s wrong with comes out of their faucets?!” People do overreact, for sure. – Marty
I never realized how many times I touched my face over the course of a day. Having water makes sense for earthquake preparation since the city’s pipes could be offline for a while. The only thing I can think of re the virus is that people are afraid that people who run those utilities won’t be able to come to work. It’s hard to imagine that happening, but having a lot of water supplies must make them feel better. I hated seeing all that plastic in people’s carts.
Janis, we are being cautiously optimistic and have not ‘gathered supplies’ just yet. We have just spent the past two days undoing the trip that we were to take in late May. It included three flights, four hotels, 1 cruise ship and a rental car. Once that has concluded, I might pick up some hand sanitizer and wipes, but I’m still confused about toilet paper and water. As of this morning, we have a cruise ship sitting off the coast of Florida, waiting to be boarded by testing authorities. That pales in comparison to living near a fault line, but oh well. Best of luck to you guys. This too shall pass.
Sorry about your trip. That must be so disappointing. I think if I was a lot younger (and not in the risky age group) I might be tempted to take advantage of the deep travel discounts available. As it is, we will probably remain close to home. I guess there are worse places to be sheltering in place… as long as the earth doesn’t start shaking 🙂
Janis, it is disappointing, but I am sure it will be replaced by something wonderful in the future. We are both in the ‘at risk’ category and I always pick up something nasty on long flights and cruise ships, soooo… just trying to be practical. This might be the summer to visit our National Parks!!
That’s sound advice, Janis. I don’t have a preparedness kit, but it probably wouldn’t take much time and expense to put one together. The virus, like a hurricane is already out there, and can be monitored and protected against. Earthquakes, on the other hand are surprise risks, and easy to forget about. Having a kit might be a real life-saver in any disaster. Stay safe! Joe
The unpredictability of earthquakes make them scary but also easy to ignore (if that makes sense). I’m glad to finally have a kit and some supplies put together. Hopefully, like any insurance, we’ll never have to use them. I haven’t heard about any virus issues where you are traveling… lucky you; you may have avoided the threat altogether!
Makes total sense, Janis. Not only are earthquakes unpredictable, but they are also extremely rare. South America has relatively few cases of coronavirus. The only places I have noticed it referenced are in the airports and at the border crossings. I just got back from the local pharmacy here in Chile, where I was able to buy a box of sanitizing wipes, just to have some on hand.
Ridiculous panic buying happening here too. Complete over-reaction.
I guess it’s happening just about everywhere. Unfortunately, it will probably get worse before it gets better.
Great post, Janis, on thinking ahead and avoiding the “it won’t happen to me” mentality. There have been some Coronavirus scares in SF Bay area and someone at my daughter’s workplace (1 in 4000+) was tested positive. There are several buildings and HR isn’t giving out more info, which is ridiculous. Sadly, I think the media hype is sending people into un-needed tailspins of panic. A local school district shut down all schools for the week because a family tested positive. Again, no specifics, and the consequences for families who now have to scramble to find daycare, or who made plans for their real spring break are in a serious bind over a “what-if” scenario. I believe in being prepared for natural and medical disasters and should have probably bought some more items for the house, but I live with a hubby who collects things, so we may be OK for now. We all need to critically understand and view websites. Seems every few years, there is a big medical outbreak (WestNile, SARS, bird flu, etc). I’m keeping my hands clean and not going to worry about this. But I do want to be prepared for a natural disaster like fire or earthquake.
That’s why we decided to take advantage of this current awareness to put together what we should have done a long time ago. Those other outbreaks that you listed never rose quite to the level of concern (at least locally) as this one has. I heard about that school district closing down. I understand why they need to be cautious but it’s hard on the parents, I’m sure (the kids, on the other hand, must be thrilled 🙂 ).
I agree, and always have with “hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” I do think that the media is stirring up a needless frenzy of worry that is leading to hoarding (the chances that there will be months-long quarantines are very, very small, so no one needs a case of hand sanitizers or 120 rolls of toilet paper). This, too, shall pass. Meanwhile, I always keep emergency supplies in our house, no matter what the current threat happens to be!
If people have the room, I agree that having an emergency supply of certain items makes a lot of sense. The amount of toilet paper, water, and other items that some people are buying seems a little nuts. Even if there was a month-long quarantine, I imagine supplies would get through somehow. It will be an interesting next several months…
Ironically, Mark fell ill the night of our meet up and I followed suit a couple of days later. None of our crew got sick, so we are mystified as to what/how. It’s not coronavirus – even if it is, we don’t meet the criteria for testing. Being sick and not leaving the house all week has made me appreciate a couple of things; between canned and frozen food, we really do have enough to eat and neither of us has been ill since retiring (until now)! Stay healthy!!!
I’m sorry you got sick! It could have been from your flight over here. As part of anyone’s emergency supplies should be comfort food. Canned food only goes so far… one needs something yummy now and then 🙂 I hope you both are feeling better.
That’s interesting, what we choose to “ignore” and when we choose to prepare. Remember how during the hay day of the tv show The Walking Dead, FEMA had instructions on how to prepare for the “zombie apocalypse” 🙂 It’s funny, but it makes one wonder. Like you said, it’s the same basic preparedness kit for most natural disasters. Do we just become numb to continued threat like earthquakes and need something different to prompt us into action (which, sadly, often turns into panic)?
