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Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

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Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#61

Post by Buttons840 »

Someone1234 wrote: post #2

I'm not. There's no meaningful preparations for avoiding what is essentially a really dangerous variant of the common cold at an individual level. Now governments and the medical field should be preparing for it. But most of that is logistical problems (e.g. number of hospital beds, preparing quarantine plans, test kits, etc). You can order a bunch of masks if it makes you feel better, but countries with common mask…

Do not overstock on masks or other supplies. Masks especially should be available to the sick. It's ironic that (I'm sure) someone out there will stock up on 10,000 masks and it will cause them to be in even greater danger because the sick people around them will have fewer masks.

The CDC recommends that sick people wear masks to keep droplets in, and that people who directly interact with sick people wear masks while interacting with the sick person (to stop projectile droplets I presume). The CDC does not recommend masks be worn generally.

Masks help remind you not to touch your face, but you can just put tape on your fingers or something for the same effect (this is just my personal idea).

(This is more of a PSA than a direct reply to your comment.)

Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#62

Post by JshWright »

veemjeem wrote: post #54
bad_user wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Masks don't help because of low quality and people lack proper training... you shouldn't touch the mask, you shouldn't reuse it, you should properly dispose it, etc. A saner advice is to wash your hands frequently and to avoid touching your face when in public. Because you can get this virus by touching infected surfaces and then touching your face. It doesn't seem to be an airborn virus, but it does survive on surfa…

is it possible to reuse a mask if you put the mask through an autoclave?

An N95 isn't going to survive an autoclave...

Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#63

Post by ravenstine »

I've already been preparing as a hobby for the last 3 years, not specifically for coronavirus, but here's how I'm prepared for it:

- I work remotely, so I can hunker down at home and have my income totally unaffected.

- I've close to 6 months worth of food, and I've been buying more in the last month as the news continues. I can give some tips on what I think is good inexpensive food to get in case anyone is interested.

- I'm fasting regularly, which will realistically extend my food supply. Most people calculate their food supply by 3 meals a day plus snacks, but you can go days without eating. Right now I'm closing in on 72 hours without food. I'm perfectly fine. You get used to it. The key is getting your electrolytes and getting out of your sugar addiction.

- I have lots of water stored up, although that's not going to be much of a problem with COVID-19. Several filters meant to remove viruses, though I have a distiller so I would probably just use that if I was really that paranoid about my water, which I probably won't be.

- My medicine cabinet has everything you can think of and more. I have 2 first aid kits and a trauma kit. I have what it takes to turn the entrance to my home into a decon chamber, if need be. I have tons of bleach and disinfectants.

- I have full gas masks with filters, including adapters for 3M filters, which should be perfectly sufficient to remove droplets in the air. I also have full tyvek suits in case there's a worst case scenario but I have to leave my home. I have lots of N95 masks, but obviously you can't count on those for very much. I certainly don't have the belief that even the gas masks will prevent anything. It's just hedging my bets.

---

All that said, I am not paranoid. I don't even have anxiety over it. Those things I mentioned would only come into play if things went extremely bad. My life wouldn't be very different if I had to stay indoors for months on end, so long as utilities continue to operate. Even if the supply chain broke down, I would probably be better off staying indoors than trying to bug out to somewhere else.

One other thing I'm doing is trying to sell off a high value items I've been holding on to, but I'm selling them off now because the money could save me from strife if there's widespread infection and my job totally falls apart.

Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#64

Post by idiocratic »

Not at all. I think the media is overestimating the effects of this virus. The world will realise that soon and everyone will calm down. I can see this effect right now in Italy. I in one of the affected regions and while a few people have been queueing to empty shelves at the supermarket, I'll go tomorrow for a normal weekly grocery shopping. Supermarkets are fully stocked again and everyone is doing well. The main issue is in people's mind, at least right now.

Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#65

Post by _nkl1 »

8iterations wrote: post #49
Someone1234 wrote: post #2

I'm not. There's no meaningful preparations for avoiding what is essentially a really dangerous variant of the common cold at an individual level. Now governments and the medical field should be preparing for it. But most of that is logistical problems (e.g. number of hospital beds, preparing quarantine plans, test kits, etc). You can order a bunch of masks if it makes you feel better, but countries with common mask…

There is only a ~2% mortality rate from COVID-19, less than the usual flu. If one is prepping to survive from this, it is much more likely you have deeper emotional & psychological issues that prevent you from holding long lasting intimate relationships. And are at a higher risk of death from depression, anxiety, loneliness,and general social isolation. Thank you for listening. P.S. I work in this field and attached…

This is so infuriatingly false. The mortality rate for the flu this season has been ~0.1%.

The coronavirus is over 10x deadlier than the usual flu according to early estimates.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/03/the-flu-has-already-killed-1...

Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#66

Post by rp00 »

8iterations wrote: post #49
Someone1234 wrote: post #2

I'm not. There's no meaningful preparations for avoiding what is essentially a really dangerous variant of the common cold at an individual level. Now governments and the medical field should be preparing for it. But most of that is logistical problems (e.g. number of hospital beds, preparing quarantine plans, test kits, etc). You can order a bunch of masks if it makes you feel better, but countries with common mask…

There is only a ~2% mortality rate from COVID-19, less than the usual flu. If one is prepping to survive from this, it is much more likely you have deeper emotional & psychological issues that prevent you from holding long lasting intimate relationships. And are at a higher risk of death from depression, anxiety, loneliness,and general social isolation. Thank you for listening. P.S. I work in this field and attached…

I disagree with your sentiment about preppier mentality strongly. For me, it’s not about prepping to survive like THIS is a world-ending event, it’s about not getting caught in a rush to get supplies or stampedes when people panic. Tbh, that’s more of a concern than the disease.

That said, the serious complication rate is higher than the flu.

The r0 is much higher than the flu.

The disease is spread asymptomatically.

Nobody is ready if the disease does take hold and spreads widely.

Markets are/will continue to take a massive shit.

Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#67

Post by jakkals »

xboxnolifes wrote: post #59
jakkals wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It doesn't seem to be an airborn virus, but it does survive on surfaces. I just read this last night, and from this I had the impression that it is an airborne virus, and that surface spreading is not the main vector: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission...

The "airborne" transmission in that link is what I believe is called "aerosol transmission", not airborne. Because it relies on liquid droplets in the air, and not actually able to transmit on something like dist in the air.

There is also transmission (actually the first one mentioned) "Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet)"--this does not mention liquid droplets at all, which is why I figured it to be airborne.

Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#68

Post by ravenstine »

Someone1234 wrote: post #2

I'm not. There's no meaningful preparations for avoiding what is essentially a really dangerous variant of the common cold at an individual level. Now governments and the medical field should be preparing for it. But most of that is logistical problems (e.g. number of hospital beds, preparing quarantine plans, test kits, etc). You can order a bunch of masks if it makes you feel better, but countries with common mask…

You can limit your exposure.

Lots of people only wash their hands when they use the bathroom, if even that. They touch their faces and mouths a lot more often than they think. If they can learn to change their habits, wash their hands regularly if they go in public, and work from home more often if allowed by their employer, I'd say those are meaningful preparations.

Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#69

Post by thinkmassive »

tmaly wrote: post #13

I wash my hands well and try to avoid touching my face. I try to avoid touching bathroom door handles and use some type of napkin or glove. I have been doing this for a long time, so its not really something I am doing just for this virus. If you read CDC website they also recommend washing hands and avoid touching your face. It is much harder if you have small kids, just don’t forget to also wash their hands if they…

These are good everyday recommendations, along with the vampire cough/sneeze technique, which I really wish would become more widespread.

Re: Ask HN: How are you preparing for COVID-19 disruptions?

#70

Post by TheAdamAndChe »

Someone1234 wrote: post #21
darkteflon wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mind boggles at how people can characterise preparation of a month’s worth of food, water and other essentials as “bomb shelter”-style hunkering down. The CDC, amongst other US and foreign government agencies, recommend it. When the CDC speaks, I listen.

Where did the CDC recommend a months worth of food and water for COVID-19 specifically?

https://ready.gov/pandemic
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