Stocking the cupboards in the event of a pandemic in the USA

[Anonymous]

Why did mine and other posts get deleted? So we are not allowed to talk about stores we visited and how the stock was or what we got?

Not just in this thread but in any other threads about CV that I was following.

I gave a suggestion as to which stores have lentils in the cooking/restaurant forum and that was deleted too.

Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did mine and other posts get deleted? So we are not allowed to talk about stores we visited and how the stock was or what we got?

Not just in this thread but in any other threads about CV that I was following.

I gave a suggestion as to which stores have lentils in the cooking/restaurant forum and that was deleted too.

Seriously?

Check the website feedback forum. It's a technical something something, not a moderation rampage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at Safeway and Harris Teeter today and at both stores the toilet paper, lysol, pasta,canned soup, most canned vegetables, milk, eggs, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, bananas and most fruits besides apples were pretty much wiped out. It was crazy seeing tons of empty shelves. There were some straggler canned vegetables and overpriced pasta but I picked them just in case we will need it. Not many people in the evening but the cashiers looked tired.

Yesterday afternoon I was at the same Safeway and they were stocked with all the vegetables so I was surprised that this happened today.

I really didn't expect people to hoard perishables - I mean how many bananas can you eat?

I too was surprised by all the bare shelves in the produce section. Not a single banana, ok. But also not a speck of ginger, or mushrooms, or lettuce. Why ginger?

Ginger is a good anti-inflammatory. People make teas with it to help with respiratory symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did mine and other posts get deleted? So we are not allowed to talk about stores we visited and how the stock was or what we got?

Not just in this thread but in any other threads about CV that I was following.

I gave a suggestion as to which stores have lentils in the cooking/restaurant forum and that was deleted too.

Seriously?

Check the website feedback forum. It's a technical something something, not a moderation rampage.

Thanks. I just did that. I was thinking WTH - when posts that were just letting others know the situation at stores etc were deleted lol.

[Anonymous]

is it still safe to order groceries for delivery?
What is the risk of transferring the virus via bags and packages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't think you have to be concerned at the moment. We are a geographically isolated country with very few cases and no deaths so far.

Geographically isolated? The US is not New Zealand or Antartica.

New Zealand has plenty of cases. This is not 17th century.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:is it still safe to order groceries for delivery?
What is the risk of transferring the virus via bags and packages?

I ordered delivery from Amazon/Whole Foods two days ago for today, and it didn’t arrive. I went back and looked, and the order apparently didn’t take and I know I pressed the button. When I went back to reorder, they had no delivery days and it said to try back later. Put in another order for Instacart (won’t come till Monday), but I am not getting my hopes up. We’re OK, but I was hoping to get some fresh produce and chicken, which are pretty much wiped out at my local stores.

There aren’t any formal vetted studies on this particular coronavirus and how long it survives on surfaces. But there’s a preprint study out there that suggests up to 24 hours on cardboard and 2-3 days on plastic and stainless steel. Let me see if I can attach this Wired article on this.

https://www.wired.com/story/how-long-does-the-coronavirus-last-on-surfaces/[/url]

Anyway, we toss plastic bags immediately outside, wipe down any plastic containers, and leave cardboard items in an area for two days without touching them. We wash produce or bag it before putting in the fridge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought about starting a new thread for this question, but hopefully it can get answered here without adding another CV thread:

- I've been slowly stockpiling since this thread started and have a good amount of meat in the freezer, 2 cartons of eggs, 2 1/2 gallons of milk, 2 lbs of oatmeal, pasta, extra snacky stuff, coffee for 2 weeks, frozen berries, some soup. Most of the things you all helpfully listed then.

- Q: Do I start locking myself and my kids down *now*, since I have a stockpile I could start working from? OR, do I keep going to the grocery store (at less crowded times) to get stuff like fresh fruit and save the stockpile for if stronger quarantine measures are urged or we get sick?

