Covid-19
facts, fallacies, and prepardness
FIRST .... get the FACTS and IGNORE the FUD (fear uncertainty and doubt)
1) Covid-19 is INCREDIBLY DEADLY
- it is no more deadly than the various Influenzas.
- The problem is it is new and thus not "well understood"
- If one gets symptoms of a bad cold or flu, watch for fever.
- If the fever goes over ~ 102-103 for long, see the Medics. many have call-in lines.
- If caught early and the symptoms are treated, and keep it from turning into pnuemonia,
recovery is like over 95%
1) stores are running out of hand sanitizer
- Hand sanitize ris , well, "ok"
- 70% Isopropyl Alcohol is better than that, It's cheap, tests have shown it kills covid, noro, and inlfuenza in less than 5 seconds.
2) I can't get a mask at my drug store, I'm gonna die!
- No you won't,
- wash your hands A LOT. DO NOT touch your eyes, mouth or face.
- stay further than 2 meters from anyone coughing or sneezing.
- go get some industrial N95 dust masks from the big box hardware store. IT IS THE SAME MASK
the best ones have a sort of flexible seal for around your face.
3) I need a hundred masks!
- No you don't
a single N95 dust respirator will last more than 30 days. Tests in Dehli, India (worlds most polluted air)
show these basic dust respirators last longer than 30 days ( even without washing them - btw don't wash them)
and users only throw them out becasue they get grungy in the heat and humidity.
4) I can't get any mask i'ma gonna die
- make your own, yes they work:
https://mustsharenews.com/cloth-face-mask/
Regarding Masks, when you ACTUALLY need one -
PROPER FIT is essential - gaps around the cheeks or eyes let crap in when you breath in.
the kind with an exhaust valve is best, it won't puff out around the cheeks or eyes.
If you can't get a good tight fit, use surgical tape, duct tape, or masking tape to seal the edges.
5) Just like a cold or flu, the corona spreads via airborn droplets, or touching, or on surfaces.
- don't shake hands, do an elbow bump or a japanese bow
- wear disposable cotton gloves, it offers some protection but more importantly reminds you
NOT TO TOUCH YOUR FACE
- wear disposable latex or vinyl gloves if you really need to.
- get a dozen bottles of 70% isopopyl alcohol and swab down YOUR HANDS, telephones ( yes your cellphone too, but watch the screen)
your car insterior, doors, doorknobs, keyboards, work surfaces, kitchen counters, the entire bathroom, etc...
6) Pay Attention! watch yourself & your "others" for cold-like symptoms, even pets. They already found dogs can get it.
7) Nothing is coming from China! the stores will run out of ( fill in the blank)
- we all lived for thousands of years before "just in time" deliver of "shit from china" we'll manage
- DO stock up on "some" TP and kleenex.
- some people are buying up everything and "I am told" shipping TP & masks & etc to family in asia - just more panic.

I CAN"T GET TP IMA GONNA DIE
- no , you won't
- if there is NO TP available use paper substitutes - newspaper, phonebook pages, etc
- if theres no paper, use a wet washcloth and wash it out afterwards. give each family member their own.
9) FOOD
- stock up now, as much as you can reasonably afford, a little at a time
in case you get sick and can't leave home.
- during an illness, soup is good food. canned soup is handy when your too sick to cook
- instant ramen in a cup is cheap and easy
- ANY pasta is cheap and easy
- canned meat can save your butt. Contrary to popular belief, SPAM is actually pretty good- it is compressed
leftover shreds of good cuts of pork. Get the Low Sodium kind. Bacon flavor is GREAT!
- canned chicken canned tuna, and canned beef, keep forever, are also great and can be reasonabley priced
- anything canned with tomato is high in acid and can go bad in a few years or eat thru the can...
- old cans of food? look for bulged lids and/or bottoms - then throw it out.
- rice is cheap and can keep forever, but you need to watch for bugs. Best thing is to get a 20# or 50# bag and drop a
piece of dry ice the size of a paperback book into the middle, then put it in a plastic bucket with a lid that seals. The CO2
either kills bugs/eggs or makes them go totally dormant.
- dried beans are cheap and can keep forever. see above
- Complete Proteins:
Corn, Beans, and Squash - the Native Americans call it The Three Sisters
Rice and Beans - the staple worldwide!
10) Water
your city water is probably pretty damn good. Some of us use a carbon filter on the tap or built into a whole house
filter.
fill bottles with water to keep on hand in case something happens to the city water - I like to use the rule of thumb
2 gallons per person per day for 30-60 days.
that offers some for cooking and a little for washing.
If you can't afford bottled water, get a carbon filter, "just in case" , and
Remember, if you HAVE flowing water, even if a little icky, run it thru a charcoal filter and boiling it kills everything.
11) Protection
Trust me on this. It's not the Apocalypse.
- There will be no Mongol Hordes
- No Zombie Mobs
- No ravaging mobs of "have nots" roaming to break into your house for food....
Just don't advertise, keep a low profile, lock your doors, etc
If there IS a riot, such as the craziness in UK several years ago, stay friendly with neighbors, practise with whatever ya got
and keep it handy. An an ash can lid is a great shield, and A short sharp shovel can work wonders and... As can an
antique muzzleloading 8 bore double barrel...
mumble mumble and (can't mention it here).
I myself will help/feed anyone I can who
- sincerely needs it
- asks
You might be amazed at how befriending someone by feeding them can lead to wonderful things and
unexpected help out of the blue...
OTOH, If someone tries to break in, they better hope they meet me first, because , well, if they
meet Mrs marvel first there will only be a big red gelatinous mess that I will have to clean up. I swear
she has "Lions Roar" and can make a miscreant complete explode just with her voice....
and I build muzzleloading rifles, shotguns, revolvers, bowie knives, axes, tomahawks, gurka kukris, katanas, wakizahis,
bolos, machetes, throwing knives, war bows and arrows, crossbows, trebuchets, clocks, kitchen ware, car parts, furniture, radios,
cameras, .... did I say that out loud?
yhs
prof marvel