[koheripbal]

I feel like the debate between the "don't panic" crowd and the "preppers" is a useless semantic debate between extremists.

You want to react the appropriate amount. For the time being, you should go about your normal routine, but like the CDC said today, you should prepare for some major lifestyle disruptions.

[iliveinchina]

I can comment on a couple unexpected shortages we've seen in Asia: toilet paper, due to panic buying, and hand sanitizer.

There are also some concerns about medicines unrelated to the virus because many meds are produced in China and the supply chain here is all screwed up. So some might consider getting medicine refills for 30 days (or however long your insurance will let you) in advance. You also might not want to have to go wait in line at a pharmacy during a pandemic.

In terms of work: it may make sense to start thinking about what kind of work can be done efficiently remotely vs. on-site.

You also may want to think about finances in case the world sees a significant economic contraction. If lots of countries replicate what has happened in China, the world economy will be highly disrupted for at least a couple months.

[asdfasgasdgasdg]

Super useful comment. R.e. toilet paper, random observation: buy a bidet and you basically won't need to buy tp very much any more. They are very inexpensive at least in the states. You can get one for $20 or so.

[AstralStorm]

Hopefully you have running water. I'd still recommend keeping some TP in case water goes out in toilet.

[asdfasgasdgasdg]

Yep, we have a backup supply. That said if there's no running water for a prolonged period we are eventually going to start having other problems. Fwiw I don't think that is an anticipated outcome even of a global covid-19 pandemic.

[nate_meurer]

This is the most useful comment ever made in any forum for all of history. I would give you all of my karma points if I could.

[3fe9a03ccd14ca5]

I made this same recommendation and got downvoted(?!). Bidets really are a great invention. Basically cut your toilet paper down to almost nothing.

[rorykoehler]

Other countries won't copy China once the cat is out of the bag. Strategy will change to mitigation

[chipperyman573]

Out of curiosity, have you done anything to prepare for any major lifestyle disruptions?

[cco]

A fringe benefit, perhaps the only ;), of living in San Francisco is that you are always prepared for major lifestyle disruptions; it is called an earthquake plan and you should have one.

Plenty of food and water to last at least seven days, evacuation meeting points etc. Oh and a wrench for those pesky gas mains.

[thaumasiotes]

> Plenty of food and water to last at least seven days

I'm always a little bemused to see food and water given equal weight in preparedness recommendations like this. If you have no food at all for seven days, that won't really cause problems. If you're only planning for a seven-day emergency, there's no reason to store any amount of food.

If you have water for 7 days and food for 3 months, the lack of water will cause a lot of problems.

[iudqnolq]

The recommendations presume you may need to do more than just sit around.

Suppose on day four fire breaks out and you need to evacuate. Your ability to walk long distances, carry others with injuries, and think clearly and make good decisions about how to evacuate will all be impacted by a lack of food.

When I was in a mild emergency one thing the experts did that stood out to me was forcing us all to take a break and cook a warm meal. It made a significant difference to perceived energy level and judgement, even if it wasn't strictly necessary.

[pengaru]

> When I was in a mild emergency one thing the experts did that stood out to me was forcing us all to take a break and cook a warm meal. It made a significant difference to perceived energy level and judgement, even if it wasn't strictly necessary.

It does wonders for morale, otherwise it's really not that necessary unless you're running exceptionally low in the adipose department to begin with.

[iudqnolq]

I'm absolutely not an expert in this. I personally perceived a benefit to focus, concentration, and problem solving in addition to morale/group enthusiasm.

My belief, however, (without experience) is that after a few days of no food the physical feeling of hunger will start being very distracting, and you'll start feeling lethargic. I believed that was the case even if you were well nourished before. Not because you run out of fat to burn but because your body starts minimizing usage. Is that totally wrong?

[3fe9a03ccd14ca5]

If people around you are going without food for 7 days or longer, you still have a problem, and it’s directly proportionate to the number of very hungry people that live around you.

“Safe is anywhere a hungry person can't walk in three days.”

[kaikai]

No reason? How many days have you gone without food before? No, you won’t die, but it won’t be comfortable.

[wahern]

Hunger and hunger pangs disappear by day 3 or 4, and what pain there is almost entirely mental. Lots of people do 7-10 fasts (especially in California), and this experience is quite typical if not universal. Though, perhaps once you get to the point of starvation the experience changes.

I've done a few 5-7 day juice fasts starting at ~600 calories per day--all sugar as fat and protein prevent hunger from subsiding. After the hunger subsides it's easier to taper off entirely. The hard part is dealing with stress. Even though it's common to experience a mental high and to even perform well athletically, the difficulty with stress betrays the fact that your body has declining energy.

[RandomBacon]

I don't do fasts, but I can attest to hunger pains disappearing after a couple of days, and the fact most of it is mental.

I went from a 3000 calorie/day diet to a 1000 calorie/day diet for 8 months several years back. A few years after that, I once went 4 full days without food (it sucked, but I was mentally prepared due to my experience from that 3k to 1k diet change).