- I'm just trying to figure out what my societal responsibility is. I definitely wouldn't go now and buy out all the granola bars or laundry detergent, because I already have enough; I get that. But is my obligation lock myself down now because I can?

Yes. The fewer people move around, the fewer people will think “Oh, it must still be safe to move around.” And then it will spread less.

I agree that limiting your shopping now and for the next two weeks is a good idea. There is just too much potential exposure at the stores. We have ordered our last Amazon food delivery, coming today, but they were out of a lot of stuff and I am expecting that I won’t even get some of the things on my list.

One thing to note — when I do get a food delivery, I unpack and put the dry food in a segregated area for a few days. And then we wash all the other stuff before putting it in the fridge. And I tip all the food delivery people well!

How do you wash the food (milk, meat etc.)? Rinse in the sink? Are you worried that the splashing could splash virus onto you? I am also wondering if we should stop doing the groceries. Certainly at the moment, when there are long lines, I have no intention of venturing out. I think the panik buying is going to die down soon.

Good question. We don’t buy milk cartons — we get the plastic containers. I wipe them down with a bleach solution. For meat, I just repackage in a freezer bag. Not a perfect solution, but I was worried about bleach getting on the meat.

I don’t know if panic buying will get better soon, because there is really no precedent for this in modern times. I hope you are correct, but I have no idea how long this will last, how consumers will behave and how grocers and food manufacturers will adapt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you buy so much food, you need to buy toilet papers!
Learn to eat at a minimal level. It will be ok. We survived the refugee camp. It's ok.

Most Americans freak out if they have to navigate around a road closure on their way to work, so they aren't going to be very resourceful when it comes to some type of survival situation.

But fat people can live over a year without food, so most should be AOK!

[Anonymous]

You do not need toilet paper. You can wash your bum with water. Tissue paper would be more important to have on hand in case you have a cold.

You do not need hand sanitizer if you are not out and about. You can just wash with soap and water. If you are out of soap, wash with dishwashing soap.

You do not need lysol. You can disinfect with 1/2 cup bleach in a gallon of water or even isopropyl alcohol.

If you do not have a washer/dryer at home, you can wash clothes in your bath tub and hang it to try on hangers on your bath tub curtain rod.

You have more food than you think you have. Do an inventory of all the food items in your pantry, fridge and freezer. Make sure that you are consuming all perishables first - fresh fruits, veggies, meats and not letting them spoil and going to waste. If you cannot finish it, freeze it. 30% of food that Americans buy go to waste - so stop wasting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did mine and other posts get deleted? So we are not allowed to talk about stores we visited and how the stock was or what we got?

Not just in this thread but in any other threads about CV that I was following.

I gave a suggestion as to which stores have lentils in the cooking/restaurant forum and that was deleted too.

Seriously?

Check the website feedback forum. It's a technical something something, not a moderation rampage.

Jeff said something like 1400 posts were randomly deleted through technical glitch. Nothing personal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the run on Tylenol/etc. Are people trying to mask fevers?

High fever is a symptom, it’s not masking but treating them so brain hemorrhaging, seizures, etc. don’t occur. Alternative is ice packs.

[Anonymous]

Stocking up and hoarding, Hamptons style:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-15/new-yorker-anxiety-in-hamptons-leads-to-requests-for-hard-cash?srnd=premium

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:is it still safe to order groceries for delivery?
What is the risk of transferring the virus via bags and packages?

The virus can live on plastics for days. Safest to open packages out in the open air and carry food in. Change clothes and wash hands after you’re done. Instruct delivery to ring doorbell and leave, so you don’t have to interact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is it still safe to order groceries for delivery?
What is the risk of transferring the virus via bags and packages?

The virus can live on plastics for days. Safest to open packages out in the open air and carry food in. Change clothes and wash hands after you’re done. Instruct delivery to ring doorbell and leave, so you don’t have to interact.

All of these recommendations sound good, but has any expert provided guidance on this? I’ve been looking but can’t find anything. Would be interested to know if anyone has seen anything from Japan, Singapore, Taiwan or South Korea.