I guess it’s just human nature to focus on the sensational. We pay much more attention to deaths from airplane crashes than from automobile accidents, which kill many more. Although my husband and I will continue to practice safe hygiene as this virus works its way through, I really think disruption from an earthquake (or a zombie apocalypse) is much more likely to impact us personally.
That’s an excellent point: I once read that you’re more likely to be killed by a cow than by a shark, but who’s ever seen/made the movie Cows or has associated ominous music with cows? 😉
Staying away from zombies is always a good rule to follow, and if you see them, Mythbusters showed that it’s better to use an axe than a gun against them 😉
Good to know. Thank you!
Never a bad idea to prepare for the worst. That is a must at sea. I am hopeful you never have to execute your contingency plans and that this virus settles down soon. Ahoy from Ixtapa. Have set sail for La Paz and am thinking of you!
I imagine good preparation is key when you are out at sea for an extended period of time. It’s not like you can drive over to your local grocery store for supplies. I hope you are enjoying Mexico. La Paz has fabulous murals and wonderful food… and great subject matter for your photography!
Hi Janis!
Being prepared – mentally and physically – is a good thing! And, while I hate how fear is often instilled by the “powers that rule”, common sense and self-preservation are important. Now, I’m curious, what did you buy extra and outfit your “emergency kit” with?
On a side note, it is funny how toilet paper is one of the first things to go in stores, as paper (and materials to produce more) is easy to be found and created and there are many cultures where toilet paper doesn’t even exist! 🙂
Yeah, I didn’t get the run on toilet paper. Probably just mob mentality. Our “kit” contains some food, but also items that would help us if an earthquake disrupted utilities and other delivery systems. We even added a portable solar charger (thanks to input from Mark 🙂 ).
The toilet paper craziness started in Hong Kong, because their toilet paper comes from China, but it spread to Australia and other countries by media reports of shortages. That is enough to get some folks panicking! Much better to have a disaster kit with food and medicines – just in case. A portable solar charger sounds like a great addition in your part of the world. All the best, and stay safe.
Rather than getting less crazy, things seem to be ramping up here. I’ve heard of line in grocery stores extending all the way to the back – some stores have even closed temporarily due to low inventory. Fortunately, we made some purchases early on so no worries here. Hope all is well with you too. Thanks for your comment! I just checked out your lovely blog and hit “subscribe.”
Welcome aboard, Janis! It is lovely to have you join my little place in the blogosphere. I am sad to hear that queues have started to form for food. That can only lead to more panic buying from those who get desperate. Glad that you stocked up. But this could go on for a while yet. Do you cook, Janis? We might have to start using the old depression style recipe where eveerything is stretched out and not wasted?
My husband and I like to cook and we have a decent supply of non-perishables (of course, we don’t know how long the supplies will need to last). We’ll probably make more casserole-type dishes… fortunately we both like leftovers. It’s things like fruits, vegetables, milk, and bread that we will still have to purchase now and then.
You are very fortunate to have a partner that likes leftovers, as mine sadly, doesn’t. He goes to great lengths to avoid eating them, although there is one he reckons is better eating the second night!
Agree= perishables are the problem. Fingers crossed it works out for us both?
I’ve done a little stocking up — though just the weekly groceries tend to take up most of the room in the frig! I live in a college and university town, and things are getting very quiet as the students head home. And yet spring is coming. It’s a strange, surreal time, for sure!
“Surreal” is just the right word. As more and more things shut down or go online, the more eerie it will feel. Thank you for your comment. Stay healthy! I like your blog and have subscribed.
Earthquakes are a danger that yo can see it at least feel. This is insidious. I want to take leave from work and stay safe. It is a good idea to prepare an emergency kit.
Yes, it’s so odd to be in fear of something we can’t see. I hate looking at others (even friends and family) with, if not suspicion, at least concern. None of us wants to get it or give it to others, but some people out there are symptomless carriers. So many unknowns.
The one Australian tourist ( who died) unwittingly passed it on to 25 others – in the wild country, of Iceland, where it is minimally inhabited. So, how many could city dwellers potentially pass it on to others. Statiscally, it is around 2-4 – as infectious as SARS. But maybe more so if the evidence shows otherwise.
And I also am now very conscious of touching my face!
Yes! It’s almost impossible to retrain ourselves.
Agreed but a good habit to get into.
Janis, fortunately I always keep a well-stocked pantry, so I’ve only gone out for groceries once in the last 2 1/2 weeks, and that was mainly because we’d run out of bread, milk, and fresh produce. Most of the supermarket shelves were well stocked on that visit. However, there was limited toilet paper (but some), limited Tylenol (but some), and no hand sanitizer, flour, yeast, or frozen veg.
Jude
I still don’t get the whole toilet paper thing but maybe it makes some people more comfortable in a doomsday situation. We just signed up for a weekly CSA box so, hopefully, our produce will be taken care of. Stay safe!
Thank you for your concern about warning people to be prepared for earthquakes. Hopefully, people will heed the warning.
Hi Geri, thanks for visiting my blog! I wrote this post (March 7) before COVID-19 was much of a “thing” in the US yet. How that has changed over the last several months, right? I don’t know if you have earthquakes where you live, but I know that bad weather can be a challenge. I feel better that my husband and I spent some effort to get better prepared. I hope we never have to rely on those big bags of beans and rice but knowing that they are available if needed helps me sleep at night.
Missouri is known for earthquakes. As a matter of fact the largest ever recorded in the US happened in Missouri. My fiance has a 30 day emergency supply which includes food and water purification down at his condo in Florida. Now that we are spending our summers in Missouri, our next trip down we are bringing it back.