The change in energy will mess with your head/body for about a week until you get used to it.

Edit: People keep downvoting the parent, but I'm not sure why, just because the information comes from someone who does "fasts"?

[pengaru]

> all sugar as fat and protein prevent hunger from subsiding

I think you've got that inverted.

People easing into intermittent fasting are often recommended they start with keto to get fat-as-fuel adapted and begin their intermittent fasts with a few days of keto for the very reason that it gets through the hunger pangs while still being able to eat, just avoiding carbs.

[SilasX]

Wait, what? I thought fat and protein were generally what gave the feeling of satiation?

[hervature]

May as well pack a portable DVD player with your favorite movies to enjoy your food with.

[mikekchar]

On the other hand, if I have fuel, then I may be able to get water in the form of rainwater or other potential water sources -- boiling the water for safety. For me, that's one of the big things that people overlook when they are preparing for disasters.

But I would say definitely store food and medicine. Keeping your energy levels up is important for maintaining your health. Getting ill is just another way to die.

[AstralStorm]

You need chemical treatment and not boiling for rainwater. It is often chemically polluted because we're still burning contaminated hydrocarbons, typically with NOx or SOx (nitrates or sulphates). These are rather unhealthy, but in a short emergency it's fine.

You definitely want to boil river or lake water.

[cactus2093]

I don’t know much about the city water system, is there a likely scenario where the water shuts off due to coronavirus?

It’s a much different situation than an earthquake, nothing is going to damage the water lines in this case. Does the water grid require a lot of active maintenance on a daily basis that it’s at risk of shutting off if there are a few weeks where nobody is working?

[thaumasiotes]

The lesson I would draw is less "they're recommending 7 days of water because they think there's a chance the water might shut off" and more "they issue the same recommendations without regard to what circumstances you're supposedly preparing for or whether those recommendations technically make any sense".

[throwlaplace]

>If you're only planning for a seven-day emergency, there's no reason to store any amount of food.

but why would i do that to myself when i could easily buy protein bars and canned goods?

[reaperducer]

If you have no food at all for seven days, that won't really cause problems.

"Civilization is only three meals deep." — My old boss.

[3fe9a03ccd14ca5]

Everyone here saying “hunger goes away after 3 days” should read more about what desperate people do during prolonged famines.

If it comes to that, your “neighbors” aren’t going to be sitting around doing yoga to feel less hungry.

[RandomBacon]

The people talking about 'hunger goes away after 3 days' are talking about people who are mentally-prepared to experience it.

You and the people talking about civilization only being 3 days away from anarchy are talking about "desperate people".

I don't think anyone is confusing the two groups of people; just talking about two different possibilities for different people.

[AstralStorm]

Prolonged meaning nearing a month, not a week.

[stale2002]

> If you have no food at all for seven days

I strongly disagree with this characterization.

Sure, technically, most people aren't going to literally die, if they go without food for a couple days.

But I think that you underestimate the secondary effects that not having food for a couple days has on a person.

[xvilka]

An emergency bag with documents, first aid, and basic supplies, clothes, etc can be a good idea for the earthquake plan. Not so useful for epidemic emergency though.

[cco]

Well, it would have masks as well which are directly helpful. And if you must be quarantined for days and possibly care for yourself or someone else in the house with a bad fever/illness then yeah everything else is useful.

[robben1234]

Our world is filled with viruses, and we have set measures to fight it. I'm afraid Covid2019 might became a reason for another Patriot act, seizing people's rights and freedoms even more.

[irq11]

Sure, but “don’t panic” is not an extreme sentiment, nor does it imply you shouldn’t prepare. Panic over an illness that has infected a grand total of less than 100,000 people...out of 7 billion, is probably an overreaction, in almost every case.

The amount of absolute garbage information flooding the internet right now has caused a lot of folks I know to freak out, when the relative risk of this virus is lower than any number of other things they do on a daily basis without a second thought.

So yes, wash your hands more, try to avoid large crowds amd have a plan for when they cancel your kid’s school or whatever, but don’t start a run on canned goods at the local grocery store. It’s important to maintain perspective.

[ceejayoz]

Ah, but I panic a bit about other people panicking.

[hartator]

How is avoid large crowd advice have more perspective than buy can food?

[irq11]

Your choice to avoid crowds helps everyone, because the crowds are one person smaller.

Hoarding canned food from your local store hurts everyone, because now they have less food.

[ithkuil]

My sister in law was in Milan a few days ago. In her words the city was deserted and the reaction by immediate family members to the description was to fuel more panic and suggestions to react by hoarding basic food supplies asap. The main rationale for suggesting that was to react on other people panicking.

Everything we do has consequences.

[irq11]

It’s especially important to manage your sense of panic when everyone else is losing their mind.

The fact that a simple acknowledgement that hoarding is objectively worse than avoiding large crowds is voted down to -1, should tell you everything you need to know about the sense of panic that is sweeping the internet right now.

[oxymoran]

Buying 46 cans of beans and corn is hardly hoarding. Everyone shouldn’t have been so apathetic.