With the outbreak of the Wuhan Coronavirus, people all over the world are starting to take notice and think the worst. After all, pop culture is filled to the brim with apocalyptic scenarios involving the end of the world at the hands of a viral outbreak.
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Right now there’s little chance of people dying en masse, and there’s no risk of a zombie outbreak just yet, but that doesn’t mean the situation isn’t serious and that it couldn’t take a turn for the worst.
Preparing yourself for an outbreak that could wipe out millions of people can be done, and you don’t need to start digging a shelter in your backyard to do it.
Survival is all about being prepared. What you do today, could save your life tomorrow. To that end, here are the top ten essential tips to prepare for the coronavirus outbreak.
10 Stockpile Food And Water
The average person burns between one-and-a-half and 3,000 calories a day, but without food, the body begins to break down.
Dying from hunger is terrible, and it can take as many as 70 days. However, without liquids, dehydration will lead to death in just three or four.
Be sure to stockpile a couple of months of canned and dehydrated food per person. Military rations pack a ton of calories and have a shelf-life of up to five years, so get some if you can.
You’ll need enough water for at least two weeks but preferably four. Half a gallon a day for one person is about right.
If you run out of the fresh stuff, you can disinfect water from a questionable source by boiling it or adding a touch of iodine or bleach.
There’s also a great invention called the LifeStraw, which you can use to drink water directly from a contaminated source. The straw filters water as it passes through. I recommend getting several and keeping them on hand.[1]
9 Buy Essential Tools
If the plague you’re attempting to survive is worse than the Black Death, there’s a good chance society will take a little while to get back on track after everything dies down. After all, if history’s taught us anything, it’s that anyone can succumb to illness, including monarchs, presidents, dictators, and the guy who rings you up at the supermarket.
If a big portion of the population dies off quickly, you’re going to have to fend for yourself, and that means you’re going to need some tools.
Imagine looking for food, but all you find are locked and empty houses. If you’ve got a crowbar you have nothing to worry about. And there’s nothing wrong with breaking into an abandoned home while trying to survive an apocalypse!
You’ll also need to have a standard set of tools in a toolbox. Most importantly it should include a hammer, screwdriver set, a wrench, and a multitool.[2]
8 Get Yourself Some Weapons
Survivalists are well known for stockpiling guns and ammo, and not just for hunting. If the worst happens, and enough people die, society will crumble and collapse.
After that happens, life will look a lot like a post-apocalyptic movie, and you’re going to need to fend for yourself. As soon as zombies start walking about, they’ll kill you and your whole family for a hearty meal and a safe place to stay. Your best defense is a good offense, and that means you’ll need weapons.
Shotguns are great at hunting birds, but they’re also ideal for close-quarters combat. A rifle is needed for hunting bigger animals so get one with a good scope. And finally pistols: they’re small, easy to use, and have great stopping power. I’d also suggest you get a book on hunting and cleaning animals.
If you don’t have access to weapons due to local laws, a machete or crossbow is also great at hunting and defending yourself. At the very least, get a good hunting knife and hope for the best.[3]
7 Stock Up On Disinfectant
Plague doctors wore strange masks with beaks filled with herbs meant to purify the air as they breathed. This was because they thought disease was spread through bad smells. That idea has been disproven, but it does give us a good example of how to prepare yourself when an infection is airborne or spread through touch.
Standard consumer products that kill most deadly pathogens are cheap and easily found. Stock up on bleach which can disinfect anything and as I mentioned earlier, it can make water safe to drink.
Hand soap is good in a pinch, but not when there’s a nasty bug in the air. Get some hand sanitizer, and use it whenever you touch common objects, or come in contact with other people. If you don’t have any of that, alcohol will kill most germs, but it should be used as a last resort.
If you decide to buy a modern mask, surgical ones won’t help against the coronavirus. You’ll be wanting a CBRN grade full face mask—these are chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense rated.[4]
6 Create A Safe Room And House
You’re going to need to keep your house safe, and that means you’ll have to turn to that trusty item that’s helped keep the US Military running smoothly for decades: duct tape. It’s easy to tear, sticks to everything and will help you secure your home and keep the virus out. And while you’re buying the tape, grab a bunch of plastic drop cloths.
If you think closing the front door and shutting all the windows will keep the virus at bay, ask yourself, when was the last time an insect got in? If spiders and ants can find their way into your house, so can an airborne disease.
Use the drop cloths to cover every window and door, sealing them with duct tape as you go. If you have a fireplace: close the flue and seal that up too. The last thing you need to do is establish a quarantine room somewhere in your home. This is where you would put someone who is showing signs of infection to isolate them from the rest of the group.[5]
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5 Prep Your Immune System
The only defense our bodies have against a potentially deadly infection is its immune system. The best way to keep yourself in fighting shape is to take everything from Lysine and Vitamin C to exercising regularly.
You’re going to want to stockpile some medicine, so gather up as much as you can. Score some antibiotics, and ensure that anyone who needs insulin or an EpiPen has a ready supply.
If you have a prescription, don’t wait until the last minute to fill it; have at least a month’s supply on hand, or you could experience dangerous withdrawal symptoms, especially where antidepressants are concerned. Going cold turkey on prescription medicines can mess you up faster than the plague, so always make sure you have ample.
Additionally, you should have cold medicine, multivitamins, antibiotic ointments, and a well-stocked first aid kit. After all, you don’t want to survive the plague of the century and end up dying from an infection after you get a cut on your hand.[6]
4 Create A Bug Out Bag
One of the earliest things a government will do when there’s an outbreak is to quarantine the infected areas. This has happened in Wuhan, and within a relatively short period of time, more than ten million people have been forced to stay put.
But while this was happening, foreigners who weren’t infected were evacuated. If the same thing happens where you are, you may find yourself forced to flee with little or no notice. In these situations, it’s always good to have a bug out bag ready.
A well-stocked bag needs all the items I’ve talked about on this list . . . but just enough for a 72 hour period.
You should also add an emergency radio, flashlight, spare batteries, waterproof matches, and a flint and steel. Don’t forget clothes and feminine hygiene products as well. While you can buy bug out bags from various places online, most survivalists would agree, you should stock your own based on your personal needs and health requirements.
You’ll also want to keep a copy of your city’s disaster plan in it, which can indicate safe ways to travel in an emergency.[7]
3 Prepare For A Barter Economy
If the outbreak wipes out a large portion of the local population, the survivors will be left to pick up the pieces. All of that precious cash you got out of the bank may not be much good in the aftermath.
You’re going to need to tap into history and learn the benefits of a barter economy. Everything in a post-pandemic situation will rely on trade: nobody is going to give up their penicillin for a bar of gold or a wad of cash.
Before Hitler and his national socialist party came to power in Germany, the nation was ruled by the Weimar Republic. The economy was a shambles, and the currency at the time was basically worthless. People turned to an underground bartering system and it worked well enough to keep things going. The same is true right now in modern day Venezuela.
The best way you can prepare for this is to stock up on a lot of a commonly needed items. This could be antiseptic ointment, face masks, other types of medicine, or anything else people will need to survive a plague of epic proportions. And don’t forget, basics such as toilet paper will be in high demand.[8]
2 Get Hold Of Some Boredom Busters
Once an outbreak occurs and spreads to your area, you may find yourself quarantined for a long time. If the power has gone out, you can forget about watching The mandalorian or playing Fortnite.
But that doesn’t mean You have to let boredom be your downfall. Even if the power’s gone out, there’s still a lot you can do to stay sane when the “Social Influencer” in your group realizes that Instagram’s gone and he needs some attention.
Make sure you have lots of books to read. Get a variety of entertaining titles but you should also keep some survivalist manuals on hand as well. You never know when they might save your life.
Puzzle books and old school board games are also an excellent way to pass the time. Boredom may not kill you directly, but it can make your life miserable, so plan ahead.[9]
1 Prepare For The Worst
It’s possible that someone in your group will die. When that happens, their body will begin to decompose almost immediately. It will release stored gasses and excrement, and it can still spread disease.
Ebola is especially nasty where infection from corpses is concerned, thanks to the massive amount of blood involved. But a corpse can be dangerous even if death was caused naturally. It is essential that you don’t touch the body without gloves and a mask.
Disposing of a corpse is no easy task, and if you’ve watched our video on incredible smells, you’ll know that the smell of burning humans is not something you want to experience. Instead of cremation, make like a Mexican drug cartel and dissolve the remains.
Your best bet is to bury the body and cover it with lye. Grab a shovel and dig a hole approximately six feet deep. Carefully deposit the body and sprinkle a few cups of lye over it, and bury it with dirt. Within a relatively short time, it will destroy all but the bones and teeth.[10]
I’d like to point out that while this list is partly for entertainment, it does highlight a very real danger today. Please look up your city’s disaster plan and make sure you are as prepared as you can be. Pandemics and plagues don’t usually give advanced warning. Things are escalating and this may be your only chance to act.
Good luck! We may all need it.
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