Pandemic Survival 101

It is clear that this pandemic is a big event.

The disease is still relatively new, and the experts have not had enough time to study it properly. Many of those top experts are hurrying to understand the virus, what conditions it can survive under and how it spreads. That is usually the work of years and they have only had weeks or months to work at it.

Nevertheless, that lack of information just makes the coronavirus more dangerous to the rest of us. Without accurate information, we have to assume the worst, just like the doctors who are studying it do. That means a virus which is transmitted by “air” (actually by aerosol – droplets expelled from coughs and sneezes) and has a high mortality rate.

At the time of editing this post, the Corona Virus pandemic is still being felt around the globe, with a total of over 1,614,951 confirmed cases by the World Health Organization. Again at time of writing this, there have been 109,920 worldwide deaths. Fortunately there have been 411,651 recoveries.

Officially, the fatality rate of Corona Virus is listed at a little over two per cent. However, it’s too early to make an precise determination. Typically, the mortality rate of a pandemic is higher in the earlier days, with the survivor rate increasing towards the end.

A very worrying statistic is the transmission rate, or contagion rate, which is listed as between 2 and 3, with different studies giving answers anywhere from 1.4 and 4.0. These numbers mean they are suggesting that one person might infect 2 or 3 people. If that number was less than 1, we could count on the epidemic burning itself out. This number means it is unlikely to burn out without a lot of effort.

Even if we take the best case figure, from the various studies, this pandemic is not going to burn out on its own. Something is going to have to happen, to make that happen, the question is what. Are the measures governments are taking enough? Or for that matter are they too much an invasion on our freedoms.. However that is another topic. While we are at it, what do we need to do in order to protect ourselves and our families? The world is global in terms of transportation, economy and immigration. This also means it’s global to disease as well.

There can be an overwhelming number of items to consider when preparing for a pandemic. This is particularly true for those who have little medical knowledge. It may seem confusing. Many of these items we may not have originally considered for our survival preparation. I will break things up into three categories.

Treating a Pandemic Within the Home

1. Plastic Sheeting such as painter’s plastic is potentially very useful and it is a good idea to have a lot of it. It can do things as simple as separate a few rooms to becoming a way to safely transport those who have died from the pandemic. The sheeting can also be used to cover windows and doors, if the pandemic gets out of hand.
2. Disposable Gloves
3. Disposable Foot Protection
4. Disposable Aprons
5. Face Masks
6. Face Shields or eye protection
7. Tyvek Disposable Coveralls offer great body protection.
8. Thermometers
9. Fever Reducer
10. Congestion Meds
11. Antidiarrheal
12. Throat Lozenge
13. Inflammation Reducer
14. Vitamin C will give you an option to boost the immune system.
15. Echinacea
16. Water Storage will be crucial and you will want to have at least 1.5 gallons per person per day. This water will play a massive role in the hydration of those who become sick.
17. Water Filter
18. Hydration Powder will add jazz up your water through things like electrolytes. You may not have an IV on hand, but that doesn’t mean you cannot stay hydrated properly.
19. 100 Contractor Trash Bags
20. 100 Indoor Trash Bags
21. Cans with Tight Fitting Lids
22. Plenty Antibacterial Soap for hand washing
23. Quality Bodily Fluids Cleanup Kit (SUPER SORB)
24. Hardback copy of quality medical volumes like The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies, The Survival Medicine Handbook, The Doomsday Book of Medicine.

Pandemic Protection Outside the Home

There are items that you can include for protection outside the home on a daily basis.

1. Although there is some disagreement on this, it does not hurt to have decent face mask in your bag when prepping for a Pandemic. These are not very expensive and will protect your nose and throat from pathogens.
2. You will also want some basic meds stored in your car as well. These meds should be for dealing with symptoms. Meds that will fight fever, diarrhea and something for sore throat would all be great options. A non-drowsy medication for congestion would also help.
3. A trauma kit will also be vital. Remember that pathogens can enter your body through any damage in your skin or any orifice. If you are cut during a pandemic, it will be crucial that you clean and cover that cut ASAP. A good first aid kit is essential to have for any survivalist, not just for this pandemic.

Ideally, these items get you home as quickly as possible where you can survive a little more safely without the germs of the outside world.

Considerations for Pandemic Security

Unfortunately, even while people may be suffering from disease inside your home, things might escalate and you might have others who want to get into your home to get what they need. If you live in a city, or densely populated area, this is particularly true. People might be looking for meds, food and water and so on. They will likely have people who are sick in their own lives. It is unlikely but something to think about.

Also, if your family is safe within your home, the last thing you want is someone from the outside tracking germs inside. You must stay vigilant and try to stop threats at the doors or windows of your home. Being proactive in this method could save those in your home.

The drone is a dual-purpose technology that acts as eyes outside the home, as well as a deterrent for those who want to come on to your property. This battery powered quad-copter will not fly for very long, but you will only need to give chase once. This is an intimidation method more than anything else.

A Perimeter Alarm will help you understand when someone has ventured too close. This will allow you some lead time so the threat does not come barrelling through the front door or bashing through a window. Be sure the alarm runs of simple batteries and have a plan to change them after a while.

Basic preparations will still be necessary in conjunction with these strategies, which are more specific to the pandemic. If you start with a solid base you can build upon it.