Here are some ways to prepare, responsibly and reasonably, for the potential risk of a pandemic and being quarantined for a month or two (worst case scenario at this time). There is no need, as of now, to panic and hoard supplies, which makes it even more difficult for others to get what they need. Remember, also, that areas that have been quarantined are not forcing people to stay 100% in their homes, but are rather cautioned to keep at least a meter distance between themselves and others when they do have to leave the house for basic necessities.
If you are anything like our family, we often have grocery receipts from previous months. Last week we were out of most of out basics - like laundry detergent, toilet paper, frozen and canned foods, bottles of water for our water cooler, etc... If you are wanting to 'stock up', then there are reasonable ways to do so. Go through your receipts and see what you go through in an average month, and perhaps add to what you currently have in your home to last you a month and a half (or 2 months if you are being particularly cautious). Ask yourself the following questions:
How long does it take your family to go through a package of 24 rolls of toilet paper?
If the answer is one month, sure maybe buy one extra. But not six. I have Crohn's Disease, so I often go through a roll within 3-6 days by myself (one a day during an intense flare-up). So a 24-pack would likely last us a month or a bit longer. So we bought one additional small package of 12, just in case.
What are you currently out of? What would you actually need next week if you had to be quarantined?
If you still have enough canned goods, basics like flour & sugar, and frozen foods to last two months, maybe pick out one or two things, but there is no need to pile up with food that will overflow your stocks or, worse, be wasted and tossed out within the next month.
Do the products that you are buying need to be consumed within a particular timeframe?
Please avoid buying products that will be wasted if you don't happen to end up quarantined. If you're worried about ingredients like eggs, bread, and milk, maybe go for a carton of soy/almond/coconut milk that lasts a lot longer, or a carton of egg whites, and put a loaf of bread in the freezer. No need to hoard these items either - they will last and you don't need to fight at the stores and take home every last item in stock.
What can be easily delivered to your doorstep?
An intense quarantine lockdown of the entire country for two or more months is unlikely. Even in countries where there are broad quarantines, people are advised to stay a meter or more away from people but can still leave their homes for basics. These are in 'hot-spot' locations. But if you would prefer to stay home, there are many delivery services (not to mention friends and family) that can simply drop off a box of food and/or supplies on your doorstep if you run out. There are ways to get these items while still limiting physical contact with other people.
Do you really need masks, gloves, and umpteen bottles of hand sanitizer?
If you have been advised by a physician to wear a mask or gloves in public because of your age, job, or pre-existing conditions, then obviously do so. The vast majority of us, however, would not benefit much from a mask or gloves. Masks are meant for one-time use, and usually meant for the sick, not the healthy. They are to prevent our own droplets from spreading, and would really only protect us if someone sneezed or coughed directly into our faces. Gloves are also not supposed to be worn for long periods of time. The same germs that end up on our hands will end up on the gloves. They are also for one-time use in the majority of cases, and while a bottle of hand sanitizer is useful for the in-between moments of life when soap and water are not nearby, you probably don't need to fill up your linen closet with a dozen or more. Sure, buy a couple of travel bottles, and maybe one box of bar soap. Voilà, that should last a couple of months. If this continues, those can also be delivered (unless panic-purchasing continues). Most of us already have hand sanitizer in our vehicles or purses, so there is no need to hoard a basket-full more.
What would you want to keep on hand if you caught a flu or pneumonia?
While I do not agree with comparing COVID-19 to the flu, the general procedures for avoiding infecting others is similar. If pneumonia is going around, most people would keep some chicken noodle soup on hand, maybe some easy-to-eat foods, and some over-the-counter medication. COVID-19 does not appear, as of now, to be as long-lasting as, say, Mono, so suffering for 3-6 months is unlikely. I simply asked myself what I would want in the house should I encounter an awful Crohn's flare-up. My answer was some easy to eat meals, a few canned goods, soft foods, and proper medication. Plus maybe a few extra ROLLS of toilet paper. Rolls, not packages.
When was the last time you did a big grocery shopping trip - do you really need to do another right now?
Be sensible. Look at what you truly need at home if you had to stay at home for 20-30 days. Look at what you already have at home and make an estimate of how long that food would last your family. Chances are that most of us in the Western world have enough to feed an entire family for several months already. This idea that we might be locked in our homes for 6 months straight is a panic. Be logical, be sensible, be reasonable in your efforts to prepare. Understand that a few extra food and basic items is perfectly understandable, but that purchasing the entire stock of an item at the store makes no sense and creates supply issues for others who are being sensible.
Do not discount this illness as being harmless. It is not harmless to a large population of people. That does not mean, however, that we should be panicked into hoarding items as though this was a natural disaster. Purchase a few extra items if necessary (like preparing for a bad blizzard where we could be stuck inside for a couple of weeks), be courteous to others, wash your hands, and follow protocols if you do suspect exposure. Quarantine yourself if you have been told to do so, keep a meter distance away from others if instructed, and please stop buying so much toilet paper that people sell small packages online for obscene amounts of money.
You do not need 120 rolls of toilet paper for a two-week quarantine. (Unless maybe you are a family of 8, all with severe Inflammatory Bowel Disease or the like, and happen to go through a roll each per day.....)
Please be logical and think critically.
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