Reflection on the Coronavirus (COVID19) Pandemic
March 31, 2020
I posted this on my Facebook pages and for some strange reason it created some spirited dialog about being an alarmist and creating “panic“.
Interesting times when common sense ideas are denigrated.
Going back over 50 years, I attributed my attitude and concern as Situational Awareness
My post follows:
What you may need and might not have thought about if there are Outages of Power
- If you don’t have a generator, you may need batteries. Ds, Cs, and double A. Plenty of them. At least half a dozen flashlights and a couple of ‘glow’ lights.
- If you have a generator, you will need to start it every couple of days and have at least twenty gallons of gas stored outside with the exhaust outside,
or the generator itself. - Extension cords, at least 3 fifty footers (again, if you have a generator.
- Bottled water if you have an electric well.
- Canned meat, beans and veggies…plenty of it.
- One bedroom you can isolate for a family member who has the virus but is either not bad enough to be hospitalized or needs aftercare quarantine so the whole family does not go down.
- Special battery pack for your laptop and cell phones.
- Battery-powered radio for entertainment and news.
- Plenty of high-calorie replacements or stand-ins, like coke, chips, nonrefrigerated dips…to alleviate hunger and pass the time.
- puzzles, games, books, and toys.
- A couple of pails to use for dumping water in the toilet after a few flushes.
- Keep your cars full of gas, for emergency transport, to go to the store and also as reservoirs if you have a generator.
- Patience. Most outages in the U.S. are fairly quickly resolved even in times like these.
- Matches, plenty of them. Electric igniters do not work if the electricity is out.
There. Was that so bad? Funny how many things come to the forefront when there are impending or existing social upheavals.
GEE, KINDA SORTA LIKE EVERY OTHER DAY.
Then again, I been living out in the boonies miles from the convenience store for 60+ years making a run to town once a week and doing quite well.
Been thru a few power failures, oddly they didn’t bother me, 12 volt backup system runs 14 hours of lighting and sump pump just fine, and I got no problem telling people with boats and motorhomes I got no time to help them. Love wearing my Nam Vet hat when I tell them too.
Been snowed in a few times too, dug my way out with my loader I chose to buy over vacationing. How are all those wonderful VaCa memories workin out as you sit trapped in your house? You chose how you spent your money, enjoy the memory.
Because I’m good natured and generous I’ll tell you that mask you wear is no protection to you from Caronabeer virus. I do appreciate you wearing it to protect ne though, just in case you’re Positive. By the way, you can get 15-20 uses from the mask by sanitizing it with Peroxide.
Have a nice panic attack!
honestly, I am getting a lot of laughs watching the hand wringers and socially dependent sheep.
Can’t get peroxide either? No masks and no gloves anywhere around here and twenty bucks per mask online!
Thanks for the detailed comment of intellect and humor, as usual my friend.
Semper fi,
Jim
Some additions:
Land line telephone – always works.
Knowledge of First-Aid. I’d suggest books related to Wilderness First-Aid. Their assumption being that Emergency Medical Services will not be readily available. Hence one should develop a greater skill set.
There are also First-Aid books and YouTube videos directed towards the Prepper community.
A bottle of Tylenol (acetaminophen) as a fever reducer.
Thermometer to quantify and track fever.
Maybe a Fingertip Pulse Oximeter. It tells how effective the lungs are in getting oxygen into the blood.
Barbecue lighter – they are long so less chance of burning one’s fingers while lighting a gas stove.
There are a variety of hand crank flashlights and solar lanterns.
Headlamps provide illumination while keeping hands free. Some use standard batteries OR rechargeable battery packs.
I’m a long term practitioner of TM so that helps keep me mentally flexible.
Blessings & Be Well
Great advice added to my own Dan. But what else should I expect from someone as erudite and bright as you?
Semper fi, my friend,
Jim