As of March 19th, the death-rate for Coronavirus in America is much less than forecasted; in fact many younger Americans are foregoing the advice of the CDC, WHO, and other health agencies and are out partying like it was a regular Spring Break. Grocery Stores are still mostly empty, schools are on extended leave, people are working from home, and there is a genuine panic in most industries.
This panic shows that most Americans are unprepared to handle a real event, and we can all assume that if one occurs, that there will be a total breakdown in services and society, rather quickly.
What lessons have you learned from this, and how will you plan for potential future problems? Myself, I'm a prepper so my status won't change much except I might invest in some newer professional grade respirator masks (mine are getting a bit worn).
Some thoughts are to check your first-aid supplies, freeze dried food, start growing and canning your own food if possible, invest in a dehydrator, etc. - what do you think?
America is behind Europe at the moment, but its coming. Italy is the worst affected country in the world at the moment, but some of the other European countries, including the UK, are following in its footsteps; so we are ready to brace ourselves.
The wartime spirit (from the 2nd world war) is engrained into the British psyche, so as a nation we’ll not panic and will maintain services and society in a wartime fashion. In that respect my son (a professional photographer), the nightclub he works for and many of the ‘Artists’ who regularly perform in the nightclub are looking beyond the epidemic to the future; even if that be more than a year from now.
My son still lives at home, so he has the security and support of his parents, who being on a regular secure income (Pensions, plus PIP and Carers Allowance) can easily afford to live in comfort as a family for the duration.
The nightclub owner in Bristol, where my son regularly works as a professional photographer, had to stay open until Boris (The Government) ordered nightclubs to close so that he could claim on the Insurance; which was finally yesterday (20th March).
Early in the year, as part of expanding his business, the nightclub owner bought another nightclub, in Trowbridge about 20 miles away, which had been run into the ground by the previous owner, through mismanagement. So he had intended to revitalise the Trowbridge nightclub overtime. But with the onset of COVID-19 in the UK, because that nightclub is currently not profitable, he took the decision last week to close it and make the staff there redundant. His action plan then being that, once the Government Officially ‘Ordered’ nightclubs to close, he would then employ his Bristol staff (on double wages) as helping hands to renovate the Trowbridge nightclub, so that it’ll be ready for a ‘re-Launch’, ‘Under New Management’, once the pandemic is over. Once the Trowbridge nightclub has been renovated, the owner wants to pay our son ‘double wages’ to do the ‘Promotional Photos’ ready for the re-launch.
As regards the Artists who regularly perform in the Bristol nightclub, all are freelance (self-employed) like our son, and we’ve heard from some of them today (circle of friends/contacts) that they are now going to spend their free time, while there isn’t any work (whether it’s six months or a year, while the pandemic lasts) to re-vamped their own businesses e.g. their web sites, promotional material etc., in preparation for their re-launch after the pandemic is over. As part of that re-launch (sometime in the distant future) one of the ‘performers’ was in touch with our son yesterday, because, once the pandemic is over, he wants to hire our son as his ‘personal photographer’, and promote our son’s photography business on his website.
As regards our son, he’s doing what the performers are doing e.g. re-vamping his website, and promotional material, to do a re-launch once the pandemic is over; and in that respect, I and my wife, both retired professional in the business world (Admin) have been using our expertise to help him.
As regards ourselves; we are sitting quite pretty at the moment. Although we didn’t panic buy, we were one of the many who did a month’s shopping (as we would normally do for Christmas) which has contributed to supermarket shelves emptying quicker than they can be filled.
On top of stocking up with a months’ worth of food and supplies, except for milk (which only keeps for a week), although we are not a ‘prepper’ like yourself, we do happen to have a ‘food store’ at the end of the garden with up to six months’ worth of food and drink.
The reason for our food store is that my wife buys food products in bulk when they are on offer e.g. at half price; and that way it cuts our annual food bill by $600 a year.
As well as the small freezer in the house we also have two freezers in our food store, the 2nd freezer being for all the fruit and veg I grow; to keep us in stock with home grown fruit and veg 12 months of the year.
In our back garden, I also grow all our own vegetables (organically e.g. no artificial fertilisers or pesticides), except potatoes, and during the summer months from May to October, a steady stream of a wide variety of fruits from our back garden, plus wild blackberries which I pick in the local countryside each August (just a 5 minutes’ walk from where I live). Growing our own fruit and veg saves us another $600 on our food bill.
I also make our own wine and beer, so we’ve got several years supply of wine, and enough homemade beer to last a couple of months. And a couple of years ago, I also started to make our own homemade soap, so we've got a good supply of homemade soap to last us for the duration of the pandemic.
You might need to set a guard on your food store! Seriously, though, I am shocked at how rapidly the UK is seeing numbers of those testing positive and sadly, of deaths increasing. I only hope that the lockdown achieves its purpose and slows the spread of coronavirus down. Normal life is becoming a fading memory.
Yep, you are right, we shouldn’t be complacent. Fortunately our back garden and sheds happen to be very secure (by accident rather than design) e.g. our gardens back onto the gardens of the houses in the street parallel to us; so the only easy access to our back garden is through the side alley, which access to is restricted by a security gate, and we have security lights in the front, side and back of the house. Albeit, I didn’t install the security lights for security I installed them for convenience e.g. when we drive onto our drive in the front garden after dark the security light lights up the front garden so that we can see to get to our front door; and likewise, if we nip down to the shed after dark the security light shows us the way without having to bother to turn the light on and off manually. Plus the sheds themselves (which I built over 20 years ago) are solid brick and mortar with solid doors and windows; rather than just wood.
If China and Italy are anything to go by, then yes I think the lock-down will achieve its purpose of slowing the spread of the virus (saving hundreds of thousands of lives in the UK), and hopefully by next year we’ll have a vaccine to help keep the virus under control.
My son and wife took a trip to Bath (just 30 minutes’ drive from us) on Monday to stretch their legs, just hours before the lock-down, and my wife borrowed my new video camera (the first time she used it). So she captured on film how quiet the streets of Bath were then (normally bustling with tourists).
Bath Deserted Streets: Just Hours before UK Pandemic Lock-Down https://youtu.be/l6XXhp_60lY
For a first time, Arthur, your spouse has a pretty good grip on cinematography. It is quite graphic, looks like a lovely area though. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks Credence2; yes, I was quite pleased with my wife’s first attempt at filming, as it’s not always as easy as it looks.
Yes Bath is a beautiful city; rich in architecture. It was founded by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago, and gets its name from the public baths that the Romans built over the ‘natural hot springs’ that exists there.
The Roman baths, that gives the city its name, exists to this day, and is a major tourist attraction; and not far from the site a modern public hot baths has also been built, taking advantage of the hot water from the natural hot springs in Bath.
TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN BATH: https://youtu.be/UItDEHPKJlQ
Sounds like you are well prepared for the lock down. Let's hope it has the intended effect. Very sad to see some still flouting the rules. They might be immortal, but others they infect might not be so lucky.
I totally agree. I was hoping the fines might have been a little tougher; especially for repeat offences. But still, on the positive side; it's only a few, and it is good to see the vast majority of the population respecting the curfew in 'high spirits'.
As well as the road blocks, it’s good to know the Police are also using Drones to find people flouting the rules, as shown in this video by the Derbyshire Police patrolling the Peak District: https://youtu.be/JbvWniXcNhA
Good evening Mister RJ. Education helps. Those who knows and reads about human body and how it works. There smarter then most people. Those who died the most. They are the ones that they do not listen to the authorities advices. Because, they do not have a clue of what it is going on. It is a very serious situation with the corona virus. I love can food. I always have a few cans around the house. I like to shop.I am always buying things. People came just to pick things from my supply. Now, I am home. It is difficult to come and pick things. USA food is safe in cans. The machines do it. Anything, that it is done by a machine. It is good. You need to check when you open things. It is better to read labels where it is fabricated. You just have to wash and dry the cans before you open the cans or packages.I wish. You stay well.
Yes. Appreciate the video Nathanville. I'm sure that was a little eery.
Thanks. Yes, I think it was a little eerie for her and our son; a taste of things to come as the UK is now on full lock-down. From where I live, in the suburbs of Bristol, I haven't heard or seen a car all week, since Monday.